Psychology Internship Program

  Clinical Experience

Interns receive training and experience in the following areas:

Individual Therapy

Clients present with a range of issues including depression, anxiety, relationship concerns, traumatic experiences, substance abuse, eating disorders and others. Interns spend approximately 60% of their time in direct client contact. Our services are primarily individual and short term in nature. However, interns are encouraged to supplement their training experience with a range of treatment modalities including long-term therapy, and couple or family treatment when appropriate.

Group Services

Counseling Services offers a wide range of opportunities for training in group work, including process therapy groups and experiential psycho educational groups. Interns co-lead groups and when ready can facilitate on their own. All group work is closely supervised by a senior staff member.

Crisis Intervention

Counseling Services is part of the university crisis team, responding to the emergency needs of the campus. We are consulted in situations involving suicide attempts, trauma or incidents of violence. Evaluations may address the need for hospitalization, intervention on campus in the aftermath of a crisis, or coordination of departments in effectively dealing with a crisis. Interns participate in the intervention process along with a senior staff member.

Health Psychology

Interns & staff enjoy an excellent working relationship with Health Center physicians, nurse practitioners and other clinic staff. We cross-refer and consult regarding diagnosis, medication evaluation, and treatment planning.

Community Psychology Services

Interns gain experience in community psychology through educational presentations, organizational consultation, social justice advocacy activities, and general networking and liaison contacts. Under the mentorship of a senior staff member, interns develop and implement a primary community psychology project during the year, as well as assist with other efforts of the Center.

Assessment Services

Interns use formal assessment instruments (Beck, MMPI, etc) in their therapy. Interns desiring more extensive assessment training can request to "shadow" a community psychologist, most likely in the areas of learning disability or forensic assessment.

  Training Process

Philosophy

Our training process follows a developmental model, designed to mentor interns to a level of professional competence sufficient for independent practice upon licensure. Cal Poly Counseling Services is a member of APPIC and follows all APPIC guidelines as a minimum standard.

Supervision

Individual supervision is the cornerstone for all training activities. Interns receive two hours per week of individual supervision, and 2 hours per week of group supervision. Videotaping, live observation and co-counseling or co-facilitation are all used, in addition to verbal case reporting and consultation.

Training Seminars

Interns attend a series of 9 seminars during the orientation period, covering policies and procedures, crisis intervention, brief therapy, California law and ethics, alcohol and substance abuse, community psychology intervention planning, cultural competence. For the remainder of the year applied/didactic seminars are offered biweekly on more specific clinical issues such as trauma recovery, couples therapy, eating disorders, etc.

Professional Mentorship

Senior staff provide advice and assistance throughout the year in preparing vitae, doing mock interviews, and other post-internship employment activities.

Supervisor Profiles Link

Training Manual Link
 

  Qualifications of Candidates

Doctoral Intern candidates must have completed all coursework, including passing the comprehensive exams and a minimum of 800 hours total of supervised clinical experience plus dissertation proposal passed by application deadline of November 15th.

  Stipend and Benefits

The stiped for full-time interns is $18,000 for 12 months. Vacation time, sick leave, and health insurance are included benefits.

  Application Requirements

1. A completed Cal Poly application form. This form is available online at : Cal Poly Employment Opportunities. Application Deadline is November 15, 2009. Apply to the "Helper Aide I" job classification.
2. A completed APPIC Application for Psychology Internship (AAPI) online form.
3. A current vita detailing educational history and all relevant clinical experience.
4. Official transcripts of graduate work.
5. Letters of recommendation from three individuals familiar with your professional and academic performance. At least one letter should be from a licensed psychologist who has supervised your clinical work.