Psychology Practicum

The Drexel University Counseling Center offers a 12-month practicum training program for students who are enrolled in doctoral- and masters-level graduate programs in Counseling or Clinical Psychology.

About the Counseling Center:
The mission of the Counseling Center is to support the academic goals of Drexel University through assisting students with personal challenges that interfere with their academic progress, and to promote and foster the academic, personal, and interpersonal development of Drexel students. Our work is guided by the ethical and practice standards of our professions, with the goal of providing the best services possible. Psychological services are both remedial (including crisis intervention, assessment and referral and counseling/psychotherapy) and preventive (including psycho-educational workshops, outreach programming and peer training). The Counseling Center seeks to be fully integrated into the university community by providing consultation to faculty and staff regarding student concerns, serving on university committees, teaching and training in areas that utilize the skills and strengths of professional staff, and by acting as a practicum site for graduate students in psychology.

Types of Clients Seen:
The client population reflects the diversity of the Drexel student body in terms of race/ethnicity, religion, gender and social class. Client's ages typically range from 18-30 years old. Clients present with a variety of issues such as adjustment problems, relationships, sexual orientation, stress management, depression, anxiety, family concerns, low self-esteem, and substance abuse. Clinical diagnoses include Axis I and Axis II psychiatric disorders and range in severity from mild to severe. Clients are seen primarily on a short-term outpatient basis. Clients who need intensive outpatient treatment are referred to an appropriate resource off-campus.

Services Offered:
The Counseling Center offers crisis intervention, assessment and referral, short-term counseling and psychotherapy to full-time Drexel students. Counseling is primarily provided on an individual basis. Couples counseling and support groups are available. Professional staff provides consultation to faculty and staff regarding their student concerns. Professional staff also plan and present workshops and programs on topics that are related to psychological/emotional health such as stress management, body image, and substance abuse awareness, and provide training on interpersonal communication, referral skills and crisis intervention, among other topics. The Counseling Center also offers an on-call service provided by the professional staff in the event of a psychological emergency.

Prerequisites:
Practicum positions are available for graduate students in their third year of their doctoral program in counseling or clinical psychology and for students in their second year of a master's program in psychology. It is expected that all students have completed basic coursework in counseling and counseling theory. It is preferred that students have had some clinical practical experience in the psychology field. All students are required to have their own malpractice insurance.

Description of the Practicum Positions:
Practicum students are expected to spend at least 2 days a week at the Counseling Center for a 12-month rotation. Due to some of the requirements of specific graduate schools, sometimes accommodations can be made to spend more or less time during a practicum rotation. The majority of the time will be spent providing individual counseling to our undergraduate and graduate student population. Opportunities are available to provide both group and couples counseling. Students are encouraged to participate in the center's outreach activities, including presenting workshops on a variety of psychoeducational topics to the Drexel community. Practicum students receive one hour of weekly individual supervision with their clinical supervisor and one and one-half hours of weekly group supervision with the entire professional staff. Students will also be invited to participate in quarterly continuing education trainings by off-campus professionals or by members of our Counseling Center staff. There is one Clinical/Peer Counseling position available every year where the practicum student will split their time between assisting the Director of Training in maintaining the Drexel Peer Counseling Helpline (assisting with recruiting and training new peer counselors and co-facilitating on-going trainings) and providing individual counseling and all other clinical activities. Students will have the opportunity to develop skills in interviewing, assessment, crisis intervention, consultation and treatment planning. They will be encouraged to take increasing responsibility for treatment planning as their skills and understanding increase. They will also be encouraged to integrate different theoretical perspectives in their practice.

Application Process:
Graduate students who are interested in our practicum training program for the 2013 - 2014 academic year should submit a copy of their curriculum vita or resume with a cover letter to Amy Henning, Director of Training/Associate Director of Counseling by no later than March 15th, 2013. Interested applicants can begin submitting applications on January 2, 2013 either through e-mail at amyh@drexel.edu or sending it to:

Amy Henning
Director of Training/Associate Director of Counseling
Drexel University Counseling Center
3210 Chestnut St.
Creese Room 201
Philadelphia, PA 19104

Please contact us at (215) 895-1415 if you have any questions or need further information.