Students enrolled in the Clinical Psychology Psy.D. program can choose an emphasis to focus on a specific area in clinical psychology. Students apply to an emphasis of choice during their first or second year of study. During their first year, students interested in pursuing an emphasis should become acquainted with admissions criteria for their emphasis of choice, meet with the emphasis coordinator during the first year in the program, and attend emphasis activities.
This nationally recognized emphasis within the University’s Psy.D. program prepares students for work as military clinical psychologists—in high demand for their specialized knowledge and approaches to working with the distinct psychological needs of military personnel, retirees, veterans, and their families.
Our students are trained for careers as commissioned military or civilian military psychologists with expertise in assessment, theory, and research.
Responsibilities of military psychologists can entail direct psychological services and counseling for military personnel and their families, during deployment and upon returning to civilian life. Military psychologists also provide clinical support for those who have experienced injuries and trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other psychological impacts as a result of military service. They also advance research and understanding on the psychology of modern combat and military operations.
Long marginalized within society, military veterans collectively suffer above average rates of psychological problems, substance abuse, suicide, and chronic homelessness. Whether as civilians or commissioned military personnel, military clinical psychologists are sought out to address these issues in positions in research, educational, and medical facilities; at military schools and bases; and in government, including agencies such as the Pentagon and service command headquarters.
Our teaching faculty members are practicing clinicians with significant military experience, leading scholars, researchers, educators, and advocates in the fields of military psychology and clinical psychology as a whole.
Adler University is also an active participant in the Yellow Ribbon G.I. Education Enhancement Program.
Students who have an interest in the Emphasis in Military Clinical Psychology should notify the Emphasis Coordinator and arrange for an interview within 60 days of the start of the first academic year (fall term). Admission to the emphasis is not guaranteed. Candidates must meet the following admission criteria:
Once a student is admitted into the emphasis, the student must maintain the following standards or they will risk dismissal from the emphasis:
Students interested in serving this unique population will enroll in five (5) core military clinical psychology courses that address military structure, systems, clinical issues, assessment, treatment, and a variety of direct-service modalities in the treatment of military personnel, veterans, retirees, and their families.
Satisfactory completion of the following courses is required to complete the Military Clinical Psychology emphasis:
Total Credit Hours Required: 15
This course introduces the student to military culture, structures, and systems. The course also introduces the student to the specialty of military psychology, which aims to improve the lives of service personnel and is applicable to a wide range of areas within the military community.
Examination of the psychological impact of direct or secondary experiencing of conflict, including the physical and psychological sequelae of combat and the impact of combat-related manifestations on family members and others.
Psychological and neurological assessment of active duty, veteran, and retired military service members and their families is the focus of this course. Assessment methodology includes integrative, objective, and performance-based personality assessments and self-report measures.
This course is dedicated to the various aspects of the trauma spectrum. Subject areas include psychological trauma due to combat or combat-related exposure, moral injury, military sexual assault, military sexual harassment, traumatization due to minority discrimination and oppression-based race, sexuality, gender, ability, and/or religious affiliation.
This course focuses on the treatment of military clients (including reserve and active duty, veterans, and retirees) and their families. The treatment modalities will be explored in the context of individual, couples, family, and group psychotherapy techniques using both lectures and role-plays methodologies.
From the impact of virtual intimacies to supporting families with difficult therapy histories, Adler University students, faculty, and alums shared their expertise and made their mark at the 2025 International Family Therapy Association Congress in Aberdeen, Scotland.
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“This award highlights the innovation and scholarly contributions of our faculty, whose work advances knowledge for educators and mental health practitioners,” said Cheryl R. Richardson, Ph.D., associate vice president of Faculty Affairs.
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The conference, taking place May 29–June 1, 2025 in Portland, Oregon, brings together professionals in education, psychology, psychiatry, counseling, social work, and community leadership to connect, learn, and explore new ideas through the lens of Adlerian Psychology.
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