Mind-Body Medicine, Specialization in Integrative Mental Health, Ph.D.

Specialization Requirements Overview

Students in the Integrative Mental Health doctoral specialization will take 18 credits of course work, broadening and deepening their academic and professional development in the field of integrative mental health. The program provides the opportunity to build upon the foundation provided by a master’s degree (or equivalent) from Saybrook or from another regionally-accredited college or university.

• MBM 5525 - Grant Writing 3 credit(s)

• OR:

• MBM 5533 - Health Informatics: The Science of Healthcare Information 3 credit(s)

• OR:

• MBM 5569 - Consulting Skills 3 credit(s)

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• MBM 5625 - Intermediate Training and Education in Hypnosis 3 credit(s)

• OR:

• MBM 5627 - Intermediate Training and Education in Biofeedback 3 credit(s)

• OR:

• COA 5632 - Intermediate Coaching 3.0 credit(s)

•  

• MBM 5635 - Spirituality and Health 3 credit(s)

• OR:

• MBM 5645 - The Human Energy Field and Energy Medicine 3 credit(s)

•  

• MBM 5674 - Ayurvedic Medicine 3 credit(s)

• OR:

• MBM 5669 - Traditional Chinese Medicine 3 credit(s)

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• IFN 5661 - Nutritional Foundations of Mental Health 3.0 credit(s)
• MBM 5663 - Advanced Integrative Psychotherapy 3 credit(s)

Specialization Credits: (Years 1-4) 18

Degree Requirements for 2017-2018 Academic Year approved by CIMHS Degree Program Committee.

NOTES:

• The degree completion time for a student following the default course sequence will average between 4 ½ and 5 ½ years. Some students may complete degree requirements in fewer terms and some may require more terms to complete the degree.
• A listing of acceptable CIMHS courses and electives in the University Catalog. Students may also choose an elective from the required courses in other specializations.
• This is a structured cohort program and the sequence of courses is different for students who start in the fall than for students who start in the spring.

Learning and Career Outcomes

A PhD in Mind-Body Medicine with a specialization in Integrative Mental Health (IMH) provides licensed mental health providers (and those with licensable mental health degrees) with a comprehensive preparation for the integrative practice of mental health care. Graduates will be able to provide clinical treatment within the scope of their licenses, augmented with a variety of complementary therapies and integrative medicine interventions.

The learning outcomes and career outcomes for this PhD program provide students with marketable skills to pursue their existing mental health careers with a more integrative focus and a full range of mind-body skills. Graduates will also be prepared for academic jobs in universities, colleges, and medical schools, teaching an integrative approach to health and mental health.

Today’s consumers demand alternatives to mainstream biomedical psychiatric and mental health care. Pharmacotherapies are often a necessary component of treatment, yet many persons suffer adverse medication effects, or a failure of medication to produce sufficient relief from mental and emotional disorders. Many patients do not adhere to medication therapies over the long-term. The addition of evidence-based behavioral, nutritional, and spiritual/transpersonal interventions can supplement and sometimes replace medication regiments for individuals with acute and chronic mental health disorders.

Many hospitals and clinics are now marketing “integrative care” for mental health disorders, yet there are few graduates of accredited University programs trained in the wide array of complementary and integrative therapies.

Students enrolled in the IMH specialization can earn nationally recognized certificates in clinical hypnosis, biofeedback, and health and wellness coaching, further adding to their toolbox of evidence-based skills in demand in health care today. They also can acquire the knowledge and skills for work in chronic pain, palliative care, and integrative hospice services, areas where integrative approaches have been demonstrated to be clinically effective.