Other Important Information

A Brief History of the Training Program

The doctoral internship program was first launched in 2003. The internship was established in order to provide intern level clinicians with a training experience that would help them grow both as clinicians and as professionals. The training staff at that time valued an integrative approach to treatment. This value has persisted throughout the evolution of the internship program. The program first became a member of APPIC in 2005. In 2010, the internship was accredited by the APA's CoA. After receiving accreditation, the internship expanded from two interns to three interns in 2010. Following the most recent site visit in early 2020, the internship was reaccredited by the APA through 2030 for the maximum of 10 years! It is the Center's hope the internship program will continue the tradition of providing high quality training for emerging professionals that was originally established in the 2003.

Commitment to Training

For over 40 years, the Center has provided training opportunities for graduate level clinicians. In addition to the intern program, the Center provides training opportunities for both psychology doctoral students and graduate level social work students. Currently, the Center has a highly competitive externship training program which is comprised of graduate students from regional universities. The current externship class includes 6 advanced psychology doctoral students and 4 second year social work graduate students. Additionally, the Center maintains a positive and mutually beneficial relationship with the Clinical Psychology Doctoral program at Catholic University. Currently, 5 second year practicum students associated with the Catholic University Clinical Psychology doctoral program see clients at the center.

The Internship program plays an important role in the training of the graduate trainees at Catholic University, serving as both mentors and co-supervisors. For more information on the supervision opportunities interns have, please see training activities section of our website.

Location

The Catholic University of America is located in Northeast Washington DC. The University has a Metro station (CUA/Brookland) located adjacent to the southeast corner of the university. The Metro stop is conveniently located on the Red Line and is just a few short stops away from landmarks such as Union Station, Gallery Place, Downtown DC, and the White House. The Counseling Center itself is located on the first floor in O'Boyle Hall. O'Boyle Hall was built in 1899 on top of a hill overlooking the campus. Despite the fact that the building is over 100 years old, it has received several upgrades over the years and is now furnished with many modern amenities such as Wi-Fi and smart classrooms. It is also important to note that each intern is given their own personal office for the year at the beginning of their internship.

Interesting Fact

The largest solar panel structure in Washington DC, featuring more than 2600 solar panels, is located at Catholic University, directly above the parking lot behind the Counseling Center.