The Institute for the Psychological Sciences (IPS) is a

graduate school Postgraduate or graduate education refers to Academic degree, academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by higher education, post-secondary students who have earned an Undergraduate education, un ...

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...

and an integral part of

Divine Mercy University Divine Mercy University (DMU) is a private Catholic graduate university of psychology and counseling located in Sterling, Virginia in the United States. Mission DMU seeks to further the science and professional practice of psychology and counse ...

(DMU) in Sterling,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. The institute was founded in 1999 with the mission of basing the scientific study of psychology on a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

understanding of the person, marriage, and the family, as well as being an international center for scholarship and professional training. It seeks to educate new generations of

psychologists A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and interpretation of how indi ...

and mental health professionals, as well as open new areas of research for psychological theories that explore the relationship between psychology and the Catholic-Christian understanding of the human person. The school offers a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) degree in

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

and a Master of Science (M.S.) in Psychology.

History

The IPS was founded in 1999 by a group of mental health professionals and

academicians An academician is a full member of an artistic, literary, engineering, or scientific academy. In many countries, it is an honorific title used to denote a full member of an academy that has a strong influence on national scientific life. In syst ...

who perceived a need for a proper understanding of the relationship between psychology and its philosophical foundations. The Institute's first and current campus is located in the Crystal City neighborhood of

Arlington County Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county ...

. The campus is located 1 mile from

the Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. It was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase ''The Pentagon'' is often used as a metony ...

Ronald Reagan National Airport Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport , sometimes referred to colloquially as National Airport, Washington National, Reagan National Airport, DCA, Reagan, or simply National, is an international airport in Arlington County, Virginia, across ...

, 2 miles from

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

and

Arlington House Arlington House may refer to: *Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial *Arlington House (London) a hostel for the homeless in London, England, and one of the Rowton Houses *Arlington House, Margate, an eighteen-storey residential apartment bloc ...

, and 3 miles from Capitol Hill. In 2014, the Institute opened The IPS Center for Psychological Services, which provides integrated psychotherapy as well as psychological assessments to clients from the

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

metropolitan area. Due to the Institute's close proximity to the nation's capital, students have historically had opportunities to train at: the

National Institutes of Health The National Institutes of Health, commonly referred to as NIH (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in the late ...

(NIH), Children's National Medical Center, St. Elizabeths Hospital, the

D.C. Superior Court The Superior Court of the District of Columbia, commonly referred to as DC Superior Court, is the trial court for the District of Columbia, in the United States. It hears cases involving Criminal justice, criminal and Civil law (common law), ci ...

, the

Psychiatric Institute of Washington The Psychiatric Institute of Washington (PIW) is an acute (104 bed) psychiatric hospital in Washington, D.C. Opened in 1967, PIW is a short-term, private hospital. It offers behavioral healthcare to patients with mental and addictive illnesses, in ...

, as well as other institutions in the area. In 2016, the Institute became part of

, which houses the Institute for the Psychological Sciences and the School of Counseling. Throughout its history, members of the Institute have been active at the international level, by participating in various professional and educational activities, in locations such as the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

(

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

, and the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...

Accreditation

In 2005, the

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is an educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This agency accredits over 13,000 public and priv ...

(SACS) granted accreditation to award masters and doctoral degrees. A year later, the Psy.D. program was recognized by the

Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards EPPP (Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology) The Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) is a licensing examination developed by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) that is used ...

(ASPPB)/

National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology The National Register of Health Service Psychologists (abbreviated National Register) (formerly National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology) is the largest credentialing organization for psychologists in the United States. Founded ...

, as a designated doctoral program in psychology. In 2010, IPS was reaffirmed for accreditation for another 10 years by SACS, successfully meeting all 86 standards and requirements. In 2016, the

American Psychological Association The American Psychological Association (APA) is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States, with over 133,000 members, including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students. It ha ...

(APA) granted accreditation to the doctoral program in clinical psychology (Psy.D.).

Religious affiliation

The Institute is governed by a

Board of Directors A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit organiz ...

, which consists of the Bishop of Arlington, Virginia, several members of

Regnum Christi Regnum Christi, officially the Regnum Christi Federation (Latin: Regnum Christi Foederationis) is an international Catholic Federation. It is open to all lay Catholics and in addition has three consecrated branches, the Legion of Christ (seminari ...

, and three members of the

Legion of Christ The Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ ( la, Congregatio Legionariorum Christi; abbreviated LC; also Legion of Christ) is a Roman Catholic clerical religious order made up of priests and candidates for the priesthood established by Marci ...

. The Legion and Regnum Christi support the Institute by helping it maintain its identity and by providing spiritual support. Although the Legion plays a considerable role in the governance of the Institute, and provides the school with a

chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a Minister (Christianity), minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a laity, lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secularity, secular institution (such as a hosp ...

and president, many students and faculty exercise their spirituality in ways that are consistent with other traditions. The Institute does not require its students or faculty to be Catholic and is open to individuals of all faith traditions.

References

External links

*
The IPS Center
an outpatient mental health clinic operated by IPS {{authority control Psychology organizations based in the United States Mental health organizations in Virginia Educational institutions established in 1997 Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Catholic universities and colleges in Virginia Education in Arlington County, Virginia 1997 establishments in Virginia