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About Dr. Nicholas Cummings

Bio

Nicholas A. Cummings, Ph.D., Sc.D. (1924 – 2020)

Dr. Nicholas A. Cummings was a visionary who, for half a century not only was able to foresee the future of professional psychology, but also helped create it. A former president of the American Psychological Association (APA) as well as its Divisions 12 (Clinical Psychology) and 29 (Psychotherapy), he formed a number of national organizations in response to trends. Since organized psychology resisted these inevitable changes, Dr. Cummings blazed the way, expecting others would follow. He launched the professional school movement by founding the four campuses of the California School of Professional Psychology that established clinicians as full-fledged members of the faculty. As chief of mental health for the Kaiser Permanente health system in the 1950s, he wrote and implemented the first prepaid psychotherapy contract in the era when psychotherapy was an exclusion rather than a covered benefit in health insurance. He wrote what is known as the freedom-of-choice legislation that requires insurers to reimburse psychologists along with psychiatrists, and he conducted the medical cost offset research showing that psychological interventions save medical/surgical dollars.

Foreseeing the industrialization of healthcare, and particularly behavioral healthcare, he founded American Biodyne, the nation’s first and only psychology-driven managed behavioral health organization (MBHO), to be emulated so that the profession could own managed behavioral care before it fell into the hands of business interests. For two years he limited enrollment to 500,000 covered lives, but when the professions of psychology and psychiatry ignored the model, he took his foot off the brake, and the number of covered lives soared to 14.5 million in the next 5 years and to 25 million shortly thereafter. Other organizations he founded included the National Academies of Practice (the 150 most distinguished practitioners in each of dentistry, medicine, nursing, optometry, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, pediatric medicine, psychology, social work, and veterinary medicine), the National Council of Professional Schools of Psychology (NCSPP), the San Joaquin County Psychological Association, and the American Managed Behavioral Healthcare Association (AMBHA). With others he co-founded the California Psychological Association, the San Francisco Bay Area Psychological Association, and the Council for the Advancement of the Psychological Professions and Sciences (CAPPS).

In the early days of the technical revolution, Dr. Nicholas Cummings was invited as the CEO of American Biodyne to attend a luncheon where he would meet innovators and entrepreneurs of Silicon Valley, including Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. Dr. Cummings was inspired by the brilliance of these entrepreneurs, and was struck by a similarity he noticed among the group: a particularly high college dropout rate. The tech giants of Silicon Valley had either enrolled in college and quickly dropped out after learning they knew far more than any of the faculty, or never enrolled at all; choosing instead to spend all of their time inventing the new technologies that would absolutely revolutionize our lives. Dr. Cummings realized that what healthcare needed was a similar revolution, and he saw an opportunity to teach behavioral health providers to disrupt the ineffective, fragmented healthcare system from within. There was only one problem: no university existed that was out-of-the-box enough to create both the curriculum and the environment that would stimulate the kind of innovation that healthcare needed. The choice was clear.

In 2014, Dr. Cummings along with his daughter, Janet L. Cummings, Psy.D, created the Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies to fill the educational gaps for innovative and entrepreneurial healthcare professionals wishing to disrupt healthcare from within or for those looking to launch new ventures. Drs. Cummings designed the DBH program at CGI to address three critical needs behavioral health providers would need to be successful in this aim: medical literacy, efficient and effective delivery of behavioral health interventions in medical settings, and entrepreneurship and innovation in the healthcare marketplace.

Accolades

In spite of being controversial all of his life, Dr. Nicholas Cummings was the recipient of numerous awards, including psychology’s highest, the APF Gold Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Practice. Dr. Cummings received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of California at Berkeley, his master’s degree in psychology from Claremont Graduate School, and his doctorate in clinical psychology from Adelphi University. He has been awarded five honorary doctorates for his innovations in such diverse fields as education and the Greek classics. Along with his professional, scientific and educational contributions, he has been feted as the foremost entrepreneur in psychology.

Dr. Cummings was a member of President Kennedy’s Mental Health Task Force and President Carter’s Mental Health Commission. He was an advisor to the Health Economics Branch of the then Department of Health, Education and Welfare, the Senate Subcommittee on Health (Senator Edward Kennedy, Chair), and the Senate Finance Committee (Senator Russell Long, Chair). He has testified before the Congress of the United States 18 times. On behalf of the Health Care Financing Administration, he conducted the 7-year Hawaii Medicaid Project that prompted the federal government to overhaul the way Medicaid was being delivered. Dr. Cummings passed away June 8, 2020 in Reno, Nevada surrounded by the one love of his life, Dorothy Mills Cummings and his family.

Read CGI’s dedication to Dr. Nicholas A. Cummings.

Publications

Dr. Nicholas Cummings has written over 450 book chapters and journal articles, along with 51 books, and 10 with his daughter, Dr. Janet Cummings.

Belo are two seminal articles by Nicholas Cummings that demonstrate his expertise in healthcare integration and cost savings.

Twenty Years of Kaiser Experience with Psychotherapy and Medical Utilization:Implications for National Health Policy and National Health Insurance

Impact of Managed Care on Employment and Training: A Primer for Survival

The following is a partial list of publications, showing representative publications in chronological order from 1967 through the present.

  • Follette, W.T. & Cummings, N.A. (January-February 1967). Psychiatric services and medical utilization in a prepaid health plan setting I. Medical Care, Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 25-35.
  • Cummings, N.A. & Follette, W.T. (January-February 1968). Psychiatric services and medical utilization in a prepaid health plan setting II. Medical Care, Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 31-41.
  • Cummings, N.A. (October 1969). The California School of Professional Psychology: One alternative to the extinction of professional psychology. Journal of Clinical Issues in Psychology, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 8-10
  • Cummings, N.A. (September 1977). The anatomy of psychotherapy under national health insurance. American Psychologist, Vol. 32, No. 9, pp. 711-718.
  • Cummings, N.A. (1977). Behavioral health in primary care: Dollars and sense. In N.A. Cummings, J.L. Cummings, & J.N. Johnson (Eds.). Behavioral health in primary care: A guide for clinical integration (pp. 3-21). Madison, CT: Psychosocial Press.
  • Cummings, N.A. (December 1979). Turning bread into stones: Our modern anti-miracle. American Psychologist, Vol. 34, No. 12, pp. 1119-1129.
  • Cummings, N.A. (1991). Arguments for the financial efficacy of psychological services in healthcare settings. In J.J. Sweet, R.G. Rozensky, & S.M. Tovian (Eds.). Handbook of clinical psychology in medical settings (Chapter 8, pp. 113-126). New York, NY: Plenum Publishing Corporation.
  • Cummings, N.A. & Follette, W.T. (1991). Medical cost offset: A reprinting of the seminal research conducted at Kaiser Permanente, 1963-1981. Reno, NV: Context Press. Cummings Foundation for Behavioral Health: Healthcare Utilization and Cost Series, Vol. 1
  • Cummings, N.A., Dorken, H., Pallak, M.S., & Henke, C. (1993). Medicaid, managed behavioral health, and implications for public policy: A report of the HCFA-Hawaii Medicaid Project and Other Readings. Reno, NV: Context Press. Cummings Foundation for Behavioral Health: Healthcare Utilization and Cost Series, Vol. 2.
  • Cummings, N.A., Dorken, H., & C.J. Henke. (1994) Medical costs, Medicaid, and manage mental healath treatment: The Hawaii Study. Managed Care Quarterly, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 64-70.
  • Cummings, N.A. (Ed.) (1995). The impact of the Biodyne Model on medical cost offset: A sampling of research projects. Reno, NV: Context Press. Cummings Foundation for Behavioral Health: Healthcare Utilization and Cost Series, Vol. 4.
  • Cummings, N., & Sayama, M. (1995). Focused psychotherapy: A casebook of brief, intermittent psychotherapy throughout the life cycle. New York, NY: Brunner/Mazel (now Brunner/Routledge, a subsidiary of Taylor and Francis).
  • Cummings, N.A., Pallak, M.S., & Cummings, J.L. (Eds.) (1996). Surviving the demise of solo practice: Mental health practitioners prospering in the era of managed care. Madison, CT: Psychosocial Press (an imprint of International Universities Press).
  • Cummings, N.A., Cummings, J.L., & Johnson, J.N. (Eds.). (1997). Behavioral health in primary care: A guide for clinical integration. Madison, CT: Psychosocial Press (an imprint of International Universities Press).
  • Cummings, N.A. (Summer 2000). The next phase in the evolution of behavioral care and its re-empowerment of the practitioner. The Independent Practitioner, Vol. 20, No. 3; Bulletin of he Psychologists in Independent Practice, a Division of the American Psychological Association.
  • Cummings, N.A. & Cummings, J.L. (2000). The essence of psychotherapy: Reinventing the art in the era of data. New York, NY: Academic Press.
  • Cummings, N.A. & Cummings, J.L. (2000). The first session with substance abusers: A step- by-step guide. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass (now John Wiley).
  • Cummings, N.A. (2001). A new vision of healthcare for America. In N.A. Cummings, H. Dorken, M.S. Pallak, & C.J. Henke (Eds.). Integrated behavioral healthcare: Prospects, issues, and opportunities (Chapter 2). New York, NY: Academic Press.
  • Cummings, N.A., O’Donohue, W., Hayes, S.C., & Follette, V. (Eds.). (2001). Integrated behavioral healthcare: Positioning mental health practice with medical/surgical practice. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
  • Cummings, N.A. & Wiggins, J.G. (2001). A collaborative primary care/behavioral health model for the use of psychotropic medication with children and adolescents: The report of a national retrospective study. Issues in Interdisciplinary Care, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 121-128.
  • Wright, R. & Cummings, N. (Eds.). (2001). The practice of psychology: The battle for professionalism. Phoenix, AZ: Zeig, Tucker & Thiesen.
  • Cummings, N.A., O’Donohue, W.T., & Ferguson, K.E. (2002). The impact of medical cost offset on practice and research: Making it work for you. Reno, NV: Context Press. Cummings Foundation for Behavioral Health: Healthcare Utilization and Cost Series, Vol. 5.
  • Cummings, N.A., O’Donohue, W.T., & Ferguson, K.E. (2003). Behavioral health as primary care: Beyond efficacy to effectiveness. Reno, NV: Context Press. Cummings Foundation for Behavioral Health: Utilization and Cost Series, Vol. 6.
  • Cummings, N.A., O’Donohue, W.T., Duckworth, M., & Ferguson, K.E. (2004). Early detection and treatment of substance abuse within integrated primary care. Reno, NV: Context Press. Cummings Foundation for Behavioral Health: Healthcare Utilization and Cost Series, Vol. 7.
  • Cummings, N.A., O’Donohue, W.T., & Naylor, E.V. (2005). Psychological approaches to chronic disease management. Reno, NV: Context Press. Cummings Foundation for Behavioral Health: Healthcare Utilization and Cost Series, Vol. 8.
  • Cummings, N.A. (2005). Resolving the dilemmas in mental healthcare delivery: Access, stigma, fragmentation, conflicting research, politics and more. In N.A. Cummings, W.T. O’Donohue, & M.A. Cucciare (Eds.). Universal healthcare: Readings for mental health professionals. Reno, NV: Context Press. Cummings Foundation for Behavioral Health: Healthcare Utilization and Cost Series, Vol. 9.
  • Cummings, N.A., O’Donohue, W.T., & Cucciare, M.A. (2005). Universal healthcare: Readings for mental health professionals. Reno, NV: Context Press. Cummings Foundation for Behavioral Health: Healthcare Utilization and Cost Series, Vol. 9.
  • O’Donohue, W.T., Byrd, M.R., Cummings, N.A., & Henderson, D.A. (Eds.). (2005). Behavioral integrative care: Treatments that work in the primary care setting. New York, NY: Brunner-Routledge (Taylor and Francis Group).
  • Wright, R.H., & Cummings, N.A. (Eds.). (2005). Destructive trends in mental health: The well-intentioned path to harm. New York, NY: Routledge (Taylor and Francis Group).
  • O’Donohue, W.T., Cummings, N.A., Cucciare, M.A., Runyon, C.N., & Cummings, J.L. (Eds.). (2006). Integrated behavioral healthcare: A guide to effective intervention. Amherst, NY: Humanity Books (an imprint of Prometheus Books).
  • O’Donohue, W.T., Cummings, N.A., & Cummings, J.L. (Eds.). (2006). Clinical strateties for becoming a master psychotherapist. San Diego, CA: Academic Press (Elsevier).
  • Cummings, N.A., Cummings, J.L., & O’Donohue, W.T. (2008). We are not a healthcare business: Our inadvertent vow of poverty. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy.
  • Cummings, N.A. & O’Donohue, W.T. (2008). Eleven blunders that cripple psychotherapy in America: A remedial unblundering. New York, NY: Brunner Routledge.
  • O’Donohue, W.T. & Cummings, N.A. (2008). Evidence-based adjunctive treatments. San Diego, CA: Elsevier (an imprint of Academic Press).
  • Cummings, N.A., O’Donohue, W.T., & Cummings, J.L. (Eds.). (2009). Psychology’s war on religion. Phoenix, AZ: Zeig, Tucker, and Theisen.
  • Cummings, N.A. & O’Donohue, W.T. (Eds.). (2011). Understanding the behavioral healthcare crisis: The promise of integrated care and diagnostic reform. New York, NY: Routledge.
  • Cummings, N.A. & O’Donohue, W.T. (Eds.). (2012). Restoring psychotherapy as the first line intervention in behavioral healthcare. Dryden, NY: Ithaca Press.
  • Walker, L.E., Cummings, D.M. & Cummings, N.A. (Eds.). (2012). Our broken family court system. Dryden, NY: Ithaca Press.
    • Cummings, N.A. & Cummings, J.L. (2013). Refocused psychotherapy as the first line intervention in behavioral health. New York, NY: Routledge)

[Translated into Mandarin, 2014, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Press.]

  • Cummings, N.A. (2016). Psyche’s prophet: The selected writings of Nicholas A. Cummings. New York, NY: Routledge (Taylor and Francis Group and World Library of Mental Health).

Interviews

Nicholas Cummings Ph.D. ’58: Unblundering Psychology Practice

Testimonials

“The totally online DBH program offered by Cummings Graduate Institute of Behavioral Health Studies is focused on the professional I have grown into: a synergistic disrupter for the healthcare industry, who is passionate about Wholistic Healthcare (e.g., health, behavioral health, and Social Determinants of Health and Mental Health), rendered skillfully through interprofessional teams. The program pillars of medical literacy, integrated behavioral health interventions, and entrepreneurship resonate loudly with me. The healthcare industry will continue to change, with doctoral level professionals needed to play a major role in any successful transformation. My goal is to further advance my knowledge-base, professional standing, and industry commitment to be part of these transformational efforts. In this way I can heed the Quadruple Aim: assuring quality-driven patient-centric care is rendered at the right time, through the right population-based treatment processes, at the right cost, and by empowered professionals embracing the work and committed to their charge.”

Ellen Fink-Samnick MSW, ACSW, LCSW, CCM, CRPDBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - March 11, 2020

“In the time that I have been a student at CGI, I have learned that integrated healthcare is no longer the exception; providers want behavioral health clinicians on their team. My courses demonstrate that the services that a DBH can offer are valuable and the opportunities abound. I’m learning that as a DBH, I can work to create a new norm in healthcare, one that promotes holistic care provided by a collaborative team delivering diverse services. I now view behavioral healthcare as a crucial piece of the medical care puzzle, rather than a separate entity. I can see the gaps in care that a DBH can fill and why including a DBH in treatment is critical. I am beginning to see how I will play a role in disrupting healthcare to provide quality treatment while advocating for my patients. Although I may still have to explain my role at times, I am learning that once I do, others will seek out my services. I am gaining confidence in what I bring to the medical team and am continuously expanding my knowledge of what else I can do.”

Jennifer KellyDBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - July 26, 2020

“As a Social Worker, I believe my main mission includes advocating for and empowering patients. The DBH degree will allow me to fully integrate the “medical side of the house” with the “behavioral health side”. My experience working side-by-side with medical providers (PCM’s, ED docs, Hospitalists, etc…) has shown that most of them do not understand behavioral health issues nor how medical symptoms or diagnoses can effect a patients’ mental health and vice-versa. Alternatively, I have worked with a multitude of behavioral health providers who have very limited knowledge of how medical issues might affect their clients. I have often wondered how many patients I have had who were diagnosed with depression or anxiety or other DSM-V diagnosis when in reality the origin was medical. Earning a DBH will allow me to push the envelope when it comes to consulting with medical providers and promote the inclusion of “behavioral healthcare” within “healthcare” as its ALL healthcare! As Mahatma Ghandi said “be the change you wish to see in the world”; earning a DBH will enhance my ability to “change the world” – even if it’s one medical provider or one patient at a time.”

Diane Scott, MSW, LCSWDBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - August 7, 2020

“My friend and I were talking about the challenges and frustrations that we face daily in our careers with the clear divide between mental health and physical health and how we wished we had the knowledge and skills to shake up healthcare and bridge the gap. She brought up researching doctorate programs and how interested she was in the DBH. My reponse was, “What on earth is a DBH?” She laughed and said it was a newer doctorate degree in behavioral health, that focused directly on integrated care and doing exactly what we were dreaming of doing….shaking up healthcare and bridging the gap and treating the person as a whole. I had a hard time believing her. It sounded too good to be true. How was there a degree out there that fit my goals and aspirations to a T without me knowing about it? I had been looking periodically throughout my 20 year journey in behavioral health for a program that resonated with me. It was here all this time? How had I missed it? I immediately spent hours scouring the internet to find any crumb of information that I could about the Doctorate of Behavioral Health and the programs associated with it. Then I hit the jackpot. I found the Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies.”

Amy McConnell, LCSWDBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - September 18, 2020

“During my tenure as a student at CGI, I wrote a book review that was published in the International Journal of Integrated Care. One of my papers became a newsletter article, a pitch for my population health class became a poster presented at a CFHA conference, a book chapter was developed based on a paper I wrote for my independent study, and I am submitting my CP project to a journal this weekend. So, everything that you write during the program is potentially publishable! You have the advantage of having faculty read and give you feedback on it before submitting it. Take risks! The worst that can happen if you submit a paper for publication is receiving a rejection letter. Well, if you don’t send it you’re already acting as if the paper had been rejected. 😉 Plus, if you receive a rejection letter, it usually comes with feedback, so you can improve your paper and send it again!”

Dr. Liliane de Aguiar-Rocha, DBH, BCBADBH Alumni, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - October 9, 2020

“There is a substantial need for integrating care between our physical, and mental health. The gap between these domains are more so overlooked among those with developmental delays and intellectual disabilities – the very population I serve as a Behavior Analyst. Filling these gaps entails work that demands for a DBH who is competent, empathetic, and altruistic.”

Pauline Pablo, BCBADBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - November 11, 2020

“My interest in a DBH degree grew out of frustration and hope. On one hand, I grew frustrated with the quality of care my clients with intellectual and developmental disabilities were receiving. As members of a marginalized population who lack the skills to advocate for themselves, the clients I serve receive subpar medical care, mental health care, and behavioral health care. Many healthcare providers are not trained to address the unique language and cognitive challenges present when serving a person with Autism and I/DD.

On the other hand, as I learned more about the DBH program, a potential solution came into view. I believe this program will allow me to acquire the knowledge and skills to become a better advocate for my clients, and new job opportunities will open up in positions in which I will be able to make a bigger impact on a system level, thus improving quality of life for many clients. A DBH degree will command interest and respect from other healthcare professionals who are evaluating their practices and noticing areas in which they are not being effective, namely the behavioral health side of the equation. As we are learning in our first classes about the Biodyne Model, the Integrated Care Model is not widely accepted or known in the healthcare field, despite its proven track record. I believe a DBH degree provides the necessary tool to change the landscape of healthcare provision by arming my passion for this topic with knowledge and concrete strategies.”

Valeria ParejoDBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - January 15, 2021

“As a Doctorate of Behavioral Health (DBH) student my vision for healthcare is to disrupt the current model, close gaps to care and create healthcare improvements. In the evolving world of healthcare I believe behavioral healthcare providers (BCP) are essential to the development of integrative healthcare. Once I obtain a DBH degree, I know I will gain a leadership role and be able to add quality to the creation of integration efforts worldwide. I know I will graduate with the essential tools I need to stand at the forefront of integrated healthcare. I want to create healthcare improvements for marginalized populations that are typically underserved or forgotten. As an individual of two minority groups; woman and African American, I am very passionate about helping reduce cultural, ethnic, social economic and geographic disparities within healthcare systems.”

Ebony WatsonDBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - March 30, 2021

“Since beginning my studies at CGI, I have been awakened to how much I truly did not know and understand despite my specialty training in Social Work and behavioral health needs. The classes at CGI allow me to explore topics that I may not have thought to investigate and encourage me to question and think outside the “normal” delivery of behavioral health services. Services that I previously thought were quality and designed to meet the needs of special populations, I now believe to be woefully inadequate to serve the needs of the patients. Patients cannot receive the best quality, efficient, and timely care they need and deserve within institutions that are not integrated. Institutions that continue to silo and do not encourage collaboration and integration are not focused on the needs of the patient.”

Amanda BarnardDBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - March 30, 2021

“I believe, as a DBH, I will disrupt the current healthcare systemby promotingguaranteed health care for allasa right, not a privilege.I willadvocate fora national, rather than state, licensing of providers. This will allow clinicians (medical,behavioral health, etc…) to provide care across state lines using telemedicine.Finally, the skills I have learned at Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies allow me to identify healthcare delivery concerns, propose alternative interventions and cost–effective solutions and evaluate theirreturn on investment.”

Diane ScottDBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - March 29, 2021

“Since entering CGI, I have more confidence in discussing the need for healthcare systems to have a population health approach to care, and to put in place “upstream” programming. I have always been proud of working in a hospital and delivering care, working as a multidisciplinary team member, and making a difference. I now realize I have been part of healthcare’s focus of “treating the sick” rather than being an influencer for preventative care.

Preventative care can be part of service delivery from a hospital system; we should not rely only on public health programs to tackle social determinants of health. COVID-19 is not only impacting mental health but also how we are delivering medical care. Could COVID-19 be an unintended force for healthcare policy change? Apostolopoulos et al. (2020) reports the complexity presented to the health care system by COVID-19 has created change that will continue in healthcare for years to come. The needed changes to delivery and access will require a policy shift in all levels of healthcare (Apostolopoulos et al., 2020).”

Billie RatliffDBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - December 13, 2021

“The DBH is exactly the type of doctorate degree that I’ve been searching for. A doctorate that is clinical focused is where my interest lies. I am motivated to pursue this degree, and courses like Pathophysiology, Psychopharmacology, Neuropathophysiology, only add to that excitement. One must be motivated to complete any degree program. The Doctor of Behavioral Health fits that bill for me. In fact, I would say that I am beyond motivated.”

Arthur Williams IIIDBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - July 8, 2022

“As a member of the AAPI community, I’m very familiar with the barriers to mental health services and the need to break through the glass wall of cultural stigma that prevents many from receiving potentially life–saving treatment. I was the only Asian American person in my master’s cohort, the only Asian American person in many of my clinical work settings, the only Asian American person to walk into many of the professional settings that I pushed myself to show up to. In my current practice, I’m constantly reminded by my patients of how difficult it is to find an Asian American mental health provider, though this reminder constantly informs me that more needs to be done for my community. Day after day, I read stories of Asian American people who die by suicide as a consequence of our culture’s avoidance of mental health topics. As a DBH, my biggest goal is to use my expertise in whole–person care to amplify the conversation around mental health and help my community understand that mental healthcare is not a privilege that we are not entitled to, it is a crucial part of our healthcare that will manifest differently in us than what many Western psychology or psychiatry textbooks will describe, and that our unique experience of mental health issues are valid, important, and is time to be part of the larger conversation.”

Willam ChumDBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - September 16, 2022

“Pursuing a doctorate in behavioral health is essential in helping to transform my thinking as a healthcare provider; moving from a more traditional mindset, embracing change and a “different world view” of tools for successful client outcomes. This type of advanced study will equip me with the clinical and leadership skills to be a leader on the cutting edge of behavioral health. This type of training would make me an asset to the healthcare workplace; specifically to function effectively as a change agent for the successful outcomes of the workplace and its clients.”

Judith AllenDBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - September 23, 2022 Previous Slide

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