Training Philosophy

Professional Identity Development: Training will reach beyond the development of basic skills and competencies to the integration of a professional identity within each trainee. Trainees are encouraged to conceptualize cases within their own theoretical framework and will slowly move from the role of student/trainee to the role of independent professional. They are encouraged to reflect upon and develop their own sense of self as a professional. Supervision and didactic trainings will provide space for trainees to explore their professional values, attitudes and aspirations and begin to internalize these into their overall professional self-concept. They are encouraged to accept the journey of professional development as one that is ongoing and ever evolving.

Use of Self Approach: Regardless of the specific work activity, a primary "thread" running through all our training activities is the skill of "Use of Self" and its variants. For us, this means assisting the trainee in exploring and understanding the qualities and dynamics that they bring to each interpersonal encounter and how these facilitate or hinder effective interactions. It also means that the trainee is encouraged to become more attuned to their own thoughts and feelings in working with clients, and recognize how this increased self-awareness can be used to better understand client dynamics and develop effective treatment strategies. Because we believe in the working alliance as an indispensable ingredient in any helping relationship, we encourage trainees to recognize, improve, and employ those personal qualities that will assist in forming effective working relationships with clients, peers, center staff, and other members of the university community.

Multicultural Competence: Clinical work, the supervisory relationship, and professionalism are all conceptualized from a multicultural framework with an appreciation of and sensitivity to cultural differences and the intersection of various cultural identities.

Practitioner-Scholar Model: Interns integrate the knowledge and skills they have gained through education and training into clinical practice through the combination of didactic and experiential learning. As practitioner-scholars, interns use scholarly research literature to inform case conceptualization, and integrate evidence-based treatment literature with treatment planning and intervention.