Divine Mercy University (DMU) is a private

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

graduate university of psychology and counseling located in

Sterling, Virginia Sterling refers most specifically to a census-designated place (CDP) in Loudoun County, Virginia. The population of the CDP as of the 2020 United States Census was 30,337 The CDP boundaries are confined to a relatively small area between Virginia ...

Mission

DMU seeks to further the science and professional practice of psychology and counseling, through the integration of Catholic-Christian

anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, society, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including archaic humans. Social anthropology studies patterns of behav ...

philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

, and

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

. The need for mental health practitioners with a firm and comprehensive understanding of Catholic teaching, culture, and history inspired the establishment of this institution.

History

DMU traces its roots to the establishment of the

Institute for the Psychological Sciences The Institute for the Psychological Sciences (IPS) is a graduate school of psychology and an integral part of Divine Mercy University (DMU) in Loudoun County, Virginia, Sterling, Virginia. The institute was founded in 1999 with the mission of bas ...

, which was founded in 1999 with the specific goal of training doctoral-level mental health professionals who were able to integrate various aspects of

Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

with the scientific practice of psychology. With the foundation of DMU's School of Counseling in 2015, the Institute for the Psychological Sciences was restructured and included into DMU. With this change, DMU continued to pursue its mission at the doctoral level; however, it also expanded its mission to train master's level professionals in the mental health field. The university's main

campus A campus traditionally refers to the land and buildings of a college or university. This will often include libraries, lecture halls, student centers and, for residential universities, residence halls and dining halls. By extension, a corp ...

is located in

. Its close proximity to

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

allows DMU to pursue its mission in a geographic area noted for its historical, cultural, and political significance. Students from many different states and countries have elected to pursue their degrees through DMU. , the university has trained students from over 30 states as well as from over 13 different countries. Over 160 students have graduated with advanced degrees from the programs offered by the school.

Academics

The university awards graduate degrees at both the masters and the doctoral level. Degree programs are offered through the university's two divisions: The School of Counseling and the

School of Counseling

The School of Counseling (SOC) offers an advanced degree (

Master of Science A Master of Science (; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree. In contrast to the Master of Arts degree, the Master of Science degree is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering and medici ...

) in

Clinical Mental Health Counseling Clinical mental health counseling is a healthcare profession addressing issues such as substance abuse, addiction, relational problems, stress management, as well as more serious conditions such as suicidal ideation and acute behavioral disor ...

(CMHC), which can be obtained through the successful completion of DMU's on-line graduate program. The CMHC

curriculum In education, a curriculum (; : curriculums or curricula ) is the totality of student experiences that occur in an educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view of the student's experi ...

is highly comparable to other professional

counseling Counseling is the professional guidance of the individual by utilizing psychological methods especially in collecting case history data, using various techniques of the personal interview, and testing interests and aptitudes. This is a list of c ...

programs and it is aligned with the educational and training standards established by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

Institute for the Psychological Sciences

The

offers a

Doctor of Psychology The Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D. or D.Psych.) is a professional doctoral degree intended to prepare graduates for careers that apply scientific knowledge of psychology and deliver empirically based service to individuals, groups and organization ...

(Psy.D.) degree, which focuses specifically on

clinical psychology Clinical psychology is an integration of human science, behavioral science, theory, and clinical knowledge for the purpose of understanding, preventing, and relieving psychologically-based distress or dysfunction and to promote subjective well ...

. A master's degree in psychology is also offered through the institute, and is especially designed to meet the needs of working professionals and community religious leaders.

Notable faculty and staff

* Joann V. Altiero, Ph.D. - President of the Maryland Psychological Association * William Nordling, Ph.D. - Former President of the Association for Play Therapy and the Association for Filial and Relationship Enhancement Methods. Author. * Harvey Payne, Psy.D. - Former Dean of the College of Counseling at

Columbia International University Columbia International University (CIU) is a private Christian university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. It was founded in 1923. Academics CIU has six colleges: College of Arts and Sciences, College of Education, Cook School of Bus ...

* Daniel N. Robinson, Ph.D. - Philosopher. Distinguished

Professor Emeritus ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retirement, retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". ...

of Philosophy at

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...

Fellow A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned society, learned or professional society, p ...

of the

Faculty of Philosophy A faculty is a division within a university or college comprising one subject area or a group of related subject areas, possibly also delimited by level (e.g. undergraduate). In North America, academic divisions are sometimes titled colleges, sc ...

Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...

. * Philip Scrofani, Ph.D., ABPP - Director of Psychology for the Commission on Mental Health Services in

* Sir

Roger Scruton Sir Roger Vernon Scruton, (; 27 February 194412 January 2020) was an English philosopher, writer, and social critic who specialised in aesthetics and political philosophy, particularly in the furtherance of Conservatism in the United Kingdom, c ...

, FBA,

FRSL The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) is a learned society founded in 1820 by George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". A charity that represents the voice of literature in the UK, the ...

, Ph.D. - English Philosopher. Author. * Marc Sebrechts, Ph.D. - Department Chair,

Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Catholic research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It is one of two pontifical universities of the Catholic Church in the United States – the only one that is not primarily a ...

, Department of Psychology * Rev. Charles Sikorsky, L.C., J.D., J.C.L. - President, Divine Mercy University * Craig Steven Titus, STD, Ph.D. - Theologian. Former Instructor at the

University of Fribourg The University of Fribourg (; ) is a public university located in Fribourg, Switzerland. The roots of the university can be traced back to 1580, when the notable Jesuit Peter Canisius founded the Collège Saint-Michel in the City of Fribourg ...

, Switzerland. Author. *

Paul Vitz Paul Clayton Vitz (born August 27, 1935) is an American psychologist who is a Senior Scholar at Divine Mercy University in Sterling, Virginia. He is emeritus professor of psychology at New York University. His work focuses primarily on the relatio ...

, Ph.D. -

of Psychology at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

. Author.

Accreditation

DMU is

accredited Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...

by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) and the

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is a regional educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. As of 2022, the organization oversees ap ...

(SACS). The school's

(Psy.D.) program in

is recognized by the Association of State & Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) and designated by the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology. DMU's

doctoral A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...

program is also

by the

American Psychological Association The American Psychological Association (APA) is the main professional organization of psychologists in the United States, and the largest psychological association in the world. It has over 170,000 members, including scientists, educators, clin ...

(APA). The SOC's CMHC is designed with CACREP accreditation in mind and is CACREP accredited as of October 2023. https://divinemercy.edu/clinical-mental-health-counseling-program-granted-cacrep-accreditation/

References

External links

*
The IPS Center
{{Authority control Universities and colleges established in 1999 1999 establishments in Virginia Universities and colleges established in 2015 2015 establishments in Virginia Divine Mercy University Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Catholic universities and colleges in Virginia Anahuac universities