Health Psychology Focus Area
Faculty Point Person: Biing-Jiun Shen, PhD
The Health Psychology focus area provides students with the opportunity to cultivate competencies essential for working in healthcare settings, such as primary care, medical centers, hospitals, and rehabilitation programs. Embracing a biopsychosocial approach, this focus area provides students with foundational knowledge and clinical training in evidence-based practice in the areas of health psychology and behavioral medicine. Students will attain an understanding of the intricate interplay among physical, psychological, behavioral, social, environmental, community, and cultural factors, and they will gain insights into the pivotal roles that these factors play in shaping well-being, influencing disease onset and exacerbation, and guiding effective health management. Students will also be introduced to the core professional values and attitudes integral to clinical health psychology, with an emphasis on multidisciplinary teamwork and collaboration that are essential in this field of practice.
Health Psychology Focus Area Examples of Courses and Practicums
| Name of Course | Commitment | Typically Offered |
| Health Psychology (required)* | Winter, 2 hours | Tuesday evenings |
| Psychopharmacology | Trimester, 2 hours | Varies |
| Chemical Dependency | Varies, 2 hours | Varies |
| Motivational Interviewing | Spring, 2 hours | Thursday evenings |
| Neuropsychological Assessment | Year-long, 3 hours | Thursday evenings |
| CBT Clinic Course: Evidence Based CBT Therapy Course | Year-long, 2 hours | Monday evenings |
| Human Sexuality | Winter or Spring, 2 hours | Fridays (morning or afternoon) |
| Child Assessment | Year-long, 3 hours | Varies |
| Child Intervention CBT | Winter, 3 hours | Friday Mornings |
* Please note that the Health Psychology course is required for this focus area.
Selected examples of eligible practicum:
Integrated Health Psychology Training (IHPTP)
El Camino Hospital
Fremont Hospital
Kaiser Foundation Rehabilitation Center
Kaiser, Oakland, Richmond, San Francisco, Santa Rosa, South Bay, Vallejo
Through the Looking Glass
UCSF, Benioff Children’s Hospital, Oakland
VA San Francisco