APA-Accredited Predoctoral Internship Information
Number of Intern Positions
One or two full-time internship positions each year.
Clinical Experience
Interns at OCPD carry caseloads composed of both brief and longer-term psychotherapy cases. Individual, couples and group psychotherapy opportunities are readily available. Interns will also get valuable experience with crisis intervention (during office hours, no on-call). Interns also provide brief, solution-focused assessment and counseling for mandated alcohol/drug policy offenders which meets all or most of the assessment requirement. One assessment can be a full battery with a focus on using assessment to facilitate ongoing therapy (e.g., personality, interpersonal functioning). Additional assessment experience is based on intern interest and availability. Other training opportunities and responsibilities include conducting initial intake assessments, supervising and training of a graduate level trainee, and conducting psycho-educational outreach and training to various groups on campus. Program development (in the form of outreach, institutional assessment, etc.) is an option for those interested.
Supervision & Training
Training objectives at OCPD include a focus on interns becoming more self-aware and adept in their interactions with clients, supervisees, colleagues and organizational systems; to develop greater appreciation of and respect for human rights, diversity, and the public interest; and to gain a deeper understanding of the professional roles and social responsibilities that accompany the privileges of a career in clinical psychology. OCPD has an open-door policy in which all trainees are encouraged to reach out to all staff as wanted/needed for clinical needs as well as for collegial connection.
Interns receive a minimum of 4 hours per week of supervision by licensed psychologists. This includes 1.5 hours of individual supervision by their primary supervisor (supervisors also have designated time to observe recorded sessions outside of the supervision meetings). Interns supervise a practicum student (1.5 hours per week) and receive 1.5 hours of supervision of supervision with the Training Director to facilitate their development as supervisors. In addition to these routine supervision meetings, they receive 1 hour per week of individual supervision of their group, assessment, or other work as applicable. There is also an additional 1 hour per week of group/team supervision with rotating senior staff members to gain broader perspectives on their work.
In addition to the weekly Consortium Seminars, interns also participate in weekly Training Seminars at OCPD that include a broad range of topics and presenters related to student services in higher education, clinical practice, diversity/self-reflection, and so on. This one-hour seminar varies with didactic, experiential, case discussion, and general discussion-based formats. As part of the weekly general training, seminar interns also meet with representatives of other Student Affairs offices to better acquaint themselves with the broader range of professionals on campus who work with students (i.e., career counselors, disability accommodations coordinator, student health providers, Dean of Students, etc.) and gain knowledge of the resources and systemic aspects of UCC work. In addition, a seminar on clinical issues prevalent in the college population (trauma, substance use, eating disorders) occurs for one hour every other week. These seminars are facilitated by OCPD staff specialists with a focus on deepening knowledge and understanding of these complex clinical issues prevalent in university counseling center practice. The format includes didactic presentations, article/chapter readings and review, and case discussion.
A Good Fit
OCPD is a good fit for internship candidates seeking strong generalist training and have a love of doing therapy, especially individual therapy. Our team is very dedicated to the training program and are looking for interns who are excited to learn and take initiative in making the most of their year with us. We look for someone who is team and relationally oriented, who enjoys collaboration and is looking to solidify their personal-professional integration as they prepare to become independent practitioners.
