Irvine Graduate Programs in Psychology | Alliant Intl University

About the Campus

An Irvine University with Programs in Marital and Family Therapy

Irvine, California lies in the heart of beautiful Orange County. This scenic community boasts incredible weather, food, and nightlife, and provides students with access to its extensive beaches, parks, and mountains. Irvine enjoys a warm Mediterranean climate with easy access to 42 miles of year-round beaches and harbors. Extensive acreage devoted to parks for hiking, cycling, kayaking, and other outdoor recreation all contribute to the allure of Orange County. This recreational mecca is ideally located between San Diego and Los Angeles and is only a 20 minute drive away from Disneyland.

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Approximately 250 students enroll annually at our college in Irvine, CA. The graduate school campus itself hosts several classrooms and conference rooms, a student lounge, a video conference room, an information resource center, and a computer lab.

Irvine, Orange County Campus Graduate Programs

If you are looking for an Irvine university or graduate school that offers highly-skilled faculty members and a variety of amenities, our degree programs are an excellent option. The Irvine college campus offers the following COAMFTE-accredited graduate degree programs in marriage and family therapy.

MA in Marital and Family Therapy

This COAMFTE-accredited master's degree program operates under the recognition that the nuclear family has evolved, and that psychological understanding of marriage and family needs to change as society changes. Students of the graduate program are trained to help individuals and families, regardless of their structure or circumstance.

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PhD in Marital and Family Therapy

This doctoral graduate program focuses on the various factors that impact both individuals and families. It prepares graduate students to holistically and effectively treat their clients and make an impact on the societal constructs which bind us all together.

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Faculty

Manijeh Danespour Ph.D., Systemwide Director and Professor of Marital and Family Therapy

Dr. Danespour has over 22 years of academic, research, and clinical experience. She acts as the marital and family therapy department’s systemwide director, a professional couple and family therapist, and a mentor to students and new professionals.

A third-wave feminist from Iran, she focuses her research on multiculturalism, social justice, third-wave feminism, and premarital and marital relationships.

Nicole Gutierrez PhD, Assistant Professor

Dr. Gutierez is an Assistant Professor within the marital and family therapy program. She teaches various classes that surround that subject matter, including sexual trauma, sexual identity development, addiction and the family, and addressing multiculturalism.

The vast brunt of her personal research focuses on trauma and its impact on families and relationships, as well as its impact on the psychologists who treat trauma victims. In her clinical work, she specializes in treating various forms of trauma, including sexual, childhood abuse, and PTSD in first responders.

Rajeswari Natrajan-Tyagi PsyD, Professor

An alumna of Purdue University, Dr. Natrajan-Tyagi spent both her undergraduate and graduate level courses focusing on Marriage and Family Therapy. At Alliant International University, she teaches several courses including MFT practicum, advanced research methodology, intergenerational theories, MFT law and ethics, doctoral dissertation, and MFT research methodology.

As an academic and psychologist, her emphasis has been on immigration and acculturation, parenting, bicultural identity, and cultural immersion programs. Her research work has been published in multiple academic publications, and she has received several honors, including the Excellence in Doctoral Studies award from Purdue’s Department of Child Development and Family Studies.

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