Clinical Research Extension (CLEX)
Students interested in these programs should contact the coordinator of each area to discuss the recommended content courses that should be taken.
Eating and its Disorders: Janet Polivy
Neuropsychology:
Applied Development: Jennifer Tackett
Admission to the courses specific to the CLEX programs (courses in assessment, and practicum and internship courses) is granted by permission of the CLEX committee. The assessment courses are generally offered every second year. Prior to these courses being offered, students will be notified by email of the application procedures, and will be invited to an interview with the CLEX committee.
Clinical Research Extension Programs (CLEX)
The goal of the Clinical Extension Program is to promote scientific inquiry and to train first-rate researchers in applied areas of psychology, while providing them the necessary clinical knowledge in their area of interest. Our aim is to train researchers who practice in a clinical or applied setting so that they can also be professional providers of psychological services. These extensions exist in three areas: Applied Development, Eating and Its Disorders, and Neuropsychology.
In recent years, the discipline of psychology has evolved such that clinically relevant issues have become a fundamental part of scientific pursuit. Theories of basic processes are being shaped by the study of abnormal processes in individuals with developmental, neurological, or psychiatric dysfunctions. The approaches of clinical and experimental psychology have merged in a way that the traditional distinctions between the two fields no longer exist to the extent that they did in the past. However, these extension programs are intended to enhance research skills and research opportunities for students wishing to study special populations, while providing them with the clinical training in their area of interest. The goal is to train clinician scientists who can provide empirically validated psychological services in a clinical setting, with a particular emphasis on clinical research.
The purpose of the programs is to train research psychologists and to supplement the standard PhD research degree by providing students with skills and experience that are relevant for applied research. Students graduating from this program should be equipped to follow both an academic and a clinical career. Because our program is designed to maintain the department's commitment to research, students wishing to pursue studies in the clinical extension programs must spend their first two years in the regular M.A. and Ph.D. program. Only after completing their first Ph.D. year, can students apply for admission to the clinical extension.
The extension programs require students to take additional courses above and beyond the requirements for the PhD. Degree. These courses vary by program, but all programs require courses in psychological testing, ethics, psychotherapy and psychopathology as well as a practicum and internship in clinical settings. Because the research extension programs require additional coursework, admission is granted only to students in good standing (i.e., those who have completed all necessary requirements given their year of enrollment), and to those who have achieved high grades in their past graduate academic and research requirements.
Frequently asked questions:
Should I apply to this program if I want to be a clinical psychologist?
The goal of CLEX is to train scientist-practitioners. So if your primary/exclusive interest and career goal is direct service provision, our program is not for you.
Is the program CPA or APA accredited?
No. The program is a member of the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science. Details can be found at: http://www.acadpsychclinicalscience.org/.
Can I become a registered psychologist if I complete the CLEX program?
The department is doing its utmost to offer training that will allow students to be eligible for registration in Ontario. The College of Psychologists of Ontario (http://www.cpo.on.ca) is a member of a reciprocity agreement with other provinces and certain US states. It is the responsibility of students who wish to seek registration to become aware of the registration requirements.
If I complete the CLEX program, can I get a clinical academic job?
Past graduates have obtained such positions within universities in Canada. To our knowledge, none has tried in the USA. Students should be aware that APA/CPA accreditation of clinical training programs is considered to be more necessary for faculty in American Universities with APA accredited Clinical Training programs than is the case for Canada.
When can I apply?
The point of entry for students is at those times when assessment courses are offered (typically every second year). Several weeks to several months in advance, an email from the Clinical Extension Screening Committee, will be sent to all graduate students indicating that these courses will be offered in the next academic year, and inviting those eligible to apply for admission to those courses.
How do I apply?
The email inviting students to apply for admission to the assessment courses, practica, and internships will specify the application procedures. Students are usually asked to provide a letter indicating their progress in the program to date, and the reason for their interest in the CLEX program. They are also asked to provide two letterS of reference. One of these letters should be from the PhD supervisor, who should indicate whether or not the student’s research progress is sufficient that he/she can assume extra course and other responsibilities. Both letters should comment on the student’s ability to take on training that may bring him or her in contact with psychologically vulnerable populations.
What courses do I have to take?
Because course offerings in the department vary from year to year, students should contact the head of each program for further details at the time of application to the CLEX programs.
Do I have to complete the practica and internship before I graduate?
No. These courses are not required by the department for the granting of the PhD degree. You should be aware, however, that various registration bodies may have stipulations about whether this type of training does or does not have to be completed before the end of the PhD degree. Students interested in pursuing registration as a psychologist should, therefore, carefully check the requirements of those bodies.
How do I arrange a practicum or internship?
This is typically done with the assistance of the PhD supervisor. Sometimes, other faculty who teach the specialty courses in CLEX may help.
Do I have to complete my PhD thesis before starting an internship?
Students must have a first draft of the PhD thesis accepted by the dissertation committee before being allowed to register in the internship course.
Can I do a practicum or internship on a part-time basis?
Yes.
How many hours do I need to complete for a practicum or internship?
Our practicum and internship hours are based on the CPA recommendations (300-450 hours for each of two practica, the higher number for those with a research requirement; 1600 hours for an internship). It is the student’s responsibility to check on provincial or state requirements for practicum or internship hours if registration is to be pursued in the future. Given that requirements do change, you may wish to cover yourself for the future by doing more than our program’s stated minimum.
If I have any other questions, whom do I contact?
Please contact the faculty member overseeing the program with which you wish to affiliate:
Eating and its Disorders: Janet Polivy
Neuropsychology:
Applied Development: Joan Grusec
Research Program in Eating and its Disorders (with Clinical Extension)
The Research Program in Eating and its Disorders is primarily part of the Social-Personality-Abnormal Area in the Department of Psychology. Students in this program will focus on the study of human eating behaviour. Coursework in Social-Personality-Abnormal Psychology may be supplemented with courses in Physiological Psychology to provide the background for the in-depth study of eating patterns and influences in human and non-human species. The graduate course in Eating and Its Disorders introduces the substantive focus of this program, and is required for all students in the program. The required graduate courses include the Eating and Its Disorders seminar, Abnormal Psychology, Adult Assessment, Clinical Issues, two practicum courses (one in assessment and one in therapy), a 1600 hour internship, and other related courses as available. In addition to doing research on these issues, students admitted into the Clinical Extension for this program will thus be given the opportunity to acquire clinical skills and expertise in order to facilitate their ability to do research on clinical populations such as those with Eating Disorders.
Research Program in Neuropsychology (with Clinical Extension)
The Research Program in Neuropsychology is primarily part of the Brain and Behaviour Area in the Department of Psychology. Students in this program will focus on the study of human Neuropsychology. Necessary courses include those in Neuropsychology (Higher Cognitive function), Neuroanatomy, Abnormal Psychology, Clinical Issues, Adult Assessment, Neuropsychological Assessment, two practicum courses and the internship course. Students should note that the courses in Higher Cognitive Function, Neuroanatomy and Adult Assessment are pre-requisites for the Neuropsychology Assessment course. The purpose of the program is to provide students with the necessary theoretical background for conducting research on issues relevant to patients with brain dysfunction, and to provide clinical skills and expertise to facilitate this research.
Research Program in Applied Developmental Psychology (with Clinical Extension)
Students in this program may pursue either the requirements for the Applied Developmental Psychology program or the Developmental Science program. These include two research seminars in developmental psychology, one in social and emotional development and the other in cognitive development, as well as a course on history and methods in developmental psychology. For those in the Developmental Science program there is an additional required seminar in developmental methodology. Students in the Clinical Extension program will, in addition, take courses in psychological testing, including child assessment, as well as courses in family and child intervention. The program’s goal is to provide skills that will be particularly helpful in the conduct of developmental research in clinical settings. The staff for the program include full-time and cross-appointed faculty in developmental psychology. Research practica can be arranged at local hospitals and mental health centers with participating researchers.