Schedule of Activities

This nine-month program requires externs to be on site for 16-24 hours per week, depending on the requirements of the extern's home institution.

Schedules are spread across three days in order to allow externs to interact with all senior staff members and engage in outreach programming.

Individual Therapy (7-10 hours)

Externs will see 7-10 individual clients for weekly therapy. All sessions are video recorded on iPads for supervision purposes. Caseloads will include both short-term and long-term therapy clients. Common presenting concerns include anxiety, depression, relationships, identity, adjustment, eating disorders, trauma, and substance use.

Intakes (1 hour)

Externs will conduct one intake assessment per week. In consultation with their supervisors, they will make treatment recommendations based on the client's presenting concerns and treatment needs.

Walk-In Coverage (1-2 hours)

Externs will have the opportunity to provide coverage during the Counseling Center's walk-in hours. All externs will receive training in the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) model and will shadow senior staff and psychology doctoral interns in providing walk-in coverage.

Group Therapy (2 hours)

Depending on availability, externs may have the opportunity to process observe or co-facilitate a therapy group. Recent opportunities have included serving as a process observer for the Mindful Living, Understanding Self and Others, and Confident Cardinals groups.

Considering Culture in Case Conference (1.5 hours)

Externs will participate in a weekly case conference on Thursday mornings with the full extern cohort. On a weekly rotation, each extern will give a full case presentation and receive feedback from the cohort, the Director of Externship Training, and the doctoral psychology intern co-facilitator. Externs are encouraged to tend to issues of diversity and social justice and to incorporate multicultural conceptualizations in their case presentations.

Staff Development Seminar (1.5 hours)

Externs will participate in a weekly seminar on Thursday mornings. Presenters may include Counseling Center senior staff and doctoral psychology interns, staff from other university offices, and clinicians from the Washington, DC community. Topics will cover university support services, issues and treatments relevant to our university student population, and multicultural exploration. A biweekly "MC spotlight" will focus on issues specific to identity and culture as they relate to self-exploration and clinical work.

Individual Supervision (1 hour)

Externs will meet weekly with a supervisor who oversees the provision of clinical services. Social work externs will be supervised by a licensed independent clinical social worker, and psychology externs will be supervised by a licensed psychologist.

Group Supervision (1.5 hours)

Externs will be assigned to one of two supervision groups that meet weekly. Groups are co-facilitated by a psychology doctoral intern and a senior staff member. Externs will present a case on a weekly rotation and participate in group consultation.

Outreach

Externs are expected to participate in a minimum of one outreach program per semester.