Predoctoral Internship
Training Philosophy and Goals
The internship year is a time for professional integration. As a training program our primary goal is to provide opportunities that will help develop highly ethical, culturally sensitive, and clinically competent pre-doctoral interns as they prepare for an entry level psychologist position. To reach this goal, we hope to provide a safe learning environment that encourages interaction, risk taking, honest self-appraisal, collaboration and team work. Our program offers a variety of clinical, supervisory, consultative, and administrative experiences that are further intended to provide a clear picture of what it is like to work as a staff psychologist in a University Counseling Center.
In keeping with our training philosophy and goals, our internship program operates from an Apprenticeship Model which emphasizes experiential learning and mentorship. Experiential learning, or “learning by doing”, encourages interns to participate in the varied duties of a staff psychologist including individual therapy, group therapy, outreach, consultation, supervision, intakes, crisis, and administrative committees. We consider both the interns’ goals for their training and their developmental needs in order meet the optimal balance of support and challenge.
The central training objective is that the intern complete his/her internship with knowledge, confidence and competence in the following areas of clinical practice.
short-term therapy
group counseling
awareness and appreciation of human diversity
professional ethics and decision making
clinical assessment
crisis intervention
clinical supervision
outreach and consultation
Our internship program is structured to provide training in the above mentioned core areas. All senior staff are involved in the training of interns via teaching, supervision and mentoring.
The evaluation process is an essential component of the training program. Interns are formally evaluated and given feedback twice a year regarding their overall performance as an intern and their progress as a clinician. Twice a year interns evaluate the training program as well as formally evaluate and give feedback to their supervisors.
The month of August is dedicated to orientation, clinical training, team building and facilitating the intern's transition to USC and the Los Angeles area. Typical orientation activities include a full staff retreat, lunch tours, diversity training, introduction to therapeutic issues related to college mental health, campus introductions and consultation projects.
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