A Master of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology was introduced within the AAU Psychiatry Department in 2016/2017, with the goal of providing graduates with the knowledge and expertise to function as skilled psychotherapists. This is a new endeavour in Ethiopia, where mental health resources are extremely limited and the needs are great. In 2018, an initial one-month training session was provided to the Clinical Psychology students, together with residents in Psychiatry, by two Toronto psychologists. Support of the newly-appointed AAU faculty members was also a feature of that first trip, with an ongoing goal of collaborative building of faculty capacity. With the advent of COVID-19, the program shifted to synchronous virtual training, with 3 one-month courses taught exclusively to the Clinical Psychology program to date in 2020 and 2021. Two annual TAAAC courses are planned going forward. In addition, the psychology students continue to participate in TAAAC Psychiatry courses, as appropriate.
Over 20 students have now graduated with Master of Arts degrees from this program. The majority are contributing to the growth of the profession by formally sharing their knowledge with other aspiring psychologists; two have become Addis Ababa University Clinical Psychology faculty while over 50% are employed at other universities and government hospitals in Ethiopia, teaching students and providing therapy to clients. Several are supporting clients in private practice while two are workingin Ethiopian government settings. While the number of graduates is still very small, this fledgling program is poised to impact the delivery of mental health supports in Addis Ababa and beyond.
