The Training Philosophy
The Counseling Center's training program embodies the conviction that the internship is a pivotal time for personal and professional integration. Becoming a professional psychologist involves not only the acquisition of skills and the application of research and theory, but a socialization process as well. This process is an integration of professional identity and personal maturity. It incorporates a knowledge of self, sound judgment, comfort with pluralistic environments, and a sense of responsibility to oneself, to the profession, and to society. Given our training program's goal to prepare effective professional psychologists with a consolidated professional identity, opportunities for personal exploration and reflection occur throughout the year. When appropriate, trainees are encouraged, but not required, to explore historical influences and personal data that may affect subsequent clinical practice. The MSUCC’s training program functions in a manner consistent with the American Psychological Association's 7.04 (Student Disclosure of Personal Information) as contained in the Revised Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (APA, 2002).
Emphasis is given to cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic time-limited treatment within a multicultural framework, maintaining high ethical standards, performing comprehensive clinical assessments, and supervising trainees. Interns are offered opportunities to work within the full range of professional activities of MSUCC and its professional staff. Interns are expected to be involved in research or disciplined inquiry and are strongly encouraged to complete their dissertations. The goal of the training program is to provide interns with training experiences and individual responsibilities that will further their development as professional psychologists who possess a sense of integrity, are multiculturally competent and skilled at communicating across disciplines.