Pre-Doctoral Internship Program

Simple Version

PHILOSOPHY OF TRAINING: [more info]

The staff at the University of New Hampshire Counseling Center believes that the role of the counseling center in a university setting is multi-faceted. We see ourselves as specialists in developmental, clinical/remedial and preventative interventions with adolescents and young adults. We aim to serve the community while being part of the community. As part of the community we are accessible to and familiar with our constituents. In addition, as community members with specialized training in work with the university population, we are knowledgeable about the special needs of students, faculty, staff, and the systems of which we are a part.

It is the philosophy of knowledge in service of practice or “knowledge for what it can accomplish” (Stricker and Trierweiler, 1995 p.996) that guides our center and training program. However, while the emphasis of our program is clearly on practice, we understand good professional practice to be possible only when science and practice are integrated (Belar and Perry, 1992) and when the practitioner “reflects-in-action” (Peterson 1995 p.980). We believe that to be responsible and effective practitioners, we must also be scholars. As clinicians and supervisors, we draw upon our knowledge of research, scholarly work and theory as well as our intuition, creativity and experience of relationship to respond to a particular need . We see our work and knowledge as fluid, always growing and changing in response to new information and experiences. We are committed to continual professional and personal learning through both formal and informal modalities. It is with this understanding that our center staff endorses a “Practitioner-Scholar” model of training and clinical practice.

What does this mean in terms of training? It means that training staff help the interns embrace the Counseling Center mission, which includes service to the university community in many forms: individual and group psychotherapy, crisis intervention, psychoeducational workshops, learning disabilities assessment and consultation to other offices and departments. It also means opportunities to reflect on what we are doing and to draw on ideas from our colleagues and pertinent psychological and other literature. These opportunities take the form of supervision, case sharing, seminars, professional reading, and evaluation of and/or participation in research. There is a process that is modeled and encouraged; one in which we avail ourselves of the external knowledge and resources available to us, and we also turn inward to our self-knowledge, and the accumulation of what we have learned in practice. We draw on all of it in our attempts to move those we serve forward.

As a training program our primary goal is to encourage and assist interns in their development toward becoming highly responsible, ethical, and competent entry-level psychologists. Our program provides interns with an intensive professional training experience in the many activities in which a university counseling center psychologist typically engages. Interns receive supervision and mentoring in the provision of individual and group psychotherapy, learning disabilities assessment, consultation and outreach, crisis intervention, supervision, and administrative activities. Interns receive a minimum of 2.5 hours per week of individual supervision and three hours per week of group supervision. Further, interns participate in seminars in each of these domains. Our seminars are led by senior staff psychologists and professional program consultants who base their presentations on their clinical expertise and experiences as well as on current literature. Interns spend an average of 3 hours per week in seminars. Our internship program also encourages spontaneity and curiosity regarding research and scholarly inquiry by way of individual and group projects (the Intern Project, Consultation Project and Clinical Specialty Project).

The Center's staff views professional growth as interrelated with personal growth. Therefore, interns are challenged to examine themselves and their worldviews as they develop as psychologists. We are committed to diversity and to working on issues of oppression and social justice. Throughout the year, interns receive training on the dynamics of oppression, power, and cultural influence, and are sensitized to diversity among clients. Our commitment to diversity is also reflected in the staff's theoretical orientations and practice. More generally, interns are part of a Center that respects and values the participation of all its members and works to responsibly acknowledge power and its use.

Interns are encouraged to participate in all aspects of the functioning of the center. We believe that effective socialization of interns into professional psychology involves a high degree of interaction between interns and staff members and that direct communication about values, attitudes, and ideas and modeling these in our work is central to reaching our training goals. Using an apprenticeship process interns work closely with senior staff in developing skills to successfully participate in the many activities in which a university counseling center psychologist engages. Early in the year interns share tasks with supervisors and assume more responsibility and autonomy, as they are ready. Consistent with our value on relational learning is the continual feedback loop that exists between interns and senior staff and between all members of our staff. Interns participate in a program that assesses and adjusts to the unique needs and abilities of each intern class. Clearly, evaluation and feedback are critical components of our training process and take place in informal and formal contexts. Information about intern progress and needs is gathered throughout the internship year. Initially, interns' pre-internship experience is assessed during the selection process and prior to their arrival at UNH. The information gathered is used to plan the content and/or sequencing of the Professional Development Series, some of our Orientation and Intern Seminars and in matching of primary supervision pairs. During orientation, the Director of Training meets with each intern to discuss his or her clinical experiences, goals and supervisory preferences. Based on this information as well as staff availability, supervisory decisions are made. Discussion about intern progress and needs occurs between interns and senior staff in all supervision and training. In addition, communication between supervisors occurs during weekly senior staff meetings, supervisory meetings called on an as needed basis and evaluation meetings. Adjustments to clinical load, training seminars and supervision meetings are made in response to this shared information.

While our training program is calibrated each year to fit the specific and evolving needs of each training class, the basic components of training offered and the model of training to which we adhere remain consistent each year. Current literature and professional standards inform our supervisory and training work. In meeting our primary goal of encouraging and assisting interns in their development toward becoming highly responsible, ethical, and competent entry level psychologists, we provide training in the following skill domains: Clinical Services, Consultation and Outreach Services, Workshops, Professional Commitments and Responsibilities, Provision of Supervision, and Supervision and Professional Development. In each skill domain, several behavioral objectives are defined. It is expected that as the year progresses interns move towards increasing independent practice and by the end of the internship year it is expected that interns function as competent entry-level professionals.

References:

Belar, C.D., and Perry, N.W. (1992). The National Conference on Scientist-Practitioner Education and Training for the Professional Practice of Psychology, American Psychologist , 47, 71-75.

Peterson, D.R. (1995). The reflective educator. American Psychologist, 50, 975-983.

Stricker, G. and Trierweiler, S. (1995). The Local Clinical Scientist. American Psychologist , 50 (12), 995-1002.

THE UNIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY: [more info]

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866 as a land-grant institution, has an enrollment of approximately 11,000 undergraduates and 2,000 graduate students.

The University of New Hampshire is located in Durham, NH, with a population of 10,000. UNH is a major educational institution in New Hampshire and is committed to offering excellent educational programs and opportunities for its students. The campus, 188 acres in size, is surrounded by more than 3,000 acres of fields, farms and woodlands that are great for hiking, jogging and cross-country skiing. The University also offers fine athletic facilities and the Paul Creative Arts Center with two theaters and two art galleries.

The beaches of New Hampshire and Maine, the White Mountains and Boston, MA are within 20 to 60 minutes driving time. Several towns rich with history, ethnic restaurants, craft shows, theater, seasonal outdoor performances and festivals are accessible by bus.

The University of New Hampshire recognizes multicultural community as vital to our mission of achieving educational excellence, and embraces human and intellectual diversity as conditions for development and learning.

Minority employees who thrive at UNH value small town culture with close proximity to metropolitan cities, easy access to nature, and are comfortable working in low-density minority populations.

THE CENTER: [more info]

The Counseling Center is within the Division of Academic Affairs and reports to the office of the Vice President for Student and Academic Services. The Center is the primary mental health facility on campus. It offers a variety of services that are designed to enhance the student's ability to fully benefit from the university environment and academic experience. This includes providing counseling and therapy for students who may be experiencing situational or ongoing psychological difficulties, providing programming to meet the developmental needs of the student population, and encouraging a university atmosphere conducive to personal and intellectual growth and psychological well-being.

The Counseling Center is located on the first floor of Schofield House. The offices are comfortably furnished, and the Center presents a welcoming atmosphere. The Counseling Center has a small building adjacent to Schofield House that is used for assessment, psychiatric consultation, group therapy, and meetings. The Center maintains a small library of professional literature for use by the staff. Interns are also encouraged to use the Physician's Library and the Health Education Library located in the Health Services Building. Computers and videotaping equipment for recording sessions are located in each intern's office. Our Pre-doctoral Internship Program is fully accredited by the American Psychological Association. The Center is accredited by the International Association of Counseling Services, Inc. (IACS) and is a member of the Association of Psychology Internship Centers (APPIC). The Center adheres to the procedures established by APPIC for the recruitment and selection of graduate interns.

INTERNSHIP PROGRAM:

Our program is based on an apprenticeship model of intern training in which staff and interns work collaboratively. The supervisor/mentor serves to facilitate the learning of clinical and therapeutic skills, and advancement in psychology as a profession. During the early weeks of internship, interns and supervisors share tasks such as intake and emergency coverage, with interns assuming more responsibility and autonomy, as they are ready. Shared activities over the course of the year, may include co-therapy and co-facilitating seminars and workshops.

SERVICE ACTIVITIES: [more info]

Individual Counseling : Interns are expected to carry an individual client caseload of 15 client hours per week throughout the academic year. Interns work with both short‑term and longer‑term psychotherapy clients.

Intake : Interns begin by observing staff during intake sessions in order to familiarize themselves with the procedure. Interns are then included in the intake interview rotation (approximately three hours per week).

Crisis Intervention and On-Call : Interns observe and accompany senior staff on emergency duty one hour per week for the first few weeks of the fall term and eventually join the rotation with staff back‑up.

Groups : Interns lead a semi-structured, support and/or therapy group with staff members or other interns during the fall and spring semesters. This involves a minimum weekly commitment of one and one-half hours.

Outreach and Consultation : Each semester interns develop and present six workshops for campus offices or classes. Interns negotiate a yearlong consultative relationship with at least one campus agency and design and implement a consultation project with a segment of the campus population. Interns are encouraged to explore a range of possibilities and may participate in one of the Center's ongoing projects or initiate their own projects. Interns spend considerable time during the summer months completing their consultation projects.

Testing and Assessment : In response to clinical needs, interests, and skill levels, interns will use assessment tools appropriate for assessing learning disabilities and receive individual supervision. Interns will complete 2-3 batteries each academic semester. Their work may include completing write-ups and providing feedback to the client and possibly to other involved parties or offices. Interns spend a minimum of 2.5 hours per week during the second semester completing testing and assessments.

Peer Supervision: On a rotational basis, interns will present cases and other interns will provide supervision on those cases. Prior to each supervision case conference, the intern who is presenting will give supervising interns and Supervisor of Supervision (SOS) a session tape. During the first hour of the supervision case conference, interns will discuss the case and supervise the intern clinician. For the second hour, SOS will help the group focus on supervision skills. Supervision will involve a 3-hour per week commitment.

TRAINING SEMINARS AND SUPERVISION:

Individual Case Supervision : Each semester interns are assigned to work with a senior staff member whose interests best match the intern's needs. The pair meets weekly for two hours of individual supervision, primarily around the intern's individual caseload. Interns also receive additional individual supervision for intake and on‑call coverage.

Supervision of Group Work : Senior staff members provide weekly supervision to examine issues of co‑leadership and group process.

Staff Case Conference: Interns and senior staff meet weekly for one hour to discuss cases .

Professional Seminars : Interns attend weekly two-hour professional training seminars designed to deal with issues specific to the university population and counseling center work. Topics include crisis management, consultation, assessment, multicultural counseling, relational therapies, planned short-term therapy, eating disorders, anxiety, group treatment, and professional development issues.

Staff Meetings : The interns attend a weekly one to two hour staff meeting. At times, these meetings combine business with in-service training for all staff.

Intern Group Meetings : The interns meet weekly for one hour with the Director of Training. The purposes of these meetings are varied, reflecting the needs of the interns, including: processing the internship experience, clinical issues and case conceptualizations, and administrative details.

Supervision of Assessment: Interns receive supervision throughout the assessment process and participate in a biweekly assessment seminar focusing on learning disabilities.

Supervision of Consultation: Interns receive supervision throughout their consultation project and participate in a biweekly seminar focusing on consultation.

Supervision of Supervision: Interns meet weekly for one hour per week to receive supervision of their peer supervision.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: [more info]

Research and Scholarly Inquiry : Interns' dissertation research is supported and encouraged. The Center is equipped with personal computers and is also hardwired to the University Computer Center for access to statistical packages. Interns may schedule up to 40 hours per week during breaks and 4 hours per week during the summer months to work on dissertation or other research. Additional opportunities come in the form of the Clinical Specialty Project . For the Clinical Specialty Project, each intern pursues extensive reading and study in an area of their choosing and receives supervision throughout the Summer Session with a focus on integrating this learning with clinical experience.

Professional Involvement : Interns are encouraged to become involved in professional organizations on local, state and national levels, including attendance at conferences and presentations of papers.

AVERAGE WEEKLY TIME SCHEDULE: [more info]

Service Activities
- Individual Therapy 15-16
- Crisis Intervention 1
- Intake and Assessment 3
- Group Therapy 1.5
- Outreach/Consultation/Workshops 2-3
- Testing 2-3
- Peer Supervision 1
Training Activities
- Individual Supervision 2
- Supervision of Group Work .5
- Intern Seminar 2-4
- Intern Group Meeting 1
- Staff Case Conference 1
- Assessment Supervision .5
- Consultation Supervision .5
- Supervision of Supervision 1
Professional Activities
- Staff Meetings and Administrative Responsibilities 6

TOTAL 40*

* Given the nature of the academic calendar and the ensuing demands upon university counseling centers, total number of hours per week will vary. In addition, mid autumn and Spring Semester are usually very busy times and interns along with senior staff, may work more than their contracted hours. However, winter and spring break and the summer session are less demanding times for the center and interns have more flexibility for scheduling professional development activities, and vacations. During the summer months clinical demand decreases significantly and more time is available for consultation and outreach, and scholarly work/dissertation research.

THE STAFF: [more info]

COUNSELING STAFF

The counseling staff is characterized by a diversity of background, training, theoretical orientation and special interests. This diversity brings richness to the professional exchange that is an important component for staff members on a formal and informal basis. The staff actively participates in planning and delivery of services, weekly staff meetings, weekly professional development seminars and occasional day‑long planning sessions.

Paul Cody, Ph.D. : Paul's life, both personally and professionally, is based upon an integration of Eastern and Western systems of knowledge. As a psychologist, his theoretical orientation is humanistic-transpersonal, with therapy's work occurring on many levels (metaphor, cognitive-behavioral, and relational). He enjoys working with as great a diversity of clients and their problems as possible; his area of specialty is in issues of sexual orientation.

David Cross, Ph.D. : As Director, David's interests center on outreach, consultation, and crisis intervention especially suicide assessment and prevention. Clinically, David's theoretical orientation is humanistic and relational with psychodynamic influence. Sports Psychology is a special interest of David's especially clinical issues that affect an athlete's performance on and off the field.

Joy Roddy Downs, Ph.D. : Joy greatly enjoys clinical work in all of its forms: individuals, groups and especially couples. She has focused on a variety of issues related to growing up in less-than-optimal family environments. Currently she is most excited about Planned Short-Term Therapy, and does considerable training and supervision in this area. Her theoretical orientation is best described as eclectic, with a strong appreciation of psychodynamic and family systems approaches.

Thomas Dubois, Ph.D. : Tom works with individuals, couples and groups within a psychodynamic, humanistic-behavioral and gestalt-oriented framework, often using altered states/meditation in helping clients to establish internal boundaries and increase self-awareness. He is interested in the connections that exist between psychology, spirituality and our understanding of consciousness, and he is concerned with civil rights and issues of oppression.

Susanna Gallor, Ph.D. : Susanna's counseling approach is predominantly humanistic and interpersonal, but she also draws from feminist and cognitive-behavioral approaches. She has worked with undergraduate and graduate students who struggled with a wide range of issues, including stress and anxiety, depression, grief and loss, eating concerns, academic and career concerns, relationship concerns, and family-of-origin concerns. She has a special interest in issues related to identity development, coming out and LGBT-related experiences/concerns, and cultural diversity.

Linda Guttman, Psy.D. : Linda's clinical work integrates several psychodynamic and relational models; she specializes in women's issues and works with clients who have eating concerns and trauma histories. She consults with the Sexual Harassment and Rape Prevention Program and the UNH Women's Commission.

Tricia Hanley, Ph.D. : Tricia enjoys the diversity of tasks and people she encounters as the Director of Training at the UNH Counseling Center. Her clinical and supervisory work is strongly influenced by psychodynamic, relational, and feminist theories. Tricia's special interests include women's issues, grief and loss, and spirituality. She is a consultant to Health Services and the Sexual Harassment and Rape Prevention Program (SHARPP).

Edith Posselt, Ed.D. : Edie comes to the UNH Counseling Center with a background in community mental health and school psychology as well as experience in counseling and testing both children and adults. She trains and supervises interns in psychological testing and has developed a concentration in the area of eating disorders and behavioral medicine. In her clinical work she draws from feminist and psychodynamic as well as cognitive behavioral theories. She is sensitive to the individual differences of her clients, and has an abiding respect and belief in resiliency and the individual's ability to grow and change.

SUPPORT STAFF

Ellen Chartrand - Receptionist/Asst to Clinical Director
Rochelle Clark - Admin Asst/ Asst to Training Director
Stephanie Higgs- Office Manager/ Asst to Director/Webmaster

CONSULTING PSYCHIATRIST

Ken Cohen, M.D.

CONSULTANTS TO THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

Victoria Banyard, Ph.D.
Kathleen Grace Bishop, M.A., A.C.E.S.
Mary Jo Martin, Ph.D.
Donna Melillo, Ph.D.
Brian Miller, L.A.D.C.
Debra Bergeron, Psy.D., ATR-BC
Linda Zollo, Ph.D.

COMPENSATION: [more info]

STIPEND and BENEFITS: The internship is a full-time, 12-month, and carries a minimum stipend of $25,800 and begins August 23, 2010. Interns receive a benefit package including medical, dental and liability insurance. Interns receive a staff identification card giving them access to the University library and cultural events and the opportunity to purchase a parking sticker and a recreation pass. Professional liability insurance, dissertation privileges and library and computer access are also provided. Interns have ten days of vacation leave, sick leave, and liberal professional development time.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE: [more info]

The deadline for receipt of all application materials is November 11, 2009.
Applicants must be enrolled in a doctoral program in counseling or clinical psychology, and must have a minimum of 500 direct client hours and 1000 total practicum hours by the start of internship. Candidates should have experience at a University or College Counseling Center or equivalent experience with a young adult population. Also, we ask that candidate's comprehensive exams or task be passed and dissertation proposal approved by the ranking deadline.

A completed APPIC Application for Psychology Internship (AAPI, www.aapic.org) will include:
- Cover letter- in your cover letter please speak directly to your short-term and long-term career goals and why you think that our program is an good match with your specific goals for internship and your areas of competencies
- Current vita
- Official transcripts for all graduate work
- Three letters of recommendation, at least two from supervisors familiar with your more recent clinical work

All finalists will be contacted to arrange an interview. Information obtained through the written application materials and interviews with staff and interns will be used to determine the final selections. In addition, all offers of internship positions are contingent on receipt of a satisfactory background check.

The University of New Hampshire is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access/Affirmative Action institution.The University seeks excellence through diversity among its administrators, faculty, staff, and students. The university prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status, or marital status. Application by members of all underrepresented groups is encouraged . The University of New Hampshire Counseling Center adheres to the procedures established by the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers. This internship site agrees to abide by the APPIC Policy that no person at this training facility will solicit, accept, or use any ranking-related information from any intern applicant prior to Uniform Notification Day. Minority employees who thrive at UNH value small town culture with close proximity to metropolitan cities, easy access to nature, and are comfortable working in low-density minority populations.

You can find additional information about the Counseling Center and the University of New Hampshire at the following Internet address: http://www.unhcc.unh.edu

For questions regarding accreditation, please contact the American Psychological Association, 750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242, (202) 336-5979.