From Principle to Practice. New Social Justice & Diversity Concentration

The social justice and diversity mission of Fielding Graduate University is of great need during these times of dramatic social change and upheaval. The American Psychological Association (APA) also mandates that training psychologists become competent in theory, research, and practice with diverse groups to overcome mental health disparities.

Lauren Mizock, PhD, faculty in Fielding’s Clinical Psychology program, developed the new Social Justice and Diversity Concentration to address these issues. The concentration makes a clear link between the clinical psychology curriculum and the university’s central values of social justice and diversity.

Dr. Mizock was inspired to create the concentration based on student request. One student submitted a letter to the faculty proposing a concentration of this kind to facilitate “more training on appropriately addressing and effectively meeting with clients who receive community based mental health services… curricula and research that addresses diverse and underserved communities in a more inclusive way.” Faculty officially approved the concentration in June of 2017.

Students in this concentration develop specialized training in psychotherapy, diagnosis, assessment, and research in cultural issues in clinical psychology. The concentration includes coursework, research, and clinical practice components. The requirements of the concentration are designed to be accessible and feasible to doctoral students engaged in the already rigorous course requirements of the program.

Advanced seminars are delivered at national sessions by a range of faculty in the clinical program across a breadth of topics. Courses include Cultural Competence in Research, Cultural Sensitivity in Assessment, Clinical Practice with Transgender Individuals, African American Psychology, LGBTQ Psychology, and Sexual and Gendered Violence. New faculty are developing other topics in immigration, intersectionality, and relational cultural therapy.

Students can fulfill the research component by addressing issues of culture and equity in their dissertation, research practicum, or other conference presentation or publication projects. For the clinical training portion, students can work with underserved populations at their clinical practicum, internship, or potentially volunteer experience.

A number of students have already completed the concentration, and new students continue to enroll each term.

“Multicultural psychology is no longer seen as a specialty but a necessity in clinical training,” says Dr. Mizock. “The concentration legitimates the commitment that many students wish to make to issues of community and equity.” •

Dr. Lauren Mizock