Clinical Internship

After your first and second summer, you’ll spend September through April in your clinical internship. During the internship period, you are expected to spend three days each week in agency-based clinical practice. For those with private practices, two days of agency-based practice are required; one day of private practice may augment the two-day placement.

Internship Placement 

You may elect to develop your work-study internships within your place of employment. These work-study internships serve as the two-year training site. You may also develop a fellowship opportunity at a training center or affiliate with agencies around the country or internationally.

Whatever type of internship you choose, considerable responsibility for proposing and developing it rests with you. The program directors are available to consult with you about potential internship plans during the application process. Because you will propose and develop your own internship plan, applications can be considered from any part of the United States or Canada (and occasionally by special arrangement from other nations as well) where a viable plan of off-campus study can be developed. The final decision about the educational viability of your proposed clinical internship plan rests with the School.

Guidelines for developing a clinical internship proposal are part of the application package for admission to the program.

Expectations 

You will be expected to see eight to twelve study cases weekly in individual practice and engage in a minimum of two hours of clinical supervision. Additionally, you must participate in seminars and training opportunities within and beyond your agencies.

Throughout your internship you will intensively study clinical processes and apply advanced psychological and social theories to the individuals, groups and families with whom you work. You will also have the opportunity to do guided research on clinical practice and to analyze and critique multiple theoretical perspectives as they relate to clinical assessments and interventions.

Advising 

There is a well-developed system of individualized advising to assist you in meeting the goals of clinical internships, examinations and research requirements of the program. You will be mentored by faculty advisers who will visit your internship site twice annually to work with you in meeting the clinical requirements of the program. In addition, you will be supervised on research and scholarly requirements by an assigned faculty research adviser.

Reporting 

In both of your clinical internships, regular reporting to the School is required. Written assignments in the first year focus on research, on clinical practice and on preparing you for the oral and written clinical examinations at the end of the first year. Written assignments in the second year are geared toward reflecting on practice, theory and teaching.

Assessments 

Your clinical progress in the program is assessed through two examinations. At the end of the first internship, you must pass a clinical qualifying examination. This exam is both oral and written, and passing indicates readiness for the second internship. During the second internship, you will complete a comprehensive examination that integrates content from the curriculum leading to a manuscript of publication quality. The comprehensive examination topic may also serve as a foundation for your dissertation research.