Honoring a Legacy, Looking Forward: Introducing the Jonathan Jackson Endowed Clinical Psychology Workshop Series

Thanks to this esteemed educator, director and mentor, this series coming in Spring 2025 will explore the latest topics, practices and career options in clinical psychology.

Jonathan Jackson, PhD, admitted he wore a number of hats-including director of the Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology Center for Psychological Services, director of practicum training and founding director of the Derner Internship Consortium-during his 36-year tenure at Adelphi. "All of these roles afforded me opportunities to enhance students' professional development through connections to clinical training," he noted.

In 2022, Dr. Jackson officially stepped down from his official roles, but today he remains an active member of the Adelphi community by serving each year as an adjunct clinical supervisor of a doctoral student in clinical work. He's also scheduled to take part in a convocation panel in the fall, where he said he will discuss the emergent trend of hospital-owned medical groups buying up group psychology practices to capitalize on their profit potential.

And perhaps most significant, in December 2023, the Jonathan Jackson Endowed Clinical Psychology Workshop Series was created by Adelphi to honor his many contributions to the training of clinical psychologists. The workshop series is supported by student, faculty and alumni donors intent on making a lasting and transformative impact on clinical psychology education at Adelphi.

Exploring New Directions in Clinical Psychology

"The impetus for the workshop series comes from the desire to supplement and complement the broad and general curricular requirements, which do not permit a breadth of student interest and input into training," Dr. Jackson explained, "hence, a meaningfully student-instigated offering of various topics and trainings in emerging and new directions in the field."

The new series will welcome distinguished presenters-from leading scholars and professionals to alumni practitioners-who will share new perspectives and up-to-date innovations and approaches with Adelphi students, faculty and alumni.

"We're so lucky to have so many graduates doing interesting, viable and prominent things in the field," he noted.

A Broad Range of Current Topics

According to Dr. Jackson, the workshops will complement the curriculum by addressing timely and specific topics, such as the use of ketamine and other mind-altering medicines to treat mental conditions, new approaches to substance use disorders, the role of mindfulness and spirituality in mental health, the role of psychologists in advocacy for marginalized groups, and new models of professional service delivery such as group practices.

"It will also put a spotlight on how many pathways there are to specialized careers in clinical psychology," he said. "More than we ever imagined are emerging every day."

The first workshops, which are slated to begin in the Spring 2025 semester, will include lectures and discussions, as well as topic-related activities and training.

Dr. Jackson stressed that many graduates who have become prominent in the field of clinical psychology have provided training opportunities for current students. The workshops are certain to offer ample-and fruitful-opportunities for students and alumni alike to network with scholar and practitioner presenters.

Help enrich Derner clinical psychology students' educational experience by adding your support to the Jonathan Jackson Endowed Clinical Psychology Workshop Series.