The Wright Institute was founded in 1968 by the distinguished psychologist Nevitt Sanford, a pioneer in integrating social issues and clinical psychology. Sanford believed strongly in the capacity of adults to continue to learn and grow throughout their lives. His developmental approach and emphasis on lifelong learning possibilities form a vital part of the foundation on which Wright's educational programs are built.
Sanford was also influential in shaping American clinical psychology educational standards. In 1947, he was appointed by the American Psychological Association to the committee that established criteria for accrediting programs in clinical psychology. Under his leadership, the Wright Institute broadened the educational scope of clinical psychology training to emphasize understanding the diverse society in which we live.
The mission of the Wright Institute is to educate students to be critical thinkers and ethical problem solvers, to address community and societal needs, and to function effectively as professionals in a diverse society.
The Wright Institute has been educating clinicians for more than 40 years. Each program is distinct, and the admissions process is designed to help us identify and select candidates we feel will be the best fit for our programs.
The Wright Institute's Psy.D. The curriculum is carefully designed so that students systematically acquire progressively more sophisticated knowledge and clinical capabilities. This developmental approach to learning builds on a solid foundation of research, assessment techniques, and theoretical knowledge. The orientation in all cases is toward applying what students have learned to the clinical realm.
This innovative Psy.D. program immerses students in psychological science's overall body and asks them to think critically while using subjective and objective sources of knowledge in their clinical work. The Psy.D. The curriculum at the Wright Institute emphasized the interdependence of observer and observed, of clinician and client. Throughout the Psy.D. Coursework from the study of lifespan development, research, and psychological testing to the clinical process, even the learning process itself – the student is asked to sharpen her/his awareness of the complex system of interpersonal forces that come into play clinical setting. The Wright Institute Psy.D. The curriculum continues the school's long tradition of rigorous, in-depth clinical education.
Students get broad exposure to both theory and research. Respect for a wide range of theoretical approaches is highly valued at the Wright Institute faculty. It has particular strengths in contemporary psychoanalytic, cognitive-behavioral, family systems, social justice, brief treatment, and relational approaches. They believe that theory and research are intimately interrelated elements that are most useful to the practitioner when taught in a clinically relevant way.
The Psy.D. Coursework at the Wright spans three years of study. The fall and winter trimesters last 13 weeks. The spring trimester is ten weeks long. The Wright student is engaged in clinical practice in all three years. All academic coursework relates to this practice base through the Case Conference/Professional Development Seminar Sequence, which spans the three years of academic residency. These small classes provide a home base where each student's professional identity can be developed and supported.
The American Psychological Association's Commission fully accredits the Wright Institute's Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) in Clinical Psychology program on Accreditation*. In its most recent review, the American Psychological Association's Commission on Accreditation awarded the PsyD. Program seven years of continued Accreditation.
In the tradition of the Wright Institute's founder, Nevitt Sanford, the Wright Institute educates "clinicians to society" - clinical practitioners who bring a deep awareness of cultural and social context to the practice of psychology. The master's program's mission is to prepare and inspire a diverse student body to provide culturally sensitive mental health services that support resiliency, recovery, and social justice.
The two-year master's program prepares students to function effectively in a wide range of mental health settings with individuals, families, and groups varying widely in age, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. The program supports students in thinking critically and self-reflectively and exploring the impact of culture and oppression on their clients' lives and the clinical relationship.
In addition to flexible class schedules that accommodate working adults and parents, students bond with a consistent group as they enter, move through, and graduate from the program together. This cohort model offers an intimate, supportive, and transformative learning experience.
For nearly 50 years, The Wright Institute Clinical Services has provided high quality, affordable psychological care to thousands of Bay Area residents. We offer many different kinds of psychotherapy for older adolescents, adults, older adults, couples, and psychological assessment services for children, adolescents, and adults. All of our services are provided by Wright Institute doctoral students in training, supervised by licensed mental health clinicians.
The San Francisco Bay Area offers a multicultural, cosmopolitan environment that attracts an extraordinary community of psychologists, scholars, and other intellectuals worldwide. Students benefit from the area's abundance of clinical training settings and leading educational and research institutions, including the University of California, Berkeley, the University of California, San Francisco, and Stanford University.
The neighborhood restaurants, cafes, bookstores, and shops that surround the UC Berkeley campus create a vibrant social and intellectual atmosphere. Students also enjoy the region's array of sporting events, recreational facilities, world-class museums, theater and musical events, regional and national parks, and Pacific Coast beaches.
VIDEOS
