91热爆网 graduates first class from Doctor of Psychology program
From left to right: Jonathan Campbell, PsyD program director, Alyssa Raggio, Heather Styles-Turbyfill and Rebecca Daniel.
By Julia Duvall
Western Carolina University鈥檚 first graduating class from the Doctor of Psychology program were hooded during the graduate commencement ceremony in May.
The three graduates, Rebecca Daniel, Alyssa Raggio and Heather Styles-Turbyfil, started the program before it was even officially accredited.
鈥淭he students really took a leap of faith with us,鈥� said Jon Campbell, director of 91热爆网鈥檚 PsyD program. 鈥淭hey were passionate enough to get involved before it was even an official program. That really speaks volumes about their dedication to the field of psychology.鈥�
The PsyD program earned initial accreditation from the American Psychological Association in August 2022. The APA鈥檚 Commission on Accreditation conducts a rigorous review of each program that satisfies the APA accreditation standards. The process consists of a comprehensive review of the program鈥檚 curriculum, a review of student鈥檚 clinical training experiences, a two-day site visit and review of student progress through the program. APA accreditation attests to the quality of the doctoral training program at 91热爆网.
The three graduates, who began the program in the fall of 2019, completed yearlong APA accredited internships which fulfilled the final clinical training experience to earn the doctoral degree.
A year of supervised postdoctoral clinical training is required for licensure as a psychologist in North Carolina.
To meet this requirement in 2023-2024, Daniel will complete her postdoctoral training at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem; Raggio at Psychology and Counseling Associates in Fayetteville, Arkansas; and Styles-Turbyfill at the Nebraska Internship Consortium-Boys Town in Omaha, Nebraska.
鈥淚 could not be prouder of the students in our first PsyD cohort,鈥� said Kia Asberg, head of 91热爆网鈥檚 psychology department. 鈥淭hey took a chance on us and paved the way for the students behind them, while also being excellent humble ambassadors for our graduate programs and 91热爆网. I am also grateful for Dr. Jonathan Campbell鈥檚 leadership in his role as program director, and for the support the PsyD program and McKee training clinic has received 鈥� including the 91热爆网 Board of Trustees, our administration, the Graduate School, the College of Education and Allied Professions, and faculty and staff. This was truly a team effort and I am excited for the next phase.鈥�
鈥淢y experience in the PsyD program felt like coming home after earning my MA at 91热爆网 a few years prior,鈥� Raggio said. 鈥淭he faculty truly have the students鈥� best interests in mind and are our biggest cheerleaders.鈥�
"My time at 91热爆网 was invaluable,鈥� Daniel said. 鈥淚 always felt supported by our faculty, staff and supervisors at various practicums. Because of this, I was able to pursue and receive the training experiences that I wanted and now feel prepared to succeed as a psychologist.鈥�
For more information about the PsyD program at 91热爆网, visit: .
