About the Program
The UWaterloo PhD program in Clinical Psychology prides itself on maintaining a standard of excellence in clinical and research training while effectively adapting to meet the current standards and competencies of our profession.
As a program fully committed to the scientist-practitioner model, we provide state-of-the-art in-house training in evidence-based practice and clinically informed research. Our graduates are confidently prepared for a wide range of rewarding careers in Clinical Psychology research and practice.
Our program runs a very active in-house psychology clinic, the Centre for Mental Health Research and Treatment (CMHRT), in which all of our students, starting at the beginning of the program, have very extensive, closely supervised experience in psychodiagnostic, psychoeducational, and integrative psychological assessment, and psychotherapy with adults, children, and groups. In addition to their work in the CMHRT, our students complete practicum in off-campus settings (hospitals, clinics, practices), which involve varied assessment and psychotherapeutic activities.
Our program also offers students opportunities to learn other important skills, such as program evaluation, consultation, and clinical supervision. For example, under the close supervision of a faculty member, all senior students serve as a clinical supervisor for a junior student in the provision of psychotherapy, observing the students’ work and providing hour-for-hour feedback.
Graduate students are actively engaged in research. Research topics are chosen collaboratively between students and research faculty.
See student-identified research topics below:
2025 Research Topics
2024 Research Topics
Each clinical faculty member has a set of dedicated research rooms. Access to research participants may be obtained through the well-organized Research Experiences Group in the department, established connections with agencies and schools in the community, and lab-specific databases for clinical and non-clinical samples. As well, the CMHRT provides exciting research opportunities with service-seeking populations. Our students share their findings through conferences and publications, as well as sharing research on a variety of topics through presentations within our local community.
Throughout our program, there is an integration between scholarship/coursework, application of clinical skills, and research.
For more information on applying to our program, please visit our Clinical Psychology Information on Admissions webpage.
The School facilities, as well as the Centre for Mental Health Research and Treatment, are accessible to those with disabilities. We have excellent computer support, with staff on hand to assist with the development and maintenance of software, programs, and special equipment. We also have an extensive and up-to-date Test Library, where students and supervisors can access the available testing resources categorized by type and presenting concern. Additional training resources are listed on our Resources for Current Students website.