Psychodynamic School Psychology

Classes meet on Wednesdays 6:00 p.m. – 9:15 p.m., online via Zoom

This is a unique one-year program for certified school psychologists, school social workers, and guidance counselors.

The curriculum consists of courses, seminars and individual consultation, based on contemporary psychodynamic understandings of human motivation and behavior.

A psychodynamic approach is well suited to the work of school psychologists, school social workers, and guidance counselors. This perspective stresses that a child’s functioning is influenced by a combination of emotional, cognitive, neurodevelopmental, familial and societal forces. A comprehensive understanding of the whole child informs counseling sessions, advice given to parents and classroom interventions, which are designed to be concrete, practical and effective.

Our goal is to enable candidates to expand their scope of expertise, stimulate their professional growth and enhance personal satisfaction. Learning new skills and exchanging ideas and experiences with colleagues and faculty members are significant ways of coping with the pressures that are part of the everyday work of school mental health practitioners.

The program is designed in four quarters of eight-week seminars. Candidates take two courses during each quarter for a total of eight courses for the year.

Participants will receive a Certificate in Psychodynamic School Psychology from Adelphi University.

At the conclusion of this program participants will be able to:

• Assess the emotional meaning of a student’s behavior and use this knowledge to guide classroom interventions.
• Provide effective services for children with special educational needs.
• Develop enhanced individual and group counseling skills.
• Respond to the traumatic, dysregulating experiences in children’s lives.
• Conduct effective consultations with teachers, parents, and administrators.
• Promote the development of an empathic school environment that fosters the growth of self-esteem in students and in faculty members.

Please note that these courses provide Continuing Professional Education credits, not graduate credits. Each credit represents 6 hours of class time.

Many school districts approve applying these Continuing Professional Education credits for salary increments. Check with your district personnel office for clarification regarding your district’s policy.

In addition, upon completion of each eight session 12-hour course, candidates are also eligible to receive 12 NYS approved CE credits, or a total of 96 CE credits for the completion of the one-year program.

Thursdays 4:30 p.m.-6:00 p.m., Adelphi University – Garden City Campus
Online participation is available

This is a ten-session seminar series focused on case material presented by class participants. Topics may include conducting effective psycho-educational evaluations; consultations with teachers, parents and administrators; counseling strategies; reaching hard-to-reach students and developing relevant classroom interventions for special needs students. Specific topics will vary according to the needs of the class members.

This seminar series consists of ten, ninety-minute sessions.

15 CE credits are available to candidates who attend all ten classes. Each school district determines the applicability of these CE credits toward salary increments. Check with your district for further information.

Location and dates available upon request.

The Adelphi Postgraduate Program in Psychodynamic School Psychology offers contracted in-district training for school psychologists and school social workers. Topics are tailored to meet the needs and interests of the district’s mental health staff and may include any of the courses offered in the full year program or in the Case Supervision Program. The specific curriculum is developed by consultation between school district personnel and Adelphi faculty.