Graduate Student Practica
Most students in clinical and counseling Master’s and Ph.D. programs must complete several hours of approved practicum training prior to internship. The Psychological and Counseling Center provides the opportunity for Middle-Tennessee graduate students in the field of psychology to fulfill their practicum requirements.
The Training Philosophy of the Vanderbilt Psychological and Counseling Center
The Psychological and Counseling Center is a multi-faceted facility serving Vanderbilt University students, staff, and their dependents. The practicum positions at the Center are designed to provide intensive, individualized, professional training experiences in the varied activities carried out by psychologists in an innovative, service-oriented university counseling center. Our program provides training in short and long term individual and group psychotherapy, couples counseling, diagnostic interviewing, crisis intervention, career counseling, outreach and consultation, program development and supervision. Since each practicum student brings a variety of skills to the Center, we believe that it is important that training in the above areas be tailored to the needs of each. A unique aspect of our program is a shared commitment, on the part of the staff, to interpersonal conceptualization and theory. However, staff members utilize interventions from a variety of other theoretical orientations, including cognitive-behavioral, feminist, and humanistic. Thus, a practicum student has the opportunity to master a psychodynamic approach to therapy while at the same time developing his or her own individual therapeutic style.
Supervision
Special emphasis is placed on supervision during the practicum year. All practicum students are assigned to a psychologist with experience in direct client service as well as training and supervision. Students meet with his/her individual supervisor for an hour a week for individual supervision. In addition to the individual supervision, group supervision is offered for group therapy, family therapy, child and adolescent therapy, and eating issues/body image issues.
Clientele
Primarily adult (~ 40% male and 60% female) clients connected to the university; modal severity of client problems is moderate; ideal for sustained psychotherapeutic effort.
Diversity Issues
The staff of the Counseling Center is committed to the affirmation of diversity. Our practicum program will cover issues of diversity in the didactic training experiences offered as well as in clinical practice. Practicum students are provided with exposure to clients of differing ethnicities, cultures, sexual orientations, socioeconomic backgrounds, religious backgrounds, ages, genders, and abilities.