Practicum:

Independent of any hours you will commit to your academic program (coursework or supervision provided by your program), students generally work 10-20 hours a week at the Counseling Center.  Typically you will receive a minimum of 1 hour a week of group supervision and 1 hour a week of individual supervision.  Once you have been oriented to the system here and your skills have been assessed, you will be referred clients directly from your supervisor.  Cases assigned are somewhat dependent on interest and skills, but typically during a beginning practicum you will work with students on academic issues (study skills, time management, procrastination, etc), career issues (including assessments), and mild personal issues. Advanced practicum students will be assigned a greater variety of cases as appropriate.

Group supervision is a time where all trainees meet together with one or more senior staff. This time is used in many ways, from orientation and explaining procedures, to allow time for questions, to provide time to process experiences related to your work and professional development, and many sessions will be dedicated to specific topics, often relevant clinical issues and treatment techniques. Trainees have an opportunity to influence the topics selected for group supervision.

In addition, practicum students will develop and lead workshops on various academic and personal issues.  This type of activity is typically expected of most clinicians in a college setting and it is an important skill to develop. This direct service can often be counted as group hours.  At times, therapy and psycho-educational groups are offered at the Counseling Center, and if appropriate, Practicum students can participate as co-facilitators with senior staff.

Internship:

Independently of the hours you will commit to your academic program (coursework or supervision provided by your program) students generally work 35-40 hours a week at the Counseling Center.  You will receive a minimum of 1 hour a week of group supervision and 1 hour a week of individual supervision. If your program requires additional supervision this must be negotiated prior to your acceptance of this Internship placement.  

As your skill level increases, so will the complexity of the cases to which you will be assigned. Students can expect that they will get approximately 2/3 of their direct service hours in the last half of the semester.  This is due to the increase in demand for services as the semester progresses, as well as the increase in your skill level and comfort level that occurs as you gain greater experience.

In addition, interns will develop and lead workshops on various academic and personal issues.  This type of activity is typically expected of most clinicians in a college setting and it is an important skill to develop. This direct service can often be counted as group hours.  At times, therapy and psycho-educational groups are offered at the Counseling Center, and if appropriate, interns can participate as co-facilitators with senior staff.