Interns develop skills in conceptualization, treatment planning, diagnosis, treatment provision, outreach planning and facilitation, self-reflection, and professionalism by actively participating in at least 4 hours of supervision per week and at least 2 hours of didactic training.

Clinical Supervision

Primary Individual Supervision

Primary supervision of interns by a licensed psychologist is conducted on an individual, face-to-face basis for a minimum of 2 hours per week.  The role of the primary supervisor is to provide oversight of supervisees’ clinical caseloads and to aid supervisees in the development of clinical skills.  This includes signing off on all clinical documentation, reviewing and providing feedback on videotaped sessions, providing mentorship in the development of a professional identity, assisting in the development of a solid theoretical orientation, providing ongoing evaluation and feedback, and creating a safe, supportive environment in which to examine biases, privilege, intersecting identities, and ethical concerns.

Secondary Supervision

All interns receive one hour of individual, biweekly secondary supervision by a licensed mental health provider.  Specialty areas have set supervisors who have specialized knowledge and training in particular areas of practice, and are licensed and/or certified in their area of mental health practice (e.g., psychology, counseling, addictions).  Interns who choose to forego a specialization area in lieu of a more generalist training experience receive secondary supervision from a licensed mental health provider in alignment with the interns’ training goals (e.g., public speaking, leadership, behavioral intervention).

Group Supervision

Group supervision is held for 1 hour each week and provides an opportunity for interns to discuss ongoing cases, clinical issues, and professional development concerns, as well as any issues occurring within the UCC.  These meetings are led by the Training Director and Training Coordinator.  Interns are expected to present client cases regularly to peers using brief video clips of therapy sessions to obtain feedback.

Special Topics Supervision

Interns meet weekly for one hour of group supervision that rotates to focus on the following topics: assessment, outreach, group therapy, and additional areas of clinical focus as needed. During the summer, these special topics supervision meetings are reduced to twice per month and rotate among topics focused on projects and tasks interns are completing as internship comes to an end.  These sessions will be led by UCC staff with specific knowledge and expertise in each of these areas.

Supervision of Supervision

During the spring semester, supervision of supervision focuses on interns’ experiences acting as a supervisor to a master’s counseling intern or doctoral practicum trainee. During supervision of supervision, interns discuss their experience as a supervisor, learn skills for managing issues that arise in supervision, and review videotapes of their work with their supervisees. Supervision meetings focused on supervision of supervision are consistently led by a UCC staff member with training in the provision of supervision.

Supervision of Group Therapy

Interns receive a half-hour of supervision of group therapy per week from the staff member they are co-facilitating group with.  In the case of two interns facilitating a group together, a half-hour of weekly supervision of group therapy will be provided by the Group Coordinator and consultation will be available regularly as needed.  The supervision is used to process the group experience, plan for future sessions, and develop interns’ skills in group facilitation.

Evaluation

The WFUCC Psychology Internship requires that interns demonstrate minimum levels of achievement across all training competencies and elements. Interns are formally evaluated by their primary supervisor with input from other supervisors who have worked with the intern three times annually: December, March, and July. Evaluations are conducted using a standard rating form that includes information about the interns’ performance regarding all of the WFU Counseling Center Psychology Internship expected training elements. Supervisors are expected to review these evaluations with the interns and provide an opportunity for discussion if the intern has questions or concerns about the feedback.

Consultation Meetings

Clinical Staff Meetings

Interns are required to attend the clinical staff meeting that follows the general staff meeting each week.  This meeting uses a staff consultation approach with clinicians bringing forward cases for consultation or that they would like others to be aware of in case the client is seen by another clinician in crisis.  Interns are encouraged to contribute to the discussion by offering feedback to staff members or by discussing their own cases.

Clinical Consultation Meetings

Interns attend consultation meetings with the Learning Assistance Center/ Disability Services (LAC), campus psychiatry, and Student Health Services (SHS) to observe and participate in consultation about clients with multidisciplinary staff on campus.  Interns are encouraged to discuss clients they are working with who are receiving services elsewhere on campus or who would benefit from a referral. As the training year progresses and interns’ caseloads are heavier, they may opt out of attending these meetings unless they have clients to consult about.

Informal Consultation

The UCC believes in an open-door policy for consultation and encourages interns to informally consult with various UCC clinical staff members as needed.  Interns may also contact colleagues in the LAC and SHS between formal consultation meetings to discuss a mutual client when needed.

Seminars

Intern Training Seminar

Interns attend a weekly 1-hour seminar presented by various UCC staff members, as well as campus partners with specific expertise on the designated topic. Seminar topics address multicultural competence, ethics, assessment, different treatment models and techniques, issues prevalent in a college population, and professional identity development. A sample of the didactics that will be provided during the 2020-2021 training year include:

  • Suicide Risk Assessment
  • Social Justice Considerations in Counseling Center Work
  • Eating Disorder Assessment and Treatment
  • Substance Abuse Assessment and Treatment
  • Working with First Generation Students
  • Working with LGBTQ+ Students
  • Working with Survivors of Sexual Assault on College Campuses
  • Increasing Competency in Working with International Students
  • Use of Mindfulness in Therapy

Supervision Seminar

During the fall semester, interns attend supervision seminar for one hour biweekly to review supervision theories and models, discuss supervision dynamics, and learn methods for providing multicultural supervision in preparation for taking on the role of supervisor to a master’s counseling intern or doctoral practicum trainee during the spring semester.  Interns also attend any staff-wide trainings or webinars on the topic of supervision. Supervision seminar meetings are consistently led by a UCC staff member with training in the provision of supervision.

Diversity Seminar

Interns attend the diversity seminar for one hour biweekly. At the beginning of the internship year interns’ multicultural competence will be assessed so the goals of this seminar can be tailored to specific intern needs. Activities of this seminar may include exploration of own identities and areas of privilege, discussion of biases, discrimination of all forms, systems of oppression, and social justice in action, and participation in self-care surrounding interns’ own marginalized identities. Interns are assigned articles and books to read in preparation for discussion and are encouraged to be open, vulnerable, and lean into the inherent discomfort that comes along with exploring challenging topics and engaging in difficult conversations.  This seminar is led consistently by a UCC staff member with knowledge and understanding of the topic. Guest speakers may occasionally lead these meetings.

In-Service Trainings

Interns are expected to attend weekly in-service trainings with the entire UCC clinical staff.  An average of once per month these trainings are devoted to Diversity Dialogues, during which staff members have the opportunity to share reactions to readings or videos about a specific diverse population, discuss biases and beliefs that may impact work with particular individuals, and develop knowledge, skills, and awareness that enhance effectiveness in working with diverse students.  Other training topics may include clinical case presentations by staff members, meeting colleagues across campus and learning more about their departments and specific roles, and training on specific treatment techniques from community providers.  Interns will have the opportunity to suggest specific topics of interest for in-service trainings.

Staff Professional Development Activities

Interns have the opportunity to participate in continuing education activities designed for the UCC staff. Such trainings might include a full or half day workshop on working with a specific population (e.g., International students, transgender students), as well as presentations by other mental health providers in the community on their areas of expertise or the services they offer.  Additionally, there are regular opportunities for professional development offered through the University’s Professional Development Center (PDC), including workshops on public speaking/group facilitation, diversity and inclusion, and leadership.  In keeping with the University’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, two-day institutes on social and racial justice are open for staff members and interns to attend when they are offered.