Psychology

Erica Lilleleht, PsyD, Chair

Objectives

The primary mission of the Psychology Department is to engage students in the study of the many aspects of psychological life—individual, bodily, interpersonal, ethical, social, and cultural – using reflective and empirical methods.

The faculty is committed to fulfilling this mission through effective teaching and by providing hands-on experience both in the classroom and in the community. The faculty brings a broad range of perspectives and practical experience to their teaching. They are grounded in the theory and practice of clinical work as well as in quantitative and qualitative research. They bring a range of perspectives to their teaching, including humanistic and phenomenological (systematic study of experienced meaning), depth psychology (interpreting the “hidden” aspects of personal life and their origin in childhood), social (emphasis on interpersonal life), behavioral (scientific observation of human behavior) and cognitive (learning and memory). The faculty also draws upon perspectives and material from other disciplines such as literature, philosophy, history, and other social sciences in their teaching.

Offerings include courses that are standard in any department (e.g., developmental, abnormal, social, and research methods) as well as courses that focus on important but often-neglected areas (e.g., forgiveness, gender, political and ecological issues, health, existential-phenomenology, multicultural counseling, and creativity).