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The Counseling Center

Statement of Purpose

The Counseling Center’s primary purpose is to assist clients to effectively define and attain personal, academic, and career goals. To accomplish this, the Counseling Center provides the following services to members of the Suffolk University community: individual and group counseling, psychological assessments, career exploration and testing, consultations, outreach programs, teaching, research, and the supervision and training of pre-doctoral interns. 

The Counseling Center is committed to providing an open and accepting environment in which all clients feel welcome and valued. Clients may bring any problem to Counseling Center psychologists who will either provide individual counseling and/or will make referrals to appropriate University offices or to mental health professionals/agencies. 

Accreditations

The Suffolk University Counseling Center has been accredited by the International Association of Counseling Services (IACS) since 1975. It has been a member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) since 1981. The Internship Program in Professional Psychology was originally accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) in 1995 and is accredited through 2010.

Staff

 The Counseling Center staff consists of six full-time licensed psychologists and three full-time doctoral interns (see Staff Listing and Staff Biographies). The Counseling Center is also affiliated with three consulting psychiatrists who collaborate with the staff in evaluating clients, prescribing medication, and assisting with emergency referrals and consultations.

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Description of Internship Training Program

Program Overview

 The APA-approved Internship in Professional Psychology includes supervised experiences and training activities provided in an atmosphere of dynamic personal and professional growth. The training program is specifically designed to offer a wide variety of opportunities to help interns begin functioning as autonomous professional psychologists. These opportunities include clinical service, consultation, outreach, training, administration, teaching, research, supervision, and professional development. Interns are strongly encouraged to pursue areas of individual interests in establishing their training program. Each supervisor is a full-time licensed psychologist.

Educational Philosophy

The Counseling Center provides comprehensive counseling services to students, faculty, and staff of the University community. Its role on campus is unique because of the Center’s ability to provide high quality clinical services, career exploration and testing, consultation, outreach, teaching, and research activities, while also administering an accredited pre-doctoral internship program. 

The Center maintains a focus on health rather than on pathology. In meeting the goal of helping clients function more effectively within the University environment, it is assumed that growth is an ongoing process and that many changes occur outside of the therapeutic relationship. The counseling process is viewed within the larger context of a person’s total life experience. Clients are regarded as functional individuals who have problems, with a strong emphasis placed on their resilience, strengths, and resources when resolving issues brought to the therapeutic relationship.

This health perspective is incorporated into the internship training program and is representative of the manner in which interns are selected and trained. In addition, a developmental/systems perspective is central to the training program and is emphasized when providing clinical and consultative services at individual, group, and community levels within the university.

The Counseling Center is committed to creating and maintaining a welcoming and supportive environment that affirms the University’s multicultural community. The staff believes that each clinician or consultant has the responsibility to respond effectively to an increasingly diverse client population. Every effort is made to maintain a staff and to select interns that represent various backgrounds and perspectives (See Commitment to Multicultural Competence). 

Training Model

The Internship Program in Professional Psychology emphasizes the integration of clinical practice with scientific inquiry, using the Scientist-Practitioner model (Ellis, 1992)1 at its core, enacting it with a commitment to developing interns as "local clinical scientists" (Stricker and Trierweiler, 1995)2. The "local" focus of the training model reinforces the critical importance of translating and applying empirical scientific work to the realities of the particular context in which therapy is provided, or in this case a university setting. Staff members make every effort to stay abreast of the current empirical and theoretical literature and to incorporate this literature into teaching, training, and clinical practice initiatives. Interns are taught empirically based treatment approaches during the Brief Therapies Seminar and staff members place a high value on critical thinking skills in the evaluation and integration of information.

Using the Practitioner-Scholar model to set and balance priorities, the Internship Program in Professional Psychology is based on a developmental/mentoring/systemic perspective with the goal of training competent and ethical generalist psychologists who are able to function effectively in a university counseling center setting. In this model, training for professional competence occurs through direct experience in providing comprehensive counseling services under the supervision of a senior staff member. 

The developmental component of the training model addresses the expectation that interns begin the year with an advanced graduate student level of basic skills and knowledge upon which to build, modify, and expand throughout the internship year. To enhance this developmental process, the internship program provides graduated learning opportunities whereby interns are expected to function with an increasingly higher level of autonomy, skill and responsibility as the year progresses. Interns are provided with guidance and support as they move through the developmental transitions from student/learner in the classroom, to learner/practitioner in the field, and to entry-level professional psychologist. The supervisory relationship and mentoring offered by staff members form the secure base from which interns can grow and develop. These relationships help to foster the integration of counseling and consulting skills with the underlying theory, research, and scientific content that leads to a high standard of professional practice. 

The mentoring component of the training model defines the atmosphere in which training takes place. The internship program attempts to foster a welcoming environment in which supportive relationships are formed between senior staff and the interns. Staff members uniformly believe that, with the support and encouragement of a professional mentor, interns can best expand their clinical, educational, and professional knowledge, become socialized into the profession, and increase the depth and complexity of their thinking about clients, self, and professional issues.

The final component of the model is the emphasis placed on viewing the individual as part of a larger system. Staff members continually examine issues within the context of a multi-system perspective. Interns are encouraged to incorporate an understanding of how various systems may impact on the delivery and management of counseling services.

[1] Ellis, H. C. "Graduate Education in Psychology: Past, Present, and Future," American Psychologist, April 1992, 570-576. return to text

[2] Stricker, G. and Trierweiler, St. "The Local Clinical Scientist: A Bridge between Science and Practice", American Psychologist, 1995, Vol. 50, No. 12, 995-1002. return to text

General Goals

The Training Program is designed to develop, broaden, and consolidate interns’ perspectives and skills as psychologists. The Training Program is organized to provide an open and stimulating learning environment where interns can maximize their potential in the following ways: 

1. Acquire and develop a comprehensive conceptual framework for the provision of psychological services in a university setting, using developmental and multi-modal approaches; 

2. Refine and expand clinical skills with special attention to brief therapies and to multicultural competence; 

3. Gain a comprehensive overview of priorities, goals, legal statutes, and requirements for professional practice in a university setting; 

4. Integrate and consolidate personal and professional identity as psychologists, with an emphasis on the power of authenticity.

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Competencies

The goal of the training program is to promote the development of skills and competencies required for entry-level professional practice as generalist psychologists, with a focus on developing skills specific to servicing a university community. The training program is designed to develop competencies in five primary areas: clinical services; outreach, training, and consultative services (OTC); legal, ethical, administrative, and professional issues (LEAP); multicultural competence (MCC); and supervision skills and services (SOS). The five areas of competency are briefly described below. 

1. Clinical Services

Goal: Interns are able to plan and deliver high quality direct and indirect clinical services in a university setting.

The primary clinical service activity for interns is the provision of individual counseling to students at the University. Interns carry a caseload of 15 to 17 clients who represent a broad range of presenting concerns and severity of problems. A primary focus of supervised training is the development and improvement of intake and assessment skills, case conceptualizations, relationship skills, and individual and group intervention skills. In addition, training focuses on treatment planning, career exploration and vocational testing, crisis intervention, and appropriate use of referral resources and professional consultation.

Interns’ assessment skills are enhanced by reviewing differential diagnoses using case-based criteria/examples and selected readings throughout the training year. They are also taught how to administer, score, and interpret the Center’s standard screening instrument, Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms (CAPPS, University of Michigan), as well as vocational inventories such as the Strong Interest Survey and the Myers-Briggs Personality Inventory. 

Interns acquire knowledge and skills through a variety of training initiatives including the Empirically Supported Treatments (ESTs) seminar, as well as in their weekly individual supervision sessions and by participation in case conferences.  The seminar includes a focus on the use of different assessment measures, development and documentation of treatment plans, selection and implementation of clinical interventions, and the effective management of the termination process.  Short-term dialectical behavior therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy are emphasized during the ESTs training seminars.  However, they are only two of the numerous theoretical approaches supported and used by the Center staff.  Skill development in the provision of long-term therapy is also supported by the inclusion of several long-term treatment cases in each intern’s case-load.  In addition, interns receive training focused on crisis assessment and management during their orientation period.  They are also closely supervised as they serve their four-hour weekly rotation of emergency coverage.

Interns’ clinical skills and knowledge are assessed regularly by supervisors and by staff members involved in the EST’s Seminar and in case conferences. Verbal feedback is provided to interns via supervision on a regular basis. Formal reviews take place twice a year, resulting in written evaluations that interns and supervisors review together. 

2. Outreach, Training, and Consultation (OTC)

Goal: Interns are able to plan and deliver high quality outreach, training and consultation services to a University community.

The principal purpose of the Outreach, Training, and Consultation (OTC) program is to offer a voluntary, time-limited, and resolution-focused service to individuals and groups within the university community.

The OTC Program consists of three types of activities: 

Outreach activities involve group presentations that describe the services of the Counseling Center and that acquaint members of these groups with Center staff. Outreach also may involve providing information to the campus community through the media and through general or specific flyers and brochures.

Training activities involve workshops and other psycho-educational programs that are topic-focused and provide prevention and developmental interventions either to the campus community at large or to specific groups, organizations, offices, or academic courses that request such a program. Training activities may be designed and delivered by Counseling Center staff or by a collaborative effort between the Counseling Center and a sponsoring campus group. 

Consultation activities involve the formation of relationships with client systems on campus for the purpose of ongoing assistance in assessing needs, identifying goals, planning and completing projects, and solving problems. These activities may include direct interventions or collaboration by the Counseling Center staff; indirect interventions, such as management coaching, personal goal setting and problem solving; or serving as a sounding-board or feedback resource. 

In helping interns develop professional skills and a professional identity, the staff of the Counseling Center believes that learning about and providing indirect and preventative services is as important as learning about and providing direct clinical interventions. Interns are informed about the emphasis of outreach, training, and consultation programs during their initial orientation. During the year, each intern is given ample opportunities to shadow and observe senior staff involved in OTC activities. Interns also work with senior staff members in co-designing and co-delivering OTC services, where appropriate. Finally, each intern is observed by a senior staff member at least twice during the year as they facilitate an OTC program. 

During the year, each intern completes an outreach project, a training project, and a consultation project of their own. These projects are determined by the needs of the campus community and the skills and interests of the interns involved. The interns are supported by a weekly Consultation Seminar that is both didactic and supervisory and by formal and informal supervision of their projects by a designated staff member. For each project, interns complete the OTC Initial Contact Form and the OTC Summary Form. Whenever possible, participants in OTC activities provide feedback on a standard OTC Group Participants Evaluation Form. All these records, including copies of handouts, are kept for supervisory purposes as well as for the planning of future interventions. 

Intern competencies involving OTC activities are assessed regularly by supervisors and by the staff member convening the Consultation Seminar. In addition, participant reactions, mid-year and year-end Intern Evaluations, and case-based assessment forms provide information about interns’ competencies, growth and development. 

3. Legal, Ethical, Administrative and Professional Issues (LEAP)

Goal: Interns are able to demonstrate knowledge of legal, ethical, administrative, and professional issues which are relevant to their development as entry-level psychologists.

Ethical training as a principal means of ensuring professional competency is a critical component of the training program. It is woven into each of the training and supervisory components of the internship program and is specifically addressed in the activities and initiatives which are offered throughout the academic year as part of "Dialogues with the Director". 

Interns must demonstrate theoretical and practical knowledge and application of APA Guidelines, as well as other relevant professional guidelines for the practice of psychology. The Director provides interns with a comprehensive overview of how ethical guidelines and professional standards of practice apply to their conduct as psychologists in both university and college counseling centers, as well as in the context of individual professional practice. 

The LEAP training seminar imparts knowledge about legal, ethical and professional issues by means of case-focused discussions, seminar presentations, weekly reviews of clinical documentation by the Director, assigned readings and review of other professional materials, and attendance at professional development workshops, as well as through the intentional mentoring and role-modeling that takes place in the interactions between interns and supervisors. In addition to completing written self-evaluations twice yearly, including a focus on ethical training, interns are evaluated by their primary supervisors and by the Center Director regarding knowledge and adherence to ethical principles and training. Interns also participate in staff discussions of "clinical and ethical dilemmas" used by the Director as part of on-going in-service training for members of the staff of the Counseling Center. 

4. Multicultural Competence (MC)

Goal: Interns are able to function effectively in the delivery of comprehensive psychological services to a diverse college student population.

The training staff believes that in clinical, consultative, teaching, supervision, programming and all other areas of service and training, psychologists have the responsibility for interacting effectively with an increasingly diverse population. Such effectiveness necessitates a commitment to continual training, self-monitoring, peer supervision, and research. The striving for achievement of multicultural competence is necessary not only as psychologists, but also as members of the university and wider community.

A series of Multicultural Dialogues are conducted during the internship that provide intentional opportunities for provide intentional opportunities for interns to develop and maintain a personal awareness, knowledge base, and a repertoire of skills related to their multicultural competence as professionals. The Internship Program is committed to teaching and learning about diversity and multicultural competence in a positive, non-punitive educational context. 

Intern skills and knowledge involving Multicultural Competence are assessed regularly by supervisors and by staff members. In addition, informal comments from members of the campus community, midyear and year-end Intern Evaluations, provide information about interns’ competencies, growth and development.

5. Supervision Skills and Services (SOS)

Goal: Interns are able to provide high quality clinical supervision.

Interns are expected to become more knowledgeable regarding the professional, legal, and ethical issues related to the provision of supervision, as well as to begin developing identities as qualified and experienced supervisors. The Supervision Skills and Services seminar includes a didactic component during the fall semester and a year-long supervision group. Topics addressed during training include: theories and models of individual and group supervision and supervision of group co-leaders/trainees, developmental stages and experience levels of supervisees, fostering trust and safety in supervisory relationships, issues of diversity in training and supervision, and legal/ethical issues which impact on the provision of supervision in clinical and academic settings. Interns apply knowledge gained from didactic and supervisory sessions while supervising Masters level Educational Consultants from the Ballotti Learning Center, Resident Life Office and group co-facilitators from the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program.

Weekly group supervision is provided. Interns demonstrate the acquisition and use of supervisory skills by writing formal evaluations and by providing both oral and written feedback to their supervisees. Interns’ skills development is partially assessed by the review of audio/video-tapes of supervisory sessions. Verbal feedback by the seminar facilitator is provided on an ongoing basis and is supplemented by formal written assessments at the midyear and year-end evaluation periods. 

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Training Activities

The Internship Program in Professional Psychology is specifically designed to offer interns a wide variety of supervised training and learning activities to assist them in developing skills in specific competency areas and to enhance and accelerate their professional development and identity as psychologists. Training activities and training seminars are described below. 

Orientation

The interns begin their training year in mid-August, approximately two weeks prior to the beginning of the fall semester. The first week of orientation is designed to help interns acclimate to the working and learning environment in the Counseling Center and to familiarize them with Suffolk University’s urban campus and with the Beacon Hill/Boston area in which the University is located. The interns are given a campus and community tour and are introduced to key administrators, faculty and staff. Interns also meet with the Office Manager of the Center, who helps them to begin learning about office procedures and administrative requirements, as well as about University policies and procedures. They also meet daily with the Training Director to facilitate their transition to Suffolk University, to discuss the goals and requirements of the training program, and to plan training of Resident Assistants in the University’s Residence Life program. 

During the second week of orientation, in collaboration with the Training Director, interns provide nine-to-twelve hours of training for Resident Assistants. RA training provides an early opportunity for interns to become familiar with the varied issues common to residence hall living, helping them to begin the development of a working relationship with each other, as well as initiating mentoring relationships with small groups of RAs. At the conclusion of RA training, interns are assigned six RAs with whom they work closely throughout the academic year. Each intern serves as the primary contact person in the Counseling Center in the event RAs need to consult about job related issues, require assistance with residents in crisis, or request consultations regarding development of required training and outreach programs for residents. The helping relationship established between interns and RAs provides interns with a series of opportunities to put mentoring and consultative skills to use on behalf of Suffolk University students in leadership roles.  A staff retreat culminates the pre-semester orientation activities.

The third week of orientation is held the first week of the semester. During this period, interns meet with the staff of the Counseling Center in a variety of orientation/training sessions. Topics that are addressed include an introduction and review of Counseling Center policies and procedures, administration and review of career counseling and vocational interest inventories, training in crisis intervention and referral procedures, and the  Center’s intake process and emergency procedures. Interns also meet with their primary supervisor to review the Intern Self-Assessment and to begin discussion of training goals and objectives.  After discussions with their primary supervisor, training goals for each intern are incorporated into individual training contracts for the academic year.

At the conclusion of the orientation period, interns begin working directly with clients who seek services in the Counseling Center. They also begin providing one half-day per week of walk-in/emergency coverage, on a rotational basis with other staff members. 

Individual Clinical Supervision

Interns are assigned primary clinical supervisors from September through the middle of May. Individual clinical and consultative supervision is provided by licensed psychologists, with each intern receiving a minimum of two hours of individual supervision and two hours of group supervision for a minimum of four hours weekly. On average, one hour of individual supervision is provided for every five clients seen by interns. The goal of individual supervision is to provide an ongoing mentoring relationship for interns and to provide support and intentional guidance for the development of the interns’ conceptualizations, clinical assessment, and intervention skills. Individual supervision also allows for an in-depth evaluation of interns’ clinical and professional development throughout the course of their training experience. In addition to case and clinical presentations and discussions, interns are required to present a minimum of four audiotapes and two videotapes of their clinical sessions. These tapes are used in supervision to examine the therapeutic process, technique and case management issues, and the development of the helping relationship. 

During the summer months, interns receive individual and group supervision for a minimum of four hours per week, provided by the Center Director and by senior staff on a rotational basis. This allows interns to have supervisory contacts with each member of the senior staff and to be exposed to different styles and goals for supervision.  

Training Seminars & Supervision

Three internship seminar series are offered concurrently throughout the academic year: (1) Empirically Supported Treatments, (2) Outreach, Training and Consultation, and (3) Supervision Skills and Services, (4) Supervision of Group Counseling.  There are also two monthly Dialogue Series: Multicultural Dialogue and Dialogue with the Center Director.

Components of the seminars are sequenced and presented in such a way that they maximize learning opportunities for interns. After orientation to the topic area and how it fits the training and service goals of the Center, basic skills are reviewed and refined. This learning foundation is supported throughout the internship year by means of didactic information, experiential exercises and activities, and individual and/or group supervision of actual cases and clinical situations.   

Empirically Supported Treatments(ESTs)Seminar: Dialectical Behavior Therapy(DBT) and Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)

In seminars held throughout the academic year, values and assumptions underlying brief therapies are made explicit and compared with values and assumptions inherent in longer-term dynamic therapy. The training seminar focuses on cognitive and behavior therapies as the primary teaching and learning models. Please note that DBT and CBT are not the predominant approaches of the Center:  however, they are the focus of the ESTs seminar.  The format is didactic and experiential, with emphasis on reviewing theoretical concepts as well as learning, practicing and implementing DBT and CBT skills and techniques.  Integration with psychodynamic models and other models is also discussed.  The emphasis on CBT and DBT is supplemented by individual supervision, clinical case conferences, and presentations by guest speakers.  Topics addressed in the seminar include identification and management of crisis situations, regulation of emotion, interpersonal difficulties, anxiety, panic and depression.  Therapy skills and outcomes are evaluated via case assessments.

Outreach, Training, and Consultation

Throughout the year, interns meet with a senior staff member in an Outreach, Training and Consultation seminar which is both didactic and supervisory. Initial focus is on the theories and methods of outreach, training, and consultation. In addition, personal skills and goals, needs assessment strategies, the role of consultation in the development of professional psychologists, and the organizational issues of the campus community are also discussed. During the year, interns are required to complete at least one outreach project, one training project, and one consultation project of their own choosing. These projects are determined by the needs of the campus community and the skills and interests of the interns involved. As interns develop their outreach, training, and consultation initiatives, the seminar also provides an opportunity for group supervision of their projects. Additional formal and informal supervision is also provided by various members of the senior staff. 

Supervision Skills and Services

Throughout the year, the interns meet in the Supervision of Supervision seminar that has both a didactic and supervisory orientation. Initial focus is on the theories and models of supervision, understanding the developmental stage and experience level of the supervisee, fostering a trusting and safe supervisory relationship, as well as on the professional, legal, and ethical issues that relate to the provision of supervision. Interns may also have the opportunity to provide supervision throughout the academic year to Masters level Educational Consultants from the Ballotti Learning Center, Residence Life Assistants (graduate and undergraduate students) from the Residence Life Office and group co-facilitators from the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program.  Interns receive 1.5 hours of weekly group supervision of their supervisory relationships. Additional supervision is also available per request of the interns. The main focus of the supervision is the supervisees’ clinical work, group co-facilitation skills, development as a clinician, and/or clinical consultant. However, feedback is given to interns regarding specific skills and supervisory styles in order to further evaluate their growth in terms of their skills and comfort levels as supervisors. A case conference model is utilized with an emphasis on peer consultation, tape presentations, and dialogue. Interns receive feedback from participating staff supervisors and from their cohort group.

Dialogue with the Director

The dialogues with the Center Director L.E.A.P. are designed to provide interns with a theoretical and practical overview of how ethical guidelines and professional standards inform and direct individual conduct as psychologists. The director facilitates a series of discussions that address the significant clinical and administrative changes undergone by university counseling centers and highlight current professional standards and expectations for the delivery of counseling services on college campuses.  External pressures which impact on the delivery of psychological services, including federal and state legislation and managed care initiatives, are also reviewed in an effort to prepare interns for practice as entry-level psychologists. 

At the conclusion of the internship, interns are expected to demonstrate applied knowledge of APA ethical principles and standards, as well as other relevant local and national statutes and guidelines for the practice of psychology.  Such documents are available to interns and are reviewed during the orientation period and throughout the year, as needed.

Multicultural Dialogues/Multicultural Competence

The Multicultural Dialogues provide a directed opportunity to develop personal awareness, discuss diverse topics, practice developing skills, and to learn from each other regarding multicultural issues.  The goal of the dialogue is to help the interns and senior staff to develop, use and expand their personal awareness, knowledge, and skills to interact more effectively with an increasingly diverse population.  Discussions, experiential exercises, and presentations by campus and community experts in culture and cultural diversity are used to increase awareness of culture-bound values and underlying assumptions and to build knowledge and skills related to the full range of psychologists’ professional activities. 

Clinical Case Conference

Each intern is responsible for a minimum of two clinical case presentations throughout the academic year. At least one of the case presentations must focus on multicultural relationship issues, cross-cultural communication, and/or cultural assumptions about counseling. The presenter at each conference decides whether the format is to be case-based or whether it focuses on clinical or personal issues. The two-hour group supervision focuses on the conceptual and intervention skills of the interns. Interns present audio or videotaped counseling sessions when possible together with a written summary of the client and the issues/questions the intern wishes to address during the case conference. The interns are taught to use the Case Summary Worksheet (Judith Beck) and are required to follow this format in presenting clinical data for at least one of the case conferences. Clinical Case Conferences are facilitated by the Training Director and attended by at least one other senior clinician on a rotational basis. This system is intended to complement the more intensive weekly individual supervision and provides opportunities for interns to become familiar with the various supervisory styles and theoretical orientations of the senior staff. 

Meetings with Training Director

Informal meetings with the Center Director provide a forum for the discussion and review of administrative roles and responsibilities of the Counseling Center, as well as offering opportunities for learning about how policies and procedures for the delivery of counseling services are developed and implemented. Finally, such meetings allow the interns the opportunity to share and discuss concerns about their training experiences with a non-supervising staff member.

Peer Supervision/Intern Support

Interns meet weekly to build an effective collegial cadre, to provide peer supervision and support, and to discuss reactions and needs related to the training program. The format and the frequency of the group meetings are determined by each intern group. 

In-Service Presentations and Seminars

Fall In-Service seminars are designed to provide interns with didactic information related to the provision of clinical services to student populations on campus. The Spring series provides interns with didactic and case presentations related to more specialized clinical issues often raised by interns as a result of their earlier clinical and supervisory experiences. Specific summer presentations are scheduled based upon intern requests, availability of funds, and availability of speakers. If interns are interested in special topics that have not been addressed during the spring or fall, the Training Director schedules speakers when possible. Recent in-service seminars, presented by either senior staff or invited speakers, have included: 

• Trauma and its Repercussions
• Treatment of Eating Disorders on Campus
• Crises Intervention: Assessment and Interventions
• Diversity in Counseling Centers
• Consultation in the Public Sector
• Treatment Options for Anxiety Disorders
• Multicultural Competence as Team-Building
• Cultural Sensitivity Training Workshop
• Cultural Competence and Related Issues
• Common Shock: Need for Witness Self-Care
• Substance Abuse Short-term Dynamic Treatment
• Bisexuality

Teaching and Research Opportunities

Teaching and research initiatives are strongly encouraged and supported. Throughout the internship experience interns have the opportunity to present lectures in various classes at the university and to assist the senior staff in the teaching of their courses. Senior staff are currently involved in teaching an undergraduate course in the Psychology Department, Freshman Seminars, and a course in the Ph.D. Program in Clinical Psychology. Interns may also enroll in graduate courses taught at the University, either for academic credit or on an audit basis. Time-release for attendance is granted as long as it does not adversely affect interns’ clinical and training responsibilities and does not create undue problems in service coverage by members of the staff. Interns are also invited to include preliminary results of research initiatives, position papers, or overviews of their outreach and/or consultation projects in the Center’s series of Interim Reports to the University community. 

Off-Campus Conferences, Workshops, and Professional Meetings

Interns are provided with opportunities to attend off-campus conferences, continuing education workshops/seminars and professional meetings. The Counseling Center provides release time and limited funding to interns to support participation in training and professional development activities in the Greater Boston area. 

In addition to the activities described above, interns have numerous opportunities throughout the internship year to enhance their professional socialization process and to develop their professional identity within the Suffolk campus community. At the beginning of the year the interns are invited to attend the initial College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) faculty meeting during which they are introduced to the college deans and faculty members. They are also invited to attend the campus-wide Fall convocation for new students and are invited to the CAS Dean’s Reception, where they have additional opportunities to meet faculty, staff and administrators. In addition to these major college events, the interns are introduced to the staffs in each of the offices within the Student Affairs division, as well as to members of other units of the university, such as the Office of Diversity Services and the Student Services division of the Law School. 

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Training Requirements

In order to meet expectations as psychologists-in-training, interns are required to complete the following assignments during the training year:  Participate in the initial and ongoing orientation program; 

• Participate in the initial and ongoing orientation program.
• Participate in the training of Residence Hall assistants.
• Be responsible for managing a weekly client caseload of 15-17 clients, including:
     a) academic, personal, and vocational counseling
     b) administration and interpretation of psychological and vocational tests.
• Schedule appointments and manage client caseloads by using Counseling Center computer scheduling program (Titanium Scheduler).
• Be conversant with and adhere to all policies and procedures of the Suffolk University Counseling Center.
• Develop treatment plans for clients and review/update plans on a regular basis with clinical supervisor(s).
• Bring to each supervision session a written summary for each client, including; name, file number, session number, a short synopsis of treatment status, and discussion points for supervision.
• Notify clients of training status in the Counseling Center, including the time-limited nature of their treatment and the requirements inherent in supervisory and consultative relationships.
• Maintain comprehensive case notes for each client contact .
• Present a minimum of two (2) clinical case conference presentations during the internship year; including submitting written summaries for each clinical presentation; At least one of the case presentations must focus on multicultural relationship issues, cross-cultural communication, and/or cultural assumptions about counseling.
• Provide four (4) audiotapes and two (2) videotapes of individual therapy sessions for supervision, and/or to present as work samples for clinical case conference.
• Participate in all meetings, in-service presentations and training seminars.
• Design, implement and evaluate a minimum of one outreach project, a training project, a consultation project, and a group project. 
• Obtain signed consent forms from each client for any contact made on behalf of the client and for audio/video taping of sessions.
• Complete termination summaries for all clients seen during the internship year.
• Complete the following evaluation forms: Intern Self-Assessment, Intern Evaluation, Internship Program Evaluation, Intern Evaluation of Supervisor, Internship Program Summary Evaluation.
• Adhere to established ethical standards and guidelines for the practice of psychology, including the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists, Standards for Providers of Psychological Services, Specialty Guidelines for the Delivery of Psychological Services, and the Accreditation Guidelines for University and College Counseling Services (IACS).
• Adhere to existing state, local and national statures governing the practice of psychology.
• Maintain a log of all internship hours and personal leave days.  Interns are allotted five personal leave days.  If additional leave is granted, interns are required to make up the hours missed.
  

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Intern Evaluation Process

The Intern Self-Assessment is completed during orientation.  The assessment is shared with the primary supervisor prior to setting training/learning goals for the internship program.  The goals established will help frame the work of supervision and training.  The Suffolk University Counseling Center Intern Evaluation Form is completed by both the primary supervisor and the intern (self-evaluation) in December and May. Each supervisory dyad reviews the intern’s performance as reflected by the various means of evaluation in December and May. Summary evaluations of each intern are completed by the Training Director at the middle and end of the internship experience and submitted to the Training Director of the intern’s graduate program. In addition to the formal evaluation, staff members provide ongoing assessment and feedback to interns using the following means

1. Weekly supervision sessions
2. Case conferences where interns share their clinical work with two senior staff and other intern
3. Scheduled meetings with the Training Director
4. Weekly consultation and outreach supervision
5. Informal (unscheduled) individual supervisory meetings
6. Scheduled training seminars throughout the year

INTERNSHIP PROGRAM IN PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
APPLICATION PROCESS

Internships Available

Three full-time twelve month internships are available for the academic year 2007-2008. Applicants must be enrolled in an accredited doctoral program in psychology and have recent supervised clinical experience. The internship provides 2000 supervised hours during the training year. Candidates do not have to be United States citizens to apply. The stipend for 2007-2008 will be approximately $25,500.

Criteria for Selection of Interns

The following criteria are among those considered when selecting interns: 

1. Emotional and social maturity
2. Relevant clinical experience demonstrating skills in areas such as: intake assessment, individual and group treatment, consultation, outreach, and research
3. Ability to use various conceptual frameworks in applied psychology
4. Willingness to learn and apply new clinical conceptualizations and strategies in a university setting
5. Capacity to participate effectively as a team member of the Counseling Center staff

Application Procedures

Applicants for a Suffolk University Counseling Center Internship in Professional Psychology must submit the following by November 15, 2007.

1. APPIC Application for Psychology Internship (AAPI2005) Form (This form is available from the APPIC Web Site at http://www.appic.org/
2. Transcripts of related graduate work (official copy not required)
3. Three (3) letters of reference, including one from the most recent clinical supervisor
4. Current Vita 

Applicants must register to participate in the APPIC Matching Program. To do so, each applicant must complete an Applicant Agreement Form and return it to National Matching Services, Inc.

To obtain an Applicant Agreement Form and materials describing the APPIC Matching Program, you must complete the enclosed Request For Applicant Agreement Package form and return it to the National Matching Services, Inc. An Agreement package will be sent by first class mail. Please note that it may take up to two (2) weeks to receive this package. If you wish to contact National Matching Services, Inc. directly, use the address below:

National Matching Services, Inc.
595 Bay Street
Suite 301, Box 29
Toronto, Ontario
CANADA M5G 2C2
Telephone: 416-977-3431
Fax: 416-977-5020

If you have other questions concerning internship applications and/or guidelines, please contact the American Psychological Association at the following address:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20002-4242
(202) 336-5979
Fax: (202) 336-5978

Intern Selection Process Dates

• November 15, 2007 - Suffolk University Counseling Center Application Deadline
• December 15, 2007 - Selection and notification by e-mail of candidates for interviews;  On site interviews are preferred
• January 7, 2008 through January 25, 2008 - Interviews of applicants by senior staff and interns
• February 6, 2008 - Rank Order List / Submission Deadline (APPIC)for submission of Rank Order Lists
• February 22, 2008 - Applicants will be informed as to whether or not they have been matched to an internship position; However, applicants will NOT be told the specific program to which they have been matched until APPIC Match Day
• February 25, 2008 APPIC - Match Day:  Results of the Match will be released to applicants and internship training directors;  The APPIC Clearinghouse will also open on this date

This internship site agrees to abide by the APPIC policy that no person at this training facility will solicit, accept or use any ranking-related information from any intern applicant.

Submit Application materials to:

Dr. Wilma Busse, Director of Training
Suffolk University Counseling Center
8 Ashburton Place
Boston, MA 02108-2770
Tel: 617.573.8226
Fax: 617.227.3685

 

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Counseling Center Staff

Kenneth F. Garni, Ed.D.
Boston University
kgarni@suffolk.edu

Wilma J. Busse, Ed.D.
Western Michigan University
wbusse@suffolk.edu

Paul R. Korn, Ph.D.
University of Connecticut
pkorn@suffolk.edu

Lynda D. Field, Ph.D.
University of Denver
lfield@suffolk.edu

Kathryn Jackson, Ph.D.
Temple University
kjackson@suffolk.edu

Kinga A. Pastuszak, Psy.D.
George Washington University
kpastusz@suffolk.edu

Interns, 2007 - 2008

Peter Adams, M.A.
Ohio State University
E-mail: padams@suffolk.edu

Rebecca L. Duckworth Forkner, M.A.
George Mason University
E-mail: rduckworthforkner@suffolk.edu

Bryan Mendiola, M.A.
University of Denver
E-mail: bmendiola@suffolk.edu

Staff Adminstration

Sheila McCarthy
smccarth@suffolk.edu

Joyce Gilardi
jgilardi@suffolk.edu

(Revised 7/19/07)

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