Counseling & Psychological Services

The OSU academic schedule begins classes the last week in September which allows interns the opportunity to spend the first four or five weeks to become oriented toward the university, CAPS, and the training program. Many of our seminars begin early and offer specialized intensive training in selected areas during this orientation period.

The didactic component of our training program utilizes the science of psychology to inform current psychological practice. Goals of these seminars include providing interns with advanced didactic information, facilitating at times "difficult dialogues" and to prepare interns for challenges that they may encounter in the future of the profession. Due to our developmental approach, we strive to tailor this seminar to the needs of the current intern class.

Throughout the year, interns participate in training seminars, or related activities, for an average of four hours per week. Many of the seminar topics require readings and most of the presenters provide resources and recommendations for further information.

Professional Issues/Professional Development Seminar

This year-long, two-hour, weekly seminar addresses a wide range of professional issues intended to facilitate entry into the profession of psychology. Common areas addressed include specific clinical issues or special populations, theory and treatment approaches including evidence-based treatments, job search strategies, licensure requirements, and reviewing new developments in the field. Guest speakers may be invited to this seminar. There are two specific modules contained in the Professional Issues Seminar: Professional Ethics and Assessment. This year, we are also adding a couples therapy component to this seminar . 

Professional Ethics Module

This module of the Professional Issues seminar reviews ethical standards, legal statutes, and administrative rules governing the practice of psychology in the State of Oregon. Vignettes and actual ethical dilemmas that emerge within the agency will be processed as part of facilitating interns' professional ease with ethical thinking and decision-making. During the summer term, each intern facilitates a staff discussion on the advanced ethical dilemma of his or her choice.

Assessment Module

This module of the professional issues seminar focuses on personality assessment using the Finn model with the MMPI-2 and assessment of adult ADHD.  Interns will administer both personality and ADHD assessment instruments.  Seminar will consist of didactic/review as well as opportunities to consult, discuss, and present results and interpretations.

Diversity Seminar

This seminar provides advanced level discourse about issues of diversity.  Interns are engaged in the exploration of a multicultural context for counseling.  This is accomplished through personal reflection and assignments, readings, experiential exercises, group discussions, and application of concepts to a case presentation.  The seminar is built on a three part training model for cultural competence that includes: awareness, knowledge, and skills. The first competence is the therapist's awareness about their own assumptions, values, and biases.  The second competence is a working knowledge and understanding of a client's worldview.  The third competence is a skill in intervening in a culturally relevant manner.   

Group Therapy Seminar

This seminar focuses on establishing a comfort level and proficiency in all aspects of facilitating groups including identifying what groups are needed at a counseling center, the referral and pre-screening process, co-leadership, multicultural sensitivity in groups, and dynamics involved in co-facilitating groups.  The seminar provides didactic and experiential learning as well as supervision for groups that interns are co-leading.  

Outreach Seminar

The primary goal of this seminar is to excite interns about the opportunity to creatively design and facilitate psycho-educational workshops.  The workshop model is contrasted with the didactic model of education in that it allows participants to engage emotionally and relationally as well as intellectually.  The target outcome of this endeavor is nothing less than personal transformation in the service of psychosocial health and well-being for the individual and the campus community.  Seminar participants will be guided the Integrative Model for Workshop Design as developed by Brooks-Harris and Stock-Ward (1999) and theoretically grounded in Kolb's Learning Theory. 

Supervision of Supervision

Our interns are trained in supervision skills, and participate in weekly supervision of supervision. The supervisory relationship between practicum student and intern will begin early in the year and supervisory responsibility will be developmentally increased.  The intern will provide weekly supervision of the practicum student and review practicum therapy tapes. Practicum students are drawn from several regional programs and are selected through a competitive process. Their didactic training will largely occur in their home academic programs.

Professional Development / Dissertation Time

Interns have up to five days per year allotted for professional development activities. These may be used for attending conferences or workshops outside of the office, going on job interviews, or working on their dissertation. Interns are not required to be on-site or in the agency during these hours.

Intern Peer Support

Interns will have one hour every other week for meeting informally as a group. This time can be used for getting to know one another on a deeper level, giving and receiving support, talking about the internship experience, doing some "reality testing" with one another, dealing with conflict, and developing a sense of cohesion as a group. Additionally, every other week interns meet with the Training Director as a way to "check in" on the internship year to date.

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