Academics
Real Stories
Discovery: Humanity
- Course:
-
PSYCH 372: Abnormal Psychology, PSYCH 376: Clinical Communication
- Department:
- Psychology
- Faculty:
- Professor Ayesha Sheikh
The faculty at Whittier firmly believe in praxis—the chance to apply what you've learned in the classroom to a real-world experience—and they're serious about finding those opportunities for their students. Here, it's not just about learning the material for a test; it's about the experience of learning and the impact it can make on students' world perspective.
"On a field trip to tour a mental health rehab center, we had the chance to interact with several patients suffering from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder," says Prof. Ayesha Sheikh, a licensed clinical psychologist who has published articles on interactions between medical doctors and their patients.
"The students were excited to have a real hands-on experience dealing with serious mental illnesses, seeing the complexities in how these disorders manifest. And I think it gave them a new understanding—really upped their interest in psychopathology, in general. But more than that, the students really got to know patients as people, not just diagnostic labels."
