Clinical Counseling Psychology Program Receives National Distinction

Assumption University’s clinical counseling psychology program will receive the Award for the Outstanding Training Program by the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy (ABCT), a leading professional organization for practitioners of cognitive behavioral therapy.

ABCT presents this award to programs that have made significant contributions to training behavioral therapists or to promoting behavioral therapy. Historically, it has been given to doctoral programs in clinical counseling psychology – this is the first time it has been awarded to a master’s program.

“We are honored to be the only master’s level program to ever receive this award,” said Kim Schandel, Dean of the School of Graduate Studies. “This recognition is indicative of the strength and success of this program, and of graduate education at Assumption as a whole. We are committed to preparing highly competent, compassionate professionals who positively impact the individuals they serve while advancing their professional fields of study.”

The clinical counseling psychology program at Assumption was established over 50 years ago and has graduated more than 700 well-trained practitioners of clinical counseling psychology. The program differentiates itself from others in the country through unique courses, curriculum-wide integration of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and emphasis on helping students build the knowledge and expertise needed to become a successful licensed mental health counselor. 

“This award recognizes the excellent work of the faculty in training our students to provide skilled evidence-based psychotherapy,” said Leonard Doerfler, emeritus professor of psychology. “Our program has trained many students who have gone on to help improve the lives of countless individuals and families in our community.”   

In conferring the award, the ABCT Awards Committee cited David Barlow, professor of psychiatry and psychology emeritus at Boston University, who noted that the program’s “cutting edge and hands-on clinical training” results in “Assumption graduates [who] blew everyone away, particularly in contrast to their peers.” Barlow went on to say that more programs like Assumption’s are “badly need[ed] to train many more of the practitioners who actually staff our very diverse public behavioral health system.”

Assumption’s clinical counseling psychology students complete internships during their studies at a variety of mental health clinics and agencies in Worcester and the surrounding communities, including Open Sky Community Services, Spectrum Health Systems, and Community HealthLink. Many go on to work full-time at these clinics, proving the importance of the type of education Assumption students receive and the care they then provide in their professional lives.

“This award is a testament to what we have accomplished as a program,” said Regina Kuersten-Hogan, director of the clinical counseling psychology program and Assumption’s Aaron T. Beck Institute for Cognitive Studies. “Our clinical counseling psychology graduates leave Assumption well-prepared for their professional careers as clinicians, and this award reflects our great pride in our graduates and in this program.”