The Department of Applied Psychology is responsible for mapping out the development plans for its academic subjects and the major in Applied Psychology, for organizing and managing all teaching levels and curricula, and for monitoring teaching quality. Talent recruitment plans are drafted, and schedules for advanced studies and academic visits of the faculty are reviewed and approved. Other responsibilities include building teaching sites and laboratories for the majors offered by the Department and making arrangements for teaching practice and internship programs of the students. The faculty of the Department is encouraged to pursue a second degree and take part in all kinds of trainings, educational programs and social services.

The Department of Applied Psychology believes it is important to drive the development of teaching, clinical medicine, scientific research and social services in an all-around way. It has in recent years hosted 3 programs funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, plus more than 60 province-/ministry-level academic missions, including the precision medicine program of the Ministry of Science and Technology, humanities & social sciences programs of the Ministry of Education, programs of National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Guangdong Province Philosophy and Social Sciences Planning. Guangdong Province College Students’ Mental Health Education and Psychological Counseling Work Standards, a trend-setting book authored by the Department, has been adopted and issued as 2012 No. [1] File by the Department of Education of Guangdong Province. In addition, the Department completed some studies providing reference to policy makers, including for the reference of building the Guangdong TCM preventive healthcare system. It is the editor in chief of more than 40 published textbooks, the editor of more than 20 published textbooks, and the author of 400-plus published papers. These textbooks are Psychological Counseling, Psychological Assessment and Measurement, Mental Health Education to College Students, The Music Psychology and Music Therapy, Medical Psychology and Health Psychology, to name a few.

In terms of socials services, the Department, as the chairperson of the College Mental Health Education and Counseling Committee of Guangdong Province, has successfully hosted Guangdong Exhibition of Native Art and Original Psychological Comics by College Students and The First Edition of Guangdong Basic Teaching Skills Contest for the Curriculum of Mental Health Education to College Students, as well as annual public events like psychological drama and psychological counseling skills contest of college students, over the last eight years. It has therefore been widely praised and considered a role model by peers inside and outside the province. The faculty has done enduring and outstanding work in psychology of TCM and mental health education to college students. Innovatively Structured Curriculum of Mental Health Education to College Students, a teaching achievement made by the faculty, won the second prize of The Sixth Guangdong Higher Education Teaching Achievements Award. Guangdong Province College Students’ Mental Health Education and Psychological Counseling Work Standards, a scientific research achievement made by the faculty, received the Eighth Best Higher Education Scientific Research Achievements Award from the China Association of Higher Education. Other honors and awards earned by the faculty include “Award for 20 Years’ Contribution to College Mental Health Education” from the College Mental Health Education and Counseling Committee, the Chinese Association for Mental Health, “Award for Outstanding Contribution” from the Psychology of TCM Committee, Guangdong Provincial Association of Chinese Medicine, and “Excellent Individuals” from the College Mental Health Education and Counseling Committee of Guangdong Province.

Huang Shihua is the Chairperson, Jiang Xuehua is the Associate Chairperson and Chen Yufei is the Secretary of the Department.

Other faculty members include Ao Haiqing, Liu Buping, Ma Lijun, Jiang Xuehua, Gong Wenjin, Lin Jiabao, Ren Binhai, Chen Yufei, Tu Ya, Li Jing, and Huang Huiyuan.