Training Program
Training Program
RIT’s Counseling and Psychological Services has served as a training site for doctoral and Master’s students in the fields of mental health counseling, psychology, and social work for many years. The belief that science and scholarship inform competent practice is inherent in the training process and espoused by the training staff.
Students who participate in the training program benefit from supervised experience in providing individual therapy, group therapy, crisis intervention, consultation, and outreach services to a diverse university community. Trainees can expect to gain exposure to a wide range of concerns, including depression, anxiety, trauma, and disordered eating. In addition, trainees will strengthen their experience working with specialized populations, such as students on the autism spectrum, LGBTQ+ students, international students, and deaf/Hard of Hearing students.
Program Options
The RIT Counseling and Psychological Services internship in Mental Health Counseling prepares Master’s and doctoral students to practice as therapy providers with strong generalist skills and specialized experience in collegiate mental health. Counseling interns gain foundational exposure to psychodynamic and third-wave therapies as they learn to identify their theoretical orientation(s) and how to translate theory into practice. Depending on prior clinical experience, Counseling doctoral students may have the opportunity for more advanced training experiences.
The RIT Counseling and Psychological Services externship in Psychology supports doctoral students in Clinical Psychology and Counseling Psychology in strengthening their clinical skills and preparing for a doctoral internship in health service psychology. Externs will hone a strong generalist base while gaining specialized skills relevant to collegiate mental health and work with LGBTQ+, autism spectrum, and deaf/Hard of Hearing populations. Psychology externs can expect to gain advanced exposure to psychodynamic and third-wave therapies while learning how to further their own theoretical orientation and conceptualization skills.
The RIT Counseling and Psychological Services advanced internship in Social Work prepares MSW students to practice as therapy providers with strong generalist skills and specialized experience in collegiate mental health. Social work interns gain foundational exposure to psychodynamic and third-wave therapies as they learn to identify their theoretical orientation(s) and how to translate theory into practice.
Training Philosophy
Provision of developmentally appropriate training experiences is at the heart of our training philosophy. Trainees’ experiences are sequential, cumulative, and graded in complexity, with increasing levels of independence throughout the training year. The supervisors at Counseling and Psychological Services are intent on providing mentorship, evidenced by a genuine commitment to intensive supervision to further the trainee’s personal and professional goals. Three values are central to the training program at Counseling and Psychological Services: integration of science and practice, focus on diversity, and development of self-reflective practice.
The staff at RIT Counseling and Psychological Services recognize the importance of clinical practice that is rooted in scientific
inquiry. To this end, our training program espouses a practitioner-scholar training model where theoretical and research literature is integrated with the experiential components of training. There is a recognition of the applicability of the scientific method in clinical thinking, including critical evaluation, awareness of biases, case conceptualization, and hypothesis formation, and the process of hypothesis testing.
RIT Counseling and Psychological Services and our training program are deeply committed to anti-racist practices, and we acknowledge and respect the importance of sensitivity to and appreciation of all cultural and individual diversity. Our training program attends to diversity issues through multiple avenues, including didactic training, supervision, and clinical interactions with a diverse clientele. Furthermore, Counseling and Psychological Services staff models authenticity, openness, and pride in their own identities. We also emphasize reflection on our own intersectionalities and the ways in which our identities may impact colleagues, supervisees and our clients. Greater multicultural awareness and sensitivity, and examining our experiences, assumptions, values, and biases is a key value that we continue to diligently work towards.
The training program is structured to support engagement in self-reflective practice in every aspect of the training experience. Staff at Counseling and Psychological Services believe that clinicians who perform clinical work without attention given to thoughts, feelings, and reactions that inevitably arise in the context of the work are missing a critical piece of what contributes to effective practice. As such, the practice of conducting ongoing self-assessment is valued and supported by the training program.
Training Activities
The externship in Psychology and internships in Mental Health Counseling and Social Work extend over two semesters. Trainees are expected to be on-site for the 14 weeks that classes are in session each semester, as well as the 2 weeks of final exams. Externs’ and interns’ weekly commitment may range from 16-24 hours per week, depending on graduate program requirements. Externs and interns additionally must attend the two-day Training Orientation the week before fall semester classes begin.
Externs and interns will see 7-10 individual clients for weekly therapy. All sessions are video recorded for supervision purposes. Caseloads will include both short-term and long-term therapy clients. Common presenting concerns include anxiety, depression, relationships, identity concerns, trauma, and adjustment.
Trainees may have the opportunity to process-observe or co-facilitate a therapy group with a Counseling and Psychological Services clinician. This is in addition to their individual therapy client caseload.
Externs and interns will participate in a weekly seminar on Friday mornings. Topics will cover issues and treatments relevant to our RIT student population, job and internship preparation, and multicultural exploration.
Trainees will meet weekly with a supervisor who oversees the provision of clinical services. Mental health counseling interns will be supervised by a licensed mental health counselor with diagnostic privilege. Psychology externs will be supervised by a licensed psychologist. Social work interns will be supervised by a licensed clinical social worker.
Externs and interns will participate in a weekly multidisciplinary supervision group of doctoral psychology externs, mental health counseling interns, and social work interns. Group sup is facilitated by the Associate Director of Clinical Training. Externs and interns will present a case on a weekly rotation and participate in group consultation.