KCU's Clinical Psychology Program Impacts Our Communities

The KCU Doctor of Clinical Psychology (PsyD) program began last fall and is underway in educating the inaugural class. In addition to the educational impact, these PsyD faculty, staff and students are also making an impact within the KCU and Kansas City communities.

PsyD students are immersing themselves in the KCU community. An example of this leadership can be seen in a KC campus event that Dakota McNamara, PsyD I, held surrounding the topic of mindfulness. Sharing tips and resources about how to live in a more mindful fashion, McNamara was able to utilize her mental health studies to provide a resource for all students on campus. Also, for the campus-wide Mental Health Awareness Week, PsyD students brought in a speaker from First Call KC to educate about the “Signs of Suicide”.

The PsyD students and faculty were also involved in bringing the new KCU Primary Care Progress group to campus. KCU Primary Care Progress is the KCU chapter of the national organization that seeks to bring together representatives from a variety of health care disciplines, for opportunities in research, volunteer service and educational experiences.

Robynne Lute, PsyD, director of clinical psychology training at KCU and faculty advisor for the PCP group says, “This group will provide greater opportunities for interprofessional development and will help to develop critical skills as these students prepare to take care of patients after graduation.”

Lastly, opportunities to educate the local Kansas City community regarding psychology-related topics have arisen. Twice this year Sarah Getch, PhD, program director for the PsyD program, has been invited to provide expert interviews on Fox4 KC surrounding the subjects of seasonal affective disorder and pregnancy-related depression, helping our local community understand KCU the symptoms and treatments of these conditions.

As the PsyD program grows, the positive influence this program will have on our students and communities will surely continue to increase.