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• Virginia Tech Home
• Division of Student Affairs
• Cook Counseling Center
• CCC's Doctoral Internship in Counseling and Clinical Psychology

The Training Program

The internship 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 as well as demonstrate competency in the associated content areas:.

• Psychotherapy Seminar: 1.5 hours Biweekly (Fall and Spring)

  The Psychotherapy Seminar is designed to provide trainees with an organized, in-depth and developmentally appropriate learning opportunity. 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 required.

• Diversity Seminar : Biweekly  (Fall and Spring)
  
  Interns meet approximately biweekly during the semester for presentations and discussions of multicultural issues salient to working with students in the University environment. The seminars are alternated with multiculturally focused case conference.

• Research Seminar: 1 hour per month (Fall and Spring)

This seminar will develop skills in conducting applied research in the field of psychology and in consulting within and outside the university community.  Interns develop an original research project under the supervision of a staff psychologist. Research time is also allotted for dissertation research.

• Group Supervision and Professional Development :  2 Hours Weekly (Fall, Spring, Summer)

This weekly meeting includes the interns and the Training Director. The session utilizes readings, experiential exercises, case presentations, 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.

• Individual Clinical Supervision: 3 Hours per Week, (Fall, Spring, Summer)

Interns receive weekly individual supervision from a primary (2 hours) and a secondary supervisor (1 hour) supervisor. Primary supervisors are licensed clinical psychologists in Virginia. Primary and secondary supervisors change at the halfway point of the internship. Interns are encouraged to work with as many senior staff as possible. Individual supervision utilizes audio and video recording, and live observation to focus on the development of the intern's clinical skills.

• Supervision of Supervision Seminar: 1 hour per week (Fall and Spring)

Interns focus on building supervision skills utilizing a planned and sequenced training syllabus. Seminar includes discussion of readings and issues pertaining to supervision of practicum trainees.

• Psychological Assessment Seminar: 1 hour Biweekly (Fall, Spring, Summer)

Intern psychological reports are reviewed and discussed utilizing a planned and sequenced training syllabus. A minimum of four targeted psychological evaluations during the training year is required. At least one report must be on an individual from an individually or culturally diverse background.

• Group Therapy Seminar: 1.5 hours per week (Fall and Spring)

Interns and senior staff participate in weekly group supervision of ongoing process and psychoeducational group experiences.

• Consultation and Outreach Seminar: 1 hour biweekly (Fall Semester) / 1 hour monthly (Spring Semester)

                Interns obtain didactic information as well as experiential
                training in outreach and consultation to the university
                community

• Summer Consultation Rotation: 8-10 hours weekly (Summer sessions)

Interns supplement their work at the Cook Counseling Center with consultation services during the summer months.  Opportunities for consultation may include, but are not limited to, work with the VT Women’s Center, the Psychological Services Center, the VT Athletic department, the Cranwell International Center, or the VT Multicultural Center.  The nature of the consultation may vary with the needs of the intern and the external organization. For example, one intern may elect to provide clinical service (e.g., psychotherapy with student athletes, clinical supervision of psychology students at the PSC) while another may pursue academic or other scholarly endeavors (e.g., teaching a course, developing a training manual).  The intern is responsible for working with the training director to establish the terms of the consultation relationship.  Approximately 8-10 hours per week is expected for this consultation experience.