Training Seminars

The 12-month doctoral internship in health service psychology is a 2,000 hour training program. In order to successfully complete the internship, interns must regularly attend and be actively involved in the following activities, while demonstrating competency in the associated content areas.

Individual Clinical Supervision

Interns receive individual supervision from a primary supervisor (two hours per week) and a secondary supervisor (one hour per week). Primary supervisors are licensed clinical psychologists in Virginia. Secondary supervisors can be any other clinicians on staff. Interns will have one set of primary and secondary supervisors in fall and then will have a second set for spring/summer in order to maximize learning from several senior staff. Interns share video recordings of their clinical work with clients in individual supervision with both primary and secondary supervisors to focus on the development of the intern's clinical skills.

Clinical Practice and Assessment Seminar

This is an integrated seminar designed to provide trainees with an organized, in-depth and developmentally appropriate learning opportunities intended to augment clinical practice skills.

a. Clinical Practice Component

During the fall semester the content will focus mainly on psychotherapy topics especially relevant to practice in a large and diverse university counseling setting. Didactic and discussion-based in nature, the seminar series will focus on the application of critical content areas that meet the needs of highly trained doctoral interns. Topics include such offerings as ethics, eating disorders, and crisis intervention. A series on psychopharmacology is included as part of these seminar offerings. Readings and small group participation are required.

b. Psychological Assessment Component

Utilizing a planned and sequenced training syllabus in a didactic, discussion-based and experiential format, interns are exposed to methods of testing and assessment commonly utilized in college counseling centers and general practice. Assessment referrals are reviewed and discussed. Completion of a minimum of two psychological assessments and integrated reports during the training year is required. Assessment batteries are comprised of the following: (1) structured clinical interview, (2) personality measure such as PAI, MMPI, or MCMI, (3) a projective measure such as the Rorschach, TAT, Rotter Incomplete Sentence Bank, and (4) other symptom measures such as the Trauma Symptom Inventory, the Eating Disorder Inventory, etc. At least one report must be on an individual from an individually or culturally diverse background.

Supervision of Supervision Seminar

Interns focus on building supervision skills utilizing a planned and sequenced training in provision of supervision. Seminar includes discussion of readings and issues pertaining to supervision of practicum trainees. Interns show video recordings of their supervision sessions with their supervisee and get feedback from peers and licensed clinicians leading the seminar.

Group Therapy Seminar

Interns and senior staff participate in weekly group therapy supervision of ongoing interpersonal process and psychoeducational groups. Discussion and videorecording review is utilized.

Diversity Seminar

Interns meet for presentations and discussions of multicultural issues associated with working with students in the university environment. Seminar leaders engage interns in guided discussions to examine their own biases and gain exposure to affirming clinical care. Leaders with VT’s Cultural Community Centers are frequent presenters in this seminar. From this seminar, interns will create and present a case conceptualization of a client from a diverse identity which they present to all staff in preparation for job interviews in spring.

Consultation and Outreach Seminar

Interns obtain didactic information as well as experiential training in outreach and consultation to the university community. Interns propose and create their own outreach project which they deliver to their intended audience on campus and then present to Cook Counseling staff.

Intern Cohort Supervision and Professional Development

This seminar includes the interns and the Training Director. The session utilizes readings, experiential exercises, case discussions, review of audio/video recordings and discussion to augment intern clinical skills with additional emphasis on professional development issues including professional identity and exploring post-doctoral, licensing and early career issues.

Research Seminar

This seminar will develop skills in conducting applied research in the field of psychology. Interns develop an original research project under the supervision of a staff psychologist. Program evaluation is a particular focus as the CCC strives to incorporate research-based findings pertinent to our local client population. Research time is also allotted for dissertation work.

Summer Specialty Rotation

Interns supplement their work at Cook Counseling Center with special-interest experiences or consultation services for 1-2 days per week during the summer months. Opportunities for consultation may include, but are not limited to, working with a campus partner, working internally with a senior staff member on a special population or therapy modality, or working with an agency in the local community. The nature of the activity / consultation may vary with the interests of the intern and the needs of the external organization. The intern is responsible for working with the Training Director to get approval and to establish the terms of the consultation relationship.