Psychology 3301G 001 FW25
Clinical Psychology
WESTERN UNIVERSITY
LONDON CANADA
Department of Psychology
2025-2026
Psychology 3301G Section 001
Clinical Psychology
1 CALENDAR DESCRIPTION
This course offers a survey of major topics in clinical psychology, including assessment and intervention approaches; experimental psychopathology; ethical, professional and theoretical issues; and emerging trends.
Antirequisite: Psychology 2301A/B.
Antirequisites are courses that overlap sufficiently in content that only one can be taken for credit. If you take a course that is an antirequisite to a course previously taken, you will lose credit for the earlier course, regardless of the grade achieved in the most recent course.
Prerequisite: Both Psychology 2801F/G (or one of Health Sciences 2801A/B, Psychology 2840F/G, Psychology 2855F/G) and Psychology 2811A/B (or one of Biology 2244A/B, Economics 2122A/B, Economics 2222A/B, Geography 2210A/B, Health Sciences 3801A/B, MOS 2242A/B, Psychology 2830A/B, Psychology 2850A/B, Sociology 2205A/B, Statistical Sciences 2035, Statistical Sciences 2141A/B, Statistical Sciences 2143A/B, Statistical Sciences 2244A/B, Statistical Sciences 2858A/B, the former Social Work 2207A/B), or the former Psychology 2820E, or both the former Psychology 2800E and the former Psychology 2810, and one of Psychology 2310A/B or Psychology 2320A/B.
3 lecture hours; Course Weight: 0.5
Unless you have either the prerequisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enrol in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.
2 COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Dr. Jesus Chavarria
Office and Phone Number: see Brightspace
Office Hours: By appointment
Email: jchavarr@uwo.ca
Teaching Assistant:
Office: N/A
Office Hours: N/A
Email:
Time and Location of Classes: see Timetable on Student Centre
Delivery Method: In-Person
3 Course Materials
Required: Plante, T.J. (2020). Contemporary Clinical Psychology (4th Ed). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Cost: Print (9781119706311) - $156.10 and eBook: (9781119706274) - $111.00.
I would not recommend students purchase the 1st or 2nd editions of the book. 3rd edition is OK, though it is slightly different.
4 COURSE OBJECTIVES & LEARNING OUTCOMES
The goal of this course is to familiarize you with contemporary clinical psychology. We will learn about the historical roots and scientific basis of psychotherapy and what it means to have “empirical support.” We’ll discuss the different theoretical models and common approaches to conducting psychotherapy. Assessment and treatment will be a main focus of this course, including the types of assessment and treatments commonly used and the skills and strategies used to effectively implement psychological assessments and treatments. We will discuss common psychotherapeutic issues, areas of specialization, and the different ethical and professional responsibilities of a clinical psychologist. Finally, we will briefly cover graduate training and the application process.
|
Learning Outcome |
Learning Activities |
Assessment |
|
Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes relevant to clinical psychology |
Lectures and required textbook readings |
Exams / Essay |
|
Identify concepts and current states of knowledge based on scientific research in clinical psychology |
Lectures and required textbook readings |
Exams / Essay |
|
Recognize the commonly used assessments, treatments, and techniques used in clinical psychology |
Lectures and required textbook readings |
Exams / Essay |
5 EVALUATION
The evaluation and testing formats for this course were created to assess the learning objectives as listed in section 4.0 and are considered necessary for meeting these learning objectives.
Exams: Exams will be closed-book and consist of items in multiple choice, fill in the blank, matching, and/or short answer format. The final exam is not cumulative per se, but answering some questions correctly will require integration of conceptual material covered prior to the midterm. Exams will be completed and proctored in-person during our scheduled meeting time (with the exception of the final exam, which will be administered at a time and room TBD).
Essay Assignment: You will be required to submit a paper that reviews a topic in clinical psychology of your choice (e.g., psychological theory, treatment, etc.). The paper should follow an essay format, which means it should contain an introduction with a thesis statement, a main body detailing the research and references to support the statement, and a summarizing conclusion. Your paper can be must be a minimum 2500 words and a maximum of 10 pages long, excluding title page and references (1 inch margins, double spaced, 12-point Times New Roman or Ariel font).
You will review empirical research and theory related to your chosen topic. You must cite at least 10 peer-reviewed empirical journal articles or book chapters in your paper. Many psychology journals can be accessed online through Western Libraries, and your course textbook has a list of major journals relevant to clinical psychology that you may find useful. Format your paper, references, and in text citations according to APA style (7th ed): these guidelines are available online through Western Libraries under “Publication manual of the American Psychological Association.” The overall format of your paper should follow the APA style guidelines, but you do not need to include an abstract.
Some suggested journal sources:
Addiction
American Psychologist
Annual Review of Clinical Psychology
Archives of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine
British Journal of Clinical Psychology
British Medical Journal
Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy
Clinical Psychology Review
Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice
Development and Psychopathology
Journal of Abnormal Psychology
Journal of Behavioral Medicine
Journal of Child Clinical Psychology
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
Journal of Clinical Psychology
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Journal of Pediatric Psychology
Journal of the American Medical Association: Psychiatry
Journal of Pediatrics
Psychological Assessment
Psychological Bulletin
A good paper demonstrates evidence of critical thinking and discussion, and is not only a summary of the findings and opinions of others. Critical thinking involves comparison and contrast of related points from different sources, or discussion of the strengths and weakness of arguments, evidence, and theory. In order to incorporate critical discussion in your paper, you may wish to choose a topic in clinical psychology where there is conflicting evidence, different theories, or different expert opinions. You should also choose a topic that you can cover in sufficient detail in 10 pages. If you find that your topic of interest is too broad, you may choose a narrower or more specific issue within this topic for your paper. Conversely, if you can find almost nothing in the empirical literature on clinical psychology to address your topic of interest, you should choose a different area or expand your focus.
You will be evaluated on the following criteria:
- Accurately and clearly demonstrating your understanding of the topic and relevant surrounding issues
- Critically evaluating and discussing empirical research
- Organizing information and presenting your points logically
- Selecting high quality, relevant, and current references
- Presenting thoughtful and sophisticated ideas
- Writing your essay in an academic/professional style (e.g., avoid typos, adhere to APA style, etc.)
Please proof read your papers before submitting, as you will lose points for grammar and spelling errors that make it difficult to read or understand your writing.
Essays should be submitted via OWL BRIGHTSPACE.
POLICY ON MISSING COURSEWORK
Should you miss the week’s lecture for any reason, it is your responsibility to coordinate with a classmate for the lecture notes.
If you miss an exam for a valid reason (please read section 11.0 for information on valid absences), it is your responsibility to contact the instructor within 24 hours to make-up the exam ASAP.
The essay is due by the beginning of the final lecture (Mar 31st, 9:30a). Late essays will have 10% points deducted per day late (a day late = 90%/100% maximum score, 2 days late = 80%/100% maximum score, etc.). Essays submitted at 9:31a on Mar 25th will be considered late.
This course is exempt from the Senate requirement that students receive assessment of their work accounting for at least 15% of their final grade at least three full days before the date of the deadline for withdrawal from a course without academic penalty.
Because this is an essay course, as per Senate Regulations, you must pass the essay component to pass the course. That is, the average mark for your written assignments must be at least 50%.
The expectation for course grades within the Psychology Department is that they will be distributed around the following averages:
70% 1000-level to 2099-level courses
72% 2100-2999-level courses
75% 3000-level courses
80% 4000-level courses
The Psychology Department follows Western’s grading guidelines, which are as follows (see: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf
A+ 90-100 One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level
A 80-89 Superior work that is clearly above average
B 70-79 Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactory
C 60-69 Competent work, meeting requirements
D 50-59 Fair work, minimally acceptable
F below 50 Fail
Note that in the event that course grades are significantly higher or lower than these averages, instructors may be required to make adjustments to course grades. Such adjustment might include the normalization of one or more course components and/or the re-weighting of various course components.
POLICY ON GRADE ROUNDING
Please note that although course grades within the Psychology Department are rounded to the nearest whole number, no further grade rounding will be done. No additional assignments will be offered to enhance a final grade; nor will requests to change a grade because it is needed for a future program be considered. To maximize your grade, do your best on each and every assessment within the course.
6 ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION SCHEDULE
|
Exam or Assignment |
Date |
Weight |
|
Mid-Term Exam |
Tuesday Feb. 24th, 2026 |
33% |
|
Essay Topic
Final Essay (complete) |
Due Tuesday, Feb. 10th, 2026 (by the beginning of lecture [9:30a])
Due Tuesday, Mar 31st, 2026 (by the beginning of lecture [9:30a]) |
34% |
|
Final Exam |
TBD – Winter Examination Period |
33% |
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
100% |
|
7 CLASS SCHEDULE
|
Date |
Topic |
Textbook Chapter |
|
Jan. 6th |
What is Contemporary Clinical Psychology? |
Chapter 1 |
|
Jan. 13th |
Foundations and Early History of Clinical Psychology / Recent History of Clinical Psychology |
Chapter 2 & Chapter 3 |
|
Jan. 20st |
Research Design and Outcome |
Chapters 4 |
|
Jan. 27th |
The Major Theoretical Models: Psychodynamic, Cognitive Behavioral, Humanistic, & Family Systems |
Chapter 5 |
|
Feb. 3rd |
Integrative & Biopsychosocial Approaches to Contemporary Clinical Psychology |
Chapter 6 |
|
Feb. 10th |
Review for Midterm (Essay Topic Due) |
|
|
Feb. 14th – Feb. 22nd |
Fall Reading Week |
|
|
Feb. 24th |
Mid-Term |
Chapters1-6 |
|
Mar 3rd |
Contemporary Psychological Assessment I: Interviewing and Observing Behavior |
Chapters 7 |
|
Mar. 3th |
Contemporary Psychological Assessment II: Cognitive and Personality Assessment |
Chapter 8 |
|
Mar. 10th |
Psychotherapeutic Intervention |
Chapter 9 |
|
Mar. 17th |
Psychotherapeutic Issues & Areas of Specialization |
Chapters 10 & 11 |
|
Mar. 24th |
Ethical Standards & Becoming a Psychologist |
Chapter 13 |
|
Mar. 31st |
Becoming a Psychologist (ESSAY DUE) |
Chapter 15 |
|
Apr. 7th |
Review for Final Exam |
|
|
TBD, 2026 |
Final Exam To Be Scheduled |
Chapters 7-12 &15 |
8 Academic Integrity
Scholastic offences are taken seriously, and students are directed to read the appropriate policy, specifically, the definition of what constitutes a Scholastic Offence, at the following Web site: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf.
Possible penalties for a scholastic offence include failure of the assignment/exam, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.
Statement on Use of Electronic Devices
No electronic devices are allowed to be used during exams. Additionally, photographing slides will not be allowed. I am happy to return to a slide or provide more time for you to take any notes that are necessary.
Plagiarism Detection Software
All required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to the commercial plagiarism detection software under license to the University for the detection of plagiarism. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between Western and Turnitin.com.
Use of AI
The use of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT to produce written work is not permitted unless permission is granted by the instructor for specific circumstances. Any work submitted must be the work of the student in its entirety unless otherwise disclosed. When used, AI tools should be used ethically and responsibly, and students must cite or credit the tools used in line with the expectation to use AI as a tool to learn, not to produce content.
Multiple Choice Exams
Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams will be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.
9 Academic Accommodations and Accessible Education
View Western’s policy on academic accommodations for student with disabilities at this link.
Accessible Education provides supports and services to students with disabilities at Western.
If you think you may qualify for ongoing accommodation that will be recognized in all your courses, visit Accessible Education for more information. Email: aew@uwo.ca Phone: 519 661-2147
10 Absence & Academic Consideration
Academic Considerations: https://registrar.uwo.ca/academics/academic_considerations/index.html
11 Other Information
- Office of the Registrar: https://registrar.uwo.ca
- Student Development Services: www.sdc.uwo.ca
- Psychology Undergraduate Program: https://www.psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/index.html
Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Health and Wellness@Western https://www.uwo.ca/health/ for a complete list of options about how to obtain help.
Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you.
If you wish to appeal a grade, please read the policy documentation at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/appealsundergrad.pdf. Please first contact the course instructor. If your issue is not resolved, you may make your appeal in writing to the Undergraduate Chair in Psychology (psyugrd@uwo.ca).
Copyright Statement
Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, videos and similar materials, are protected by copyright. You may take notes and make copies of course materials for your own educational use. You may not record lectures, reproduce (or allow others to reproduce), post or distribute any course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent.
12 Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that Western University is located on the traditional territories of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak, and Chonnonton. Nations, on lands connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum. This land continues to be home to diverse Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) whom we recognize as contemporary stewards of the land and vital contributors of our society.
