Students are introduced to clinical training by learning to provide excellent patient care. Clinical training begins in the first year with experiential courses in basic psychotherapeutic skills and interviewing. Beginning in the second year, students see two to four clients in the Clinic each semester. All therapy sessions are recorded on videotape to aid in therapist training and to insure quality care for the client. Supervision is provided weekly in teams consisting of one supervisor and three students, with a mix of beginning and advanced students.
Teams discuss each student's cases and review the session videotapes.
Supervision is provided by licensed clinical psychologists carefully selected for their clinical and supervisory skill and expertise with empirically supported techniques and include both faculty and private practitioners. An advanced psychiatric resident from the Department of Psychiatry provides psychopharmacological consultation and education. The psychiatrist serves as a medication consultant and the student therapist is encouraged to be a part of their client's psychiatric consult. The psychiatrist meets with the student therapist and the client, so the evaluation is done collaboratively, meeting the clients needs and the educational goals of the Clinic. Students are required to complete at least six semesters of practica in the Clinic, although often students do more.