Program Philosophy

Our training program subscribes to a practitioner-scholar model that emphasizes interns working in apprenticeship relationships with staff who value scientifically guided professional practice. Our model also stresses the viewpoint of the internship training as a process through which interns develop not only the requisite knowledge and skills for an entry-level position, but also the sense of professional identity necessary for becoming professional psychologists. The program additionally strives to prepare future psychologists who are knowledgeable and sensitive with regard to issues of diversity.

The Counseling Center grounds itself in the importance of social justice and in advocating for the mental health needs of underrepresented groups. To this aim, our training program has adopted the value statement on training and diversity endorsed by the American Counseling Center Training Agencies (ACCTA).

The goal of the training program is to support interns in their unique journey from trainee to independently functioning practitioner. Training activities are sequential and build upon existing intern strengths. In keeping with the Center’s philosophy that learning is a lifelong process and that even seasoned staff are active participants in the learning process, we believe that learning opportunities will be available beyond the required training. We encourage interns to assume responsibility for their own learning and seek out opportunities that will help them become well-rounded professionals. Interns are supported in this endeavor by not only their individual supervisors, but also the entire training staff.

Consistent with the value of life-long learning, the Center staff strongly encourages interns to actively engage in the feedback process throughout their internship year not only for the purpose of their own enhanced learning, but also to add their voices to the ongoing improvement of the training program.