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Board recommends Dr. Hanna’s foreign psychology degrees are APA-equivalent
Summary
Connecticut Department of Public Health licensing board reviewed academic credentials for Dr. Hanna, who earned a master’s in Paris and a PhD in Cologne, and voted to recommend his education meets the equivalency standard for licensure review, while noting internship and experience will be evaluated separately.
The Department of Public Health’s practitioner licensing board voted June 9 to recommend that the out-of-country graduate education of Dr. Michael (Philip) Hanna be treated as equivalent to a U.S. doctor of philosophy in psychology for Connecticut licensure review.
The recommendation follows a presentation from Laurie DePalma, supervisor for Mental and Behavioral Health Licensing at the Department of Public Health, who said Dr. Hanna completed a master’s in clinical psychology at the University of Paris in July 1997 and a PhD in clinical psychology at the University of Cologne in Germany in February (year stated in materials). DePalma said a credential evaluation by FIS concluded his doctoral degree is the equivalent of a PhD from a regionally accredited U.S. institution.
Why it matters: The board’s recommendation clears the educational-equivalency question so licensing staff can proceed to evaluate clinical internships, supervised experience and other licensure requirements. The board explicitly noted that the recommendation is not the same as issuing a license.
Board members questioned Dr. Hanna about his intended clinical work and his training. Dr. Hanna told the board he has “a very broad background” and expected to work “more in the medical sphere, academic medicine, perhaps working with patients who have medical diagnosis, for example, cancer or chronic pain.” He described his dissertation, titled “Misconceptualizations of Trauma,” as an epistemological study comparing literature across Spanish, English, French and German traditions and warned clinicians not to assume a single cultural model of trauma.
Department staff clarified that education and experience are evaluated separately. Steve Carriger, who manages the practitioner licensing unit, told the board: “You’re not approving him for licensure. You’re just indicating that his education is equivalent to an APA accredited educational program.” Board members then moved and seconded a motion to recommend equivalency for Connecticut licensure. The motion passed with all members present voting in favor.
The board and staff noted remaining steps: applicants who did not graduate from an APA-accredited program must complete course-of-study documentation and have internships and supervised practice evaluated. Dr. Hanna told the board he completed clinical placements in French hospitals during his master’s work, an internship in Chicago at the Marjorie Koehler Center for about seven months, and subsequent postdoctoral work. He also said he has been a member of the American Psychological Association since about 2011, which he suggested as an additional indicator of equivalency.
The board’s action was limited to educational equivalency. Formal licensure remains subject to the department’s full review of internship, supervised experience and any other statutory requirements.
The board completed the agenda item and thanked Dr. Hanna for participating remotely.
