ABOUT US
WHO WE ARE
The Clinical Psychology Outreach Program (CPOP) aims to promote mental well-being by providing engaging and informative workshops on a variety of mental health topics! Our outreach work is encompassed by our three pillars: educating educators, school outreach, and community outreach.
OUR STORY
CPOP is a volunteer initiative created in 2015 by Queen's University clinical psychology graduate students Jackie Huberman and Joyce Li. CPOP is part of the outreach work offered through the Queen's Psychology Clinic. Over the past few years, CPOP initiatives have taken many forms. For example, CPOP held week-long campaigns during which we ran campus workshops, hosted a public talk, visited undergrad lectures, posted on social media, and created conversations on campus about practical ways to support peers' mental wellbeing. These efforts were funded by Jack.org/Queen's Student Initiative Fund and the Queen's Alma Mater Society Equity Grant.
As of 2017, CPOP has partnered with a variety of groups in the Kingston, ON community including high schools, elementary schools, Maple Family Health Team, Kingston Community Health Centre, Osler, and Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox, and Addington Public Health to host wellness talks and workshops.
Currently, our outreach work is generously funded by the Psychology Foundation of Canada Dr. Bea Wickett Award.
WHAT IS CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY?
Clinical psychology is the science and practice of mental health. Clinical psychologists can be involved in a variety of activities, such as conducting research, completing psychological assessments, diagnosing mental health issues, and treating psychological issues (through psychotherapy). In the Department of Psychology at Queen's, clinical psychology is one of four sub-disciplines in which one can specialize in graduate school. In clinical psychology, students complete a M.Sc. and then a Ph.D. We are trained as scientist-practitioners: we conduct research on a variety of topics (e.g., depression, psychosis, sexuality, relationships, pain, and aggression), and complete practicum placements in the community (e.g., at counselling centres, family health teams, private practices, and hospitals). Ideally, research informs our clinical practice, and vice versa.