Adler School of Professional Psychology

Founded in 1952, the Adler School of Professional Psychology is the oldest independent school of psychology in the United States. This school is named after Alfred Adler (1870-1937), the first community psychologist, whose theories and teachings of psychology emphasize the uniqueness of every individual's relationship and connection with society.

The Adler School is committed to continuing the work of Alfred Adler by producing socially responsible graduates, by providing holistic services to individuals and communities, and by promoting social justice. This school's innovative program curricula prepare socially responsible practitioners by promoting social justice through education and training. Students come from all over the world to study in a collaborative atmosphere among accomplished faculty who are leaders in their field.

In addition to preparing students to practice general clinical psychology, Adler School offers a Community Service Practicum (CSP) - an exciting educational experience for students. Available in the first-year curriculum for Adler School students, this unique practicum allows students to get involved in community organizing, volunteer projects, political initiatives, advocacy and public policy analysis.

In 2007, the School received the American Psychological Association Board of Educational Affairs Award for Innovative Practices in Graduate Education in Psychology. This is a significant and prestigious recognition for the School's commitment to educating and training socially responsible psychologists through innovative programs that combine service learning in the form of the Community Service Practicum and coursework that enables Adler School graduates to address a broad range of social issues that impact the clients they serve.

Institute Accreditation

• Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges & Schools (HLC, 30 North LaSalle street, Suite 2400, Chicago, IL 60602)
• Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology is accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association (APA, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002, www.apa.org)

Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology (PsyD)

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The Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) program is designed to prepare students for the general practice of professional clinical psychology with a particular focus on socially responsible practice that includes education and training regarding the broader social and systemic factors that contribute to human dysfunction. The program follows the practitioner model of training developed by the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology. This model identifies as objectives the development of knowledge, skills, and values in seven core competency areas: relationship, assessment, intervention, research and evaluation, consultation and education, management and supervision, and individual and cultural diversity.

Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology (MA)

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The Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology program is designed to provide students with a foundation in theories and methods of counseling psychology with hands-on, practical, supervised training in counseling psychology techniques with an emphasis on socially responsible practice. This broad-based program usually takes students two years to complete. Graduates of the program are prepared for a wide variety of community mental health positions in human services agencies and organizations in the public and private sector. The program is also offered in a part-time format which includes online coursework catering to the needs of working professionals.

Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology: Art Therapy (MA)

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The Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology: Art Therapy program combines education and clinical training in art therapy, core counseling education and training, and the theories of Alfred Adler. The program is approved by the American Art Therapy Association (AATA). The MA in Art Therapy requires 61 credit hours of courses, including 700 hours of clinical practicum experience under at least partial supervision of a Registered Art Therapist (ATR). This program provides students with academic and pre-degree clinical experiences required to apply for registration as an art therapist as well as sit for the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) examination in the state of Illinois. Art therapist work in a wide variety of clinical and educational settings, including hospitals, schools, wellness centers, children's agencies, correctional facilities, and geriatric settings. The role of an art therapist is to guide the client to self-understanding, but not to pretend to interpret a client's images. To be successful, art therapists need to be trained as artists, committed to helping people, and knowledgeable in psychology and human development. Art therapists must have a deep respect for the integrity of the individual as well as a strong conviction about the healing dimension of the creative process.

Master of Arts in Counseling & Organizational Psychology (MA)

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The Master of Arts in Counseling & Organizational Psychology program combines the theories and skills of counseling psychology with organizational theory, design and development in order to prepare graduates for positions in business and industry, especially in organizational psychology and the related areas of talent management, team building, performance enhancement, executive coaching, organizational development, training, and employee assistance programs. This program is a one of a kind in the area because it prepares graduates to sit for state level licensure as a master's level counselor. Graduates will be trained and qualified to be entry level counselors with skills in assessing and providing counseling services to individuals, couples, and families. Beyond these important and marketable skills, graduates will have received training and skills in assessing and providing intervention in organizational settings on the level of the individual (personnel selection, leadership development, executive coaching, career assessment, and counseling), the work group (team assessment, team issue resolution, and team building), as well as the organizational level (talent audits, needs analysis, strategic planning, and organizational design and development).

Master of Arts in Gerontoligical Psychology (MA)

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The Master of Arts in Gerontological Psychology program is designed to provide students with a sound foundation of coursework and practical training to work with older adults. Students are exposed to impact of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors on the aging process in order to gain an understanding of the needs and issues of this increasing population worldwide.

Master of Arts in Marriage & Family Counseling (MA)

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The Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Counseling program is designed to prepare entry-level counselors to specialize in working with couples and families. Students in this program complete coursework and practicum experiences focused on the understanding and integration of individual lifestyle dynamics with marital and family systems. Graduates of the program have a theoretical understanding of individual, marital, and family systems, including developmental issues and major variations; assessment skills in life style and systemic diagnosis; and intervention skills based upon major models of marital and family therapy, with the theories and methods of Individual Psychology as a foundation.

Master of Arts in Police Psychology (MA)

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The Master of Arts degree in Police Psychology is designed for individuals currently in the field of law enforcement. The program provides a theoretical background in psychology while training the student to apply clinical and social psychology to operational and administrative aspects of law enforcement. Students will learn to apply the basic principles of Adlerian and cognitive/behavioral psychology to the managerial field and organizational culture which is unique to the police profession.

Designed to teach students the practical applications of psychology to the field of law enforcement, core professors and adjunct faculty all have extensive experience either in clinical psychology and/or law enforcement. A number of courses are team taught, combining experts from both fields of study.

This Master of Arts degree is not designed to teach the student to conduct therapy or engage in psychological testing. There are neither clinical hours required nor a practicum to complete. This degree does not lead to any type of licensure or certification.

Master of Arts Counseling Psychology specialization in Sport and Health Psychology

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This Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology specialization in Sport and Health Psychology program prepares graduates to address individual and systemic issues that affect sport performance and health. These two areas overlap considerably in the types of interventions used to produce positive changes (e.g., goal setting and self-monitoring to improve consistency of practicing or to lose weight). Both sport and health goals also share the influence of various social and community factors such as coaches, family members, culture, access to facilities. This unique program provides training and understanding of assessment, intervention and analysis of systems that will allow graduates to work within communities, schools and professional organizations to address the diverse needs of people of a wide variety of ages, health issues and athletic accomplishments. This program is a dual-credential program preparing graduates to take the exam for Professional Counselor Licensure in Illinois (LPC) and to become certified by the Association for Advancement of Sport Psychology (AASP).

Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology specialization in Forensic Psychology

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The Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology specialization in Forensic Psychology program prepares graduates for a highly specialized career that integrates their knowledge of human behavior with their active participation in the criminal justice system. Specialized coursework exposes students to the predominant theories and techniques of forensic evaluation, including the determination of a defendant's competency to stand trial, their sanity at the time of an offense, and their qualification for the death penalty in the event of a conviction for a capital crime. Students also develop a comprehensive understanding of the techniques associated with the forensic practitioner's involvement in criminal investigations; activities such as forensic hypnosis, offender and geographic profiling, and the ongoing review of police interview and witness identification procedures. Students are introduced to such specialized topics as the psychological effects of incarceration, jury selection, the evaluation of sexually-dangerous persons, and the psychosocial development of the criminal personality type. In addition, graduates become familiar with special issues and techniques related to therapeutic intervention with criminal justice professionals and their families. This program also prepares graduates to take the exam for Professional Counselor Licensure (LPC).

Master of Arts in Rehabilitation Counseling (MA)

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The Master of Arts in Rehabilitation Counseling program is designed to prepare students to be become Certified Rehabilitation Counselors. Rehabilitation Counselors work with individuals who have mental, emotional, or physical handicaps, helping them to lead self-sufficient lives both at home and on the job. The counselors are trained to determine the training and support their clients need to deal with the personal, social, and vocational effects of their condition.

Concentrations/Specializations

The Chicago campus offers several post-Masters Specialization programs that can be taken in conjunction with a degree program or as a separate program for qualified professionals. These programs include:

• Art Therapy
• Substance Abuse Counseling
• Child and Adolescent Psychology
• Primary Care Psychology
• Advanced Adlerian Psychotherapy
• Marriage and Family Therapy
• Clinical Neuropsychology
• Organizational Development
• Clinical Hypnosis
• Police Psychology

Information

If you are interested in this school and would like to find out more, please Request Information from Adler School of Professional Psychology - Chicago.