Clinical Psychology Program's Training in Multiculturism and Diversity 

The LSU Clinical Psychology program views training in individual and cultural diversity as an essential component of training in clinical psychology.  This commitment is shared by the American Psychological Association, the American Psychological Association (https://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/standards-of-accreditation.pdf). In the accreditation Standard I.B.2. Administrative Responsibilities Related to Cultural and Individual Differences and Diversity, accreditation requirements state that an accredited program:

 “must recognize the importance of cultural and individual differences and diversity in the training of psychologists. The Commission on Accreditation defines cultural and individual differences and diversity as including, but not limited to, age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, language, national origin, race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. The program must make systematic, coherent, and long-term efforts to attract and retain students and faculty from diverse backgrounds into the program. Consistent with such efforts, it acts to ensure a supportive and encouraging learning environment appropriate for the training of individuals who are diverse and the provision of training opportunities for a broad spectrum of individuals. Further, the program avoids any actions that would restrict program access on grounds that are irrelevant to success in graduate training, either directly or by imposing significant and disproportionate burdens on the basis of the personal and demographic characteristics set forth in the definition of cultural diversity.”

Further, to ensure that this standard is met, accredited programs must demonstrate that all students in an accredited program show competence related to individual and cultural diversity in their course work, research, and practical training.  According to Standard II.B.1 b., students in accredited programs must:

  • Demonstrate an understanding of how their own personal/cultural history, attitudes, and biases may affect how they understand and interact with people different from themselves.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the current theoretical and empirical knowledge base as it relates to addressing diversity in all professional activities including research, training, supervision/consultation, and service.
  • Demonstrate the ability to integrate awareness and knowledge of individual and cultural differences, including intersectionality, in articulating an approach to working effectively with diverse individuals and groups.
  • Demonstrate the ability to work effectively with individuals whose group membership, demographic characteristics, or worldviews differ with their own.

The Louisiana Legislature also recognizes the critical nature of training in individual and cultural diversity in the training of psychologists.  It recently passed LA Administrative Code, Title 46, Part LXIII (updated May 2023) (https://lsbep.org/wp-content/uploads/46v63-rev-5-2023.pdf) requiring that for a psychologist to be licensed to practice in the state of Louisiana, they must be trained in:

“Individual and Cultural Diversity. For example, individuals are sensitive to cultural and individual diversity of clients and committed to providing culturally sensitive services. Individuals are aware of how one’s background impacts clinical work and are committed to continuing to explore their own cultural identity issues and how they relate to clinical practice.”

Thus, LSU shares the view of the American Psychology Association and the State of Louisiana that training in multiculturalism and diversity is a critical part of all aspects of the clinical psychology doctoral program.

Coursework

  • Our faculty strive to integrate training in multiculturalism and diversity across all courses. Course syllabi include explicit statements regarding how each course includes this training. 
  • PSYC 7040 Sociocultural Basis of Behavior, a course with an explicit focus on didactic instruction working with diverse clients and theories of culturally competent delivery of psychological services. This required course is typically taken in the 2nd year of the program.

Research Experiences

  • Students have many opportunities to gain supervised research experience with diverse samples. Several faculty members conduct research that is explicitly focused on race/ethnicity, gender, and/or gender identity. Please see the Clinical Psychology Program’s Diversity Related Research Page for some representative examples of recent research in this area by our faculty and students.
  • Students must address issues of diversity in their masters’ thesis and dissertation projects and must adequately attend to these issues in their oral defense in order to pass their thesis and dissertation defenses.

Practicum Experiences

  • Students receive experience conducting clinical work with individuals from historically underrepresented groups (including but not limited to diversity in terms of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, socioeconomic status) during practica, during which students’ attitudes and approaches to working with diverse clients are monitored and discussed during supervision meetings.  Students must demonstrate competence in addressing issues related to multiculturalism and diversity in their practicum performance in order to pass this required course. 

Additional Training

  • Each year prior to internship, both students and faculty must document at least one hour of training in a multiculturalism/diversity related topic that is approved by the Director of Clinical Training.
  • Multiple training opportunities for additional training in multiculturalism/diversity related topics are offered throughout the year through the clinical area seminar series. 

 

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