Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology
A clinical psychology doctorate integrating scientific training with mind-body-spirit approaches.
The Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at CIHS is designed for students seeking professional clinical formation within an integrative framework that attends to mind, body, spirit, culture, development, and the whole person.
The program provides doctoral-level coursework in clinical psychology, assessment, ethics, psychotherapy, research methods, and dissertation scholarship while also emphasizing consciousness, healing, spirituality, and reflective clinical development. Students preparing for licensure are responsible for reviewing and meeting the requirements of the state in which they intend to practice.
Program at a Glance
An integrative doctoral pathway for professional clinical practice.
The Clinical Psychology Ph.D. combines rigorous clinical psychology coursework with the distinctive CIHS emphasis on mind-body-spirit integration, whole-person care, consciousness, spirituality, and professional formation.
Clinical Licensure Preparation
The program is designed to provide the doctoral coursework required for students preparing to apply for psychology licensure in California through the California Board of Psychology. Students seeking licensure outside California should consult the licensing board in their intended state of practice.
World-Class Faculty
Study with faculty working across clinical psychology, assessment, psychotherapy, mind-body-spirit approaches, transpersonal psychology, consciousness studies, and integrative approaches to human wellbeing. Meet the Psychology faculty.
A Cost-Conscious Clinical Ph.D.
CIHS has chosen a different model for clinical psychology education: institutionally accredited, integrative, and cost-conscious. For the 2026–2027 academic year, tuition for the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. is approximately $64,660, far below the total cost of many clinical psychology doctoral programs.
Mind-Body-Spirit Clinical Training
CIHS integrates mind-body spirituality with the scientific discipline of psychology. Students are trained to offer both traditional and holistic mental health services while developing clinical, ethical, reflective, and leadership capacities for service in diverse communities.
Degree Requirements & Program Learning Outcomes
Program Learning Outcomes
Graduates of the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program will be prepared to:
- PLO 1: Multidimensional Development Examine people as ever-evolving, multidimensional beings on a developmental journey toward wholeness, encompassing the domains of mind, body, and spirit.
- PLO 2: Research, Theory & Praxis Apply multidisciplinary research, theory, and praxis to aspects of psychology and/or psychotherapy.
- PLO 3: Consciousness & Spirituality Utilize holistic thought in psychology and/or psychotherapy in a way that includes consciousness and spirituality.
- PLO 4: Human Wellbeing Evaluate and test elements of theory and/or application of psychological knowledge to human wellbeing.
- PLO 5: Self-as-Healer / Self-as-Scholar Develop a personal framework for self-as-healer and/or self-as-scholar, underscoring the relationship between ongoing self-development and professional aptitude.
Degree Requirements
The Clinical Psychology Ph.D. includes core coursework, required clinical psychology courses, and a dissertation sequence.
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Curriculum
Doctoral coursework for whole-person clinical practice.
The Clinical Psychology Ph.D. curriculum brings together clinical psychology, assessment, psychotherapy, ethics, research, consciousness studies, spirituality, and dissertation scholarship. Students build the academic foundation for doctoral-level clinical training while developing the reflective and integrative capacities central to CIHS’ whole-person approach.
Core Curriculum
Foundations in psychology, consciousness, research, and whole-person education.
- PSY 766 Scholarly Writing for Psychology I (4 units)
- PSY 765 Foundations in Whole Person Psychology (4 units)
- PSY 771 Consciousness Studies for Psychology (4 units)
- PSY 703 Counseling & Communications Skills (4 units)
- PSY 704 Spiritual Education — several options available (4 units)
- PSY 705 Advanced Qualitative Research Methods (4 units)
- PSY 706 Advanced Quantitative Research Methods (4 units)
The core curriculum provides advanced preparation in scholarly writing, whole person psychology, consciousness studies, clinical communication, spirituality, and research methods.
Dissertation Sequence
Doctoral research culminating in the dissertation.
- PSY 896 Dissertation Topic Research (5 units)
- PSY 897 Dissertation Methodology Review (5 units)
- PSY 898A Dissertation I (6 units)
- PSY 898B Dissertation II (6 units)
The dissertation sequence supports students as they develop a research topic, refine methodology, and complete original doctoral scholarship.
Clinical Psychology Required Courses
Clinical training in diagnosis, assessment, ethics, psychotherapy, and treatment.
- PSY 708 Human Sexuality: Clinical Considerations (4 units)
- PSY 710 Ethics & Law in Psychology (4 units)
- PSY 713 Family Violence, Partner Abuse, and Child Abuse: Assessment & Intervention (4 units)
- PSY 715 Aging, Long-term Care, Grief and Suicide Risk Assessment (4 units)
- PSY 717 Psychopharmacology (4 units)
- PSY 718 Substance Abuse: Assessment, Intervention, and Treatment (4 units)
- PSY 719 Diagnosis in Clinical Psychology (4 units)
- PSY 723 Multiculturalism and Diversity in Counseling (4 units)
- PSY 760 Objective Personality Testing & Assessment (4 units)
- PSY 761 Intellectual Testing & Assessment (4 units)
- PSY 762 Projective Testing & Integrative Assessment (4 units)
- PSY 734 Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (4 units)
- PSY 735 Existential Humanistic Psychotherapy (4 units)
- PSY 736 Evidence-Based Psychotherapy (4 units)
- PSY 744 Dynamic Group Therapy: Theory and Practice (4 units)
- PSY 741 Family Therapy: Assessment and Intervention (4 units)
- PSY 640A Pre-Practicum Seminar — optional, recommended (1 unit)
- PSY 640B Practicum Consultation Group — optional, recommended (1 unit)
Students should consult the current catalog and program advising materials for official course sequencing and clinical training requirements.
Pathway to Clinical Licensure
From doctoral study to professional practice.
For students called to clinical work, the Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology is designed as a pathway from doctoral coursework into supervised training, internship, postdoctoral experience, examinations, and eventual psychology licensure. CIHS provides the academic foundation and clinical training structure; students work closely with the program while also meeting the requirements of the licensing board in the state where they intend to practice.
Build the doctoral foundation.
Students begin with advanced coursework in whole-person psychology, clinical communication, research methods, consciousness studies, ethics, diagnosis, assessment, and psychotherapy.
- Clinical psychology coursework
- Research and dissertation preparation
- Whole-person and integrative foundations
Prepare for supervised clinical work.
Before beginning practicum, students complete key clinical preparation and coordinate with CIHS on required agreements, registration steps, and training documentation.
- Ethics, diagnosis, and assessment preparation
- Practicum planning and site selection
- Clinical Training Office coordination
Begin practicum training.
Practicum allows students to begin applying clinical learning in supervised settings. CIHS recommends 500–1,000 hours of practicum for students pursuing licensure.
- Supervised clinical experience
- Quarterly practicum registration
- Ongoing clinical training evaluations
Advance to predoctoral internship.
After completing required coursework and advancing to candidacy, students move into internship training through a CAPIC member site or another site approved by CIHS.
- 72 quarter units required before eligibility
- Advancement to candidacy required
- Up to 1,500 predoctoral SPE hours
Complete the doctorate and postdoctoral hours.
After completing doctoral coursework, clinical training requirements, and the dissertation, graduates pursuing California licensure complete remaining supervised professional experience postdoctorally.
- Doctoral degree completion
- Dissertation completion
- Remaining supervised hours after graduation
Apply for licensure and enter practice.
California psychology licensure includes supervised professional experience, required examinations, and review by the California Board of Psychology. Students seeking licensure elsewhere must follow that state’s requirements.
- 3,000 total SPE hours required in California
- EPPP and CPLEE examinations
- State board application and review
Licensure Preparation
A clear academic pathway with whole-person clinical formation.
The Clinical Psychology Ph.D. is intended for students who want more than a technical credential. The program supports future clinicians in developing clinical competence, ethical maturity, reflective self-awareness, research capacity, and the capacity to meet human suffering with clincial skill, presence, and whole-person understanding.
Admissions
How to apply.
The CIHS admissions process is designed to be clear, personal, and program-specific. You can begin by requesting information, speaking with Admissions, or starting an online application when you are ready.
A clear path from inquiry to application.
Applicants should hold a bachelor’s degree, or foreign equivalent, from a regionally accredited institution. Admission is subject to transcript review and may be subject to additional prerequisites depending on prior academic preparation.
Application Materials
To apply, applicants submit materials through the CIHS online application process.
- Completed online application
- Non-refundable application fee
- Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended
- Two letters of recommendation
- Personal essay describing your interest in CIHS and the program
- Current CV or resume, if applicable
- Representative academic or professional writing sample
Next Program Start Date
Fall 2026CIHS admits students throughout the year, with program starts available at the beginning of each academic quarter. We recommend beginning the admissions process early so there is time to review materials, answer questions, and prepare for the next available start date.
Faculty-Guided Application Process
CIHS admissions is not an anonymous pipeline. Prospective students may connect with admissions staff and program leadership who understand the field of study and can offer thoughtful guidance about readiness, timing, program expectations, and next steps.
State Authorization for U.S. Residents
U.S.-based distance students must reside in a state where CIHS is authorized to offer distance education. Please review CIHS’s State Authorization information or contact Admissions for the most current guidance before applying.
International Applicants Welcome
Applicants living outside the United States are welcome. CIHS works with students from many backgrounds and locations, and our admissions team can help applicants understand transcript review, program format, and documentation requirements.
Students whose native language is not English must submit a satisfactory English proficiency score through an approved test such as IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, Cambridge CEFR, Duolingo, or Pearson Test of English Academic.
DR. ARTHUR SUN
“CIHS is the best graduate school. I love the emphasis on scientific rigor and spirituality, and the integration of personal growth in each class. The professors are amazing and the administration is committed to the success and growth of each student. CIHS is an integral school that encourages multiple perspectives. If you want to grow not just academically but personally and spiritually, as well, come check out CIHS.”
CHRIS ORREY
“Receiving higher education from an institute such as CIHS was the most transformative journey of my life. Academic rigor paired with spiritual awakening, psychological healing, and professional development put me through the wringer. I had never felt more complete, whole, and connected to the higher truths that I had never known I already knew. At the same time, my entire worldview was shaken and flipped upside down. I have come to see life, existence, and the perception of the physical world in an entirely new way. I have come to understand, witness and meet the force of nature that underlies human consciousness, that is to the extent of my own pscyho-spiritual evolution.”
FRANCESCA PARETTA
“CIHS has provided me with opportunities to understand psychology in a grounded scientific way, simultaneously exploring life, healing, and consciousness. CIHS is an ideal setting for those who are motivated to contribute to the evolution and progression of academic engagement, experiential learning, and research, and an equally supportive environment for healing practitioners seeking to deepen their skills and add to their credentials, where a multitude of perspectives are accepted and integrated, from wisdom traditions, to clinical understandings, to transpersonal awareness and beyond.”
MICHAEL SCOTT
“CIHS has been an incredible experience so far, both academically and personally. I have found a “home” here where I can study consciousness and subtle energy in ways I couldn’t at previous graduate institutions. The students, faculty, and administration are amazing and have such diverse backgrounds and interests. I can’t wait to see how the school continues to evolve and grow!.”
LAUREN HICKEY
“I am so pleased with my recent PhD from CIHS. Nowhere else could I have achieved such a blended education of psychology, spirituality, and consciousness. The instructors were all well qualified and knowledgeable and assignments were reasonable. CIHS gave me the confidence I needed to expand my private practice. I also have now begun running international retreats. I feel well prepared to present myself as an expert in the field.”