Doctoral Practicum Program
Texas A&M University Health Services offers a year-long practicum training experience in individual counseling, group counseling, and crisis intervention. To participate in a practicum at University Health Services, trainees must be currently enrolled in an APA-accredited program. The practicum is a 17+ hour per week commitment. The requirements of those 17+ hours are outlined in the menu below. Supervision may be provided by current APA interns (who are themselves supervised by licensed psychologists) as well as by senior staff (psychologists and licensed professional counselors). All sessions are video recorded for review by supervisors. Practicum counselors may also have opportunities to participate in additional university counseling center activities including conferences, outreach, and development of psychoeducation materials.
The practicum at University Health Services requires that practicum counselors have completed a minimum of one semester of supervised training providing individual counseling before starting our training program. Students from counseling and clinical psychology programs are invited to apply.
Training Philosophy
The University Health Services training model places a strong emphasis on integrating the personal and professional attributes of developing psychologists. As a result, those admitted for our doctoral practicum program are expected to demonstrate a willingness to engage in appropriate self-examination and reflection. Furthermore, in keeping with our training philosophy, the foundation of our approach to training is a practitioner model. The emphasis is upon learning through the practical application of evidence-based practice in psychology. Professional skills training will vary in complexity from basic engagement skills to more complex multi-level interventions depending on the needs of the individual practicum counselor. The training model is based on growth and adaptation through progressive increases in challenge and demand throughout the semester(s).
Weekly Hour Expectations
| Duties | Hours |
| Direct Client Contact | 10+ |
| Individual Clinical Supervision | 2 |
| Supervision Preparation | 2 |
| Seminar | 1-2 biweekly |
| Group Supervision / Case Consultation | 1 |
| Documentation | 1-2 (as needed) |
*Crisis counseling experience available during 2nd semester
Requirements
Each doctoral-level practicum counselor is required to give a formal case presentation at the conclusion of each semester. Presenting a client case provides an opportunity for trainees to articulate to the University Health Services staff their theoretical orientation and to demonstrate their case conceptualization skills. This type of experience should also help prepare the practicum counselor to discuss their therapeutic style and will likely be useful preparation for the pre-doctoral internship match.
At the end of the semester, supervisors will provide written feedback to doctoral-level practicum counselors regarding their performance throughout the semester and they will recommend a grade for the practicum to the appropriate academic program. Supervisors and supervisees are encouraged to discuss progress throughout the semester but in particular at an informal evaluation meeting at mid-semester. In addition, practicum trainees will evaluate their individual supervisors and the practicum program as a whole.
This biweekly seminar is designed to be a combination of didactic and experiential activities to further skill and case conceptualization development in the art and science of psychotherapy. In conjunction with topics/activities in these seminars, this is a time for practicum counselors to identify specific areas of training and development in therapy that they wish to address.
Doctoral-level practicum counselors are expected to spend two hours per week preparing for supervision. It is expected that the practicum counselor use part of this time to review an entire taped session of their work with a client. Other activities during this time may include completing case notes, reviewing training tapes, or readings. Use of this additional time is determined between the practicum counselor and their supervisor.
Quality supervision is seen as the cornerstone of our training program and is highly valued by our staff. For the doctoral-level practicum, senior staff or APA doctoral interns may serve as the primary supervisors. Supervisor assignments are based on a combination of what the trainee is seeking from supervision and goodness of fit with the supervisor. APA doctoral interns supervising practicum counselors will receive supervision of supervision while working with that trainee.
During this time, doctoral-level practicum counselors and masters-level interns will meet as a group with the Practicum Coordinator. Trainees will have the opportunity to bring in tapes of their work and receive feedback from the group about their work with a particular client. This time is specifically designed to address case conceptualization skills and to identify specific interventions that trainees may utilize with their clients. This is also a space for other personal and professional development and an opportunity for support and connection with other trainees in the training program.
During this time trainees will be included in clinical staff’s case consultation meetings in order to seek feedback and input from other clinicians while also providing consultation as able. This is an informal meeting and is a great space to hear about other approaches to clinical work from a multidisciplinary team.
Mental Health Services Professional Expectations
Doctoral-level practicum counselors will be expected to attend all scheduled meetings, including orientation, meetings with supervisors, group supervision and practicum seminars. Students who do not meet all program requirements will not receive required evaluations for the practicum experience or may have their performance evaluation affected.
Appropriate attire at University Health Services is business casual. Trainees will be expected to maintain this standard while conducting official business here.
There are occasions when former clients of University Health Services are interested in a practicum/internship at University Health Services. If there are any concerns about how being a former client impacts opportunities as a trainee at University Health Services, please refer to the Guidelines Regarding Multiple Relationships document.