Training Philosophy and Goals

UW Counseling Center
Pre-Doctoral Internship in Professional Psychology

2005-2006

*last updated: 06/04

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Training Philosophy

The pre-doctoral internship at the Counseling Center of the University of Washington can be defined as a Practitioner Model that is informed by psychological theory and research. This internship provides graduate students with a rich and varied learning experience that combines practice with science. The basis of our training program is developmental in nature and applies a graduated model of learning. The Counseling Center recruits students from scientist practitioner and scholar practitioner academic departments. These students come with the foundation of theoretical and research based knowledge and a readiness for intensive training in clinical practice. The primary focus of the internship training is to assist interns in integrating this academic foundation with professional practice. This is accomplished by facilitating professional learning and personal growth by means of supervised clinical experience, didactic seminars, continued exposure to psychological literature, and collegial interaction throughout the year.

Upon completion of the internship, the developing professional should have sufficient experience in a university counseling center and general psychotherapeutic practices to confidently and competently carry out the responsibilities of an entry level professional in a variety of settings. Our training is focused on the following general areas

Therapy/Related Skills and Professional Development:

Individual and couple counseling
Crisis intervention
Group counseling
Career counseling and assessment
Psychological testing
Ethics and legal issues related to psychology
Working with issues of diversity
Supervision

Consultation and Outreach

Consultation with faculty, staff, and community members
Outreach programming and psychoeducational workshops

The primary focus of the internship training is to assist interns in expanding their knowledge and increasing their expertise in counseling with a diverse student population. The training program is committed to providing interns with training in diversity. This training encompasses increasing awareness of different lifestyles (e.g. sexual orientation, physical challenge, nontraditional student age, etc.).

The program is dedicated to the enhancement of the ethical and professional development of interns. Interns are encouraged to make professional contributions in staff case conferences, seminars, and outreach presentations.

In accordance with the premise that individual change occurs within the context of significant human interaction, the supervisor-intern relationship is intended to be an important and necessary ingredient for the development of professional competence. Therefore, interns are provided with in-depth supervision.