SIUC Psychology Mentorship Program

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The SIU Clinical Psychology Diversity and Inclusion Committee (Psy Di) is developing a mentorship program for undergraduates in psychology planning on applying for graduate school. Our intention is to improve the representation of traditionally marginalized groups within various psychology professions. One potential barrier for these students is applying to graduate school. We thought it would be helpful to form a mentorship program that matches undergraduates with graduate students. As a mentor, you would be expected to touch base with your mentee at a minimum of monthly to discuss professional development, applying to graduate school, etc. We also ask that you help them with the application process (i.e., CV preparation, writing a personal statement, etc.). During busier times of the year (e.g., application season) you may need to commit up to an hour of your time per week. We recognize that Clinical Psychology is only a fraction of the potential career paths for students majoring in psychology. We would love to have representation from all programs within our department! If you are interested in serving as a mentor, please fill out the form below. Thank you!

If you have any questions, please email Psy Di at siu.psych.diversity@gmail.com

What is your name and preferred pronouns (if comfortable providing)? *

List any social identities you feel comfortable doing so in which you find important about yourself (e.g., race, ethnicity, religious background, sexual orientation, gender identity, SES) *

Please select as many of these fields of psychology you consider yourself interested in or have previous experience in (Mentees will indicate which areas they are interested in to serve in matching) *

Counseling Psychology: Counseling Psychology is a field of psychology that focuses on clinical work, which can include providing individual, couple, and/or group therapy, conducting and interpreting assessments, as well as providing career counseling. Counseling Psychology has a longstanding history of promoting multicultural competence, educating students on social justice, and being involved in the promoting of and advocacy for social change for marginalized groups. Most Counseling Psychologists go on to provide therapy in a community mental health center or private practice setting, provide and interpret assessments, or conduct research. However, some Counseling Psychologists work as career counselors, provide diversity trainings, work at nonprofits, work in advocacy, or work in a hospital. Counseling Psychologists are required to obtain a PhD in Counseling Psychology, which typically involves 4-6 years of training, education, and research, as well as a 1 year doctoral internship.

Adult Clinical Psychology: Adult clinical psychology is a specialization in psychology that focuses on problems that tend to be most common among adults. While generalists may focus on mood and anxiety disorders among community-dwelling adults, there are several specific topics and subgroups adult clinical psychologists work with as well. Some subgroups or specialties in adult clinical psychology can include geriatric/older adult populations, veteran populations, neurocognitive disorders, personality disorders, and severe mental illness. Adult clinical psychologists are often trained to work in community outpatient settings, counseling centers, inpatient hospitals, VAs, private practice, and university settings. Tasks typically include providing crisis services, individual and group therapy, assessment, research, consultation, or teaching.

Child Clinical Psychology: Child psychology is a specialization within psychology that focuses on the physical, emotional, social, and mental development of children and adolescents. Child clinical psychologists specialize in working with children and adolescents who have a broad range of behavioral problems including anxiety, depression, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, and learning and developmental disabilities. Child psychologists can work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, community mental health institutions, private practice offices, or universities completing a variety of tasks such as teaching, research, assessment, and therapy.

Health Psychology: Health psychology is a discipline that focuses on how psychological, behavioral, and cultural factors contribute to the onset, maintenance, and attitudes towards treatment of physical and mental illnesses. Health psychologists work in a variety of settings including hospitals, academic research centers, universities, medical schools, VAs, rehabilitation settings, integrated healthcare settings, and health promotion or outreach programs. Health psychologists often take the biopsychosocial approach which means they are interested in biological factors (e.g. viruses, hypertension, etc.), psychological factors (e.g. attitudes towards treatment, impuslivity, etc.) and social factors (e.g. culture, socioeconomic status, etc.). Health psychological also includes many subfields including community health psychology and critical health psychology. Critical health psychology aims to analyze how systemic factors such as institutional oppression contribute to health disparities across marginalized populations. To be a health psychologist, one may pursue a PhD in health psychology, counseling psychology, clinical psychology, or community psychology. For more information, please visit Div. 38 of the APA, the division for health psychology.

Pediatric Psychology: Pediatric psychology is a specialization within psychology that focuses on health promotion and chronic illness. Training for pediatric psychology includes a doctoral degree in clinical, counseling, or school psychology with an internship in pediatric psychology. Pediatric psychologists tend to work in hospitals with children with chronic and acute illnesses or injuries (e.g., diabetes, cancer, burns). They can also work in pediatrician's offices or private practice providing treatment for issues such as toileting or sleep problems. Some pediatric psychologists are researchers in hospitals or universities.

Neuropsychology: Neuropsychology is a specialization within psychology that focuses on the relationship between brain and behavior. More specifically, neuropsychologists analyze specific higher-level thinking systems, such as memory, attention, reasoning, organization, language, perception, coordination, and more. Some neuropsychologists specialize in certain disorders and conditions, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Learning Disorders, Traumatic Brain Injury, Epilepsy, brain cancer, and others. Neuropsychologists can work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, private practices, or universities.

Neuroscience: Neuroscience can be a specialization under psychology or a discipline on its own; it can take on more of a biological/chemical focus or a psychological focus. Due to this, programs that specialize in it can go under many names. Behavioral neuroscience focuses on how the physiology of the brain influences behavior as well as how aberrations alter behavior. Behavioral neuroscientists tend to work as researchers at universities or research institutes and require a PhD in neuroscience (or behavioral neuroscience, brain and cognitive sciences, experimental psychology, etc.). The focus of this discipline can incorporate all areas of psychology (mental illness, pediatrics, geriatrics, etc.) but focuses on how neurons and neural networks influence the area of focus.

Behavior Genetics: Behavior genetics is a research area that seeks to understand genetic and environmental factors that contribute to various behaviors, including psychopathology, personality, and many others. Training in behavior genetics includes doctoral training in a research-based psychology program. Training often also includes a post doctoral fellowship. Most behavior geneticists work in colleges or universities doing some mix of teaching and research.

Industrial/Organization Psychology: Industrial Organizational psychology is a specialization within Applied psychology that applies psychological theories and principles to individuals in the workplace and the overall workplace experience. Those who specialize in I/O psychology can work as college professors where they teach at a college level; and organizational researchers where they collect, analyze, and publish data for organizations, both of which require Ph.D. level training. They also have the potential to work in consultation, data analysis, and Human resources all of which only require a master's degree. In those situations, they work directly in organizations doing survey methods, interpreting statistics, and maintaining an inclusive work environment.

Forensic Psychology: Forensic Psychology is a specialization that involves criminal justice settings and populations including policing, incarcerated individuals, and adjustment to the community following incarceration.

Other:

Required

Is there a particular population or application of the above areas you are interested in? (e.g., developmental disabilities, trauma, LGBTQIA+) *

What year are you in the program? *

First

Second

Third

Fourth

Fifth or beyond

Are you a first-generation student? (i.e., your parents did not obtain a bachelor's degree or higher) *

Yes

Prefer not to say

If you are willing to mentor more than one student, what is the maximum number of students you have the time to mentor? Leave blank if only willing to take 1 student at this time.

What is your SIU email? *

Submit

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