Originating in 1963, the University of Waterloo’s Canadian Psychological Association (CPA)-accredited Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Training Program was developed to educate scientist-practitioners in the fashion recommended by the Boulder Model. From the start, we aspired to the highest levels of skill development in both research and clinical practice, so that our graduates would achieve leadership roles in academic and applied psychology settings. We embrace psychological science as the essential basis for understanding clients’ problems and their effective treatment. Consistent with the scientist-practitioner (Boulder) model, we integrate science and professional practice in every aspect of our training program, so as to achieve the following specific goals:
- Students are competent to design, conduct, evaluate, and present psychological research.
- Students possess sound, research-informed clinical practice skills that enable them to manage demands for assessment, treatment, supervision, and consultation service of both adults and children.
- Students possess a broad appreciation for scholarship and cultural diversity, and have a commitment to lifelong learning.
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Program Mission
Our program and its values are consistent with the current mission statement of the University of Waterloo:
To offer professional programs which are soundly based on fundamental knowledge, which emphasize creativity and problem-solving, and which lead to an expertise in the profession combined with a broad and critical appreciation of its goals and its role in Canadian society. The University of Waterloo's mission is to advance learning and knowledge through teaching, research, and scholarship, nationally and internationally, in an environment of free expression and inquiry.
In keeping with the university’s emphasis on both strong fundamental science and the social utility of its scholarly work, the mission of our clinical program is captured in the following statement:
The University of Waterloo’s Clinical Psychology Training Program adheres to the Boulder Model for scientist-practitioner training and endeavours to achieve a high level of student scholarship, service skill, and dedication in understanding human personality and psychopathology and in providing mental health services.
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Program Values
Consistent with the values and guiding principle of the Boulder model, the core values of the University of Waterloo Clinical Training Program are:
- Commitment to scientific rigor and the application of basic science to clinical problems
- Integration of research and clinical training
- Broad, generalist training from a lifespan developmental perspective
- Excellence in both research training and clinical preparation; critical thinking in both research and applied settings
- Professionalism, integrity, ethics, and respect