Psy.D. Practicum and Internship

All learners are required to obtain a minimum of 3200 hours of pre-doctoral training.  This is done in supervised settings in both practicum (600-800 hours per year for two years) and internship (2000 hours) placements

Practicum
Learners are required to complete two practica in psychology, with a minimum of 600 hours each year, over the course of two years. Practica provide supervised, introductory experiences in the application of psychotherapy and assessment in a field setting and are conducted in conjunction with related courses. The practicum must include at least two hours per week of face-to-face supervision by a licensed psychologist and cannot be one’s job.

Practicum training in the Psy.D. program is closely supervised and monitored. Practicum sites must conform to program standards and are visited by the Director of Clinical Training prior to approval, with the signing of formal letter of affiliation. In order for the program to maintain a close connection to the sites and to allow learners the greatest amount of flexibility, learners need to be at a practicum placement located within a five-hour radius of a cohort center (either Brattleboro, VT or Cincinnati, OH).

Internship
The program requires satisfactory completion of a clinical internship with a minimum of 2,000 hours (taking place over 12-24 months). The Director of Clinical Training assists in the application process. Clinical internships further prepare learners for the general practice of psychology through training that increases in difficulty in both clinical skills and levels of responsibility. The internship should be appropriate both to our program’s training model and to the learner’s individual goals. In addition to providing training in the general skills of a clinical psychologist, internships may include intensive rotations in special interest areas (e.g., child psychology, assessment, adult psychotherapy, family psychology, etc.).

Whenever possible, the internship will be at a site approved by the Association of Psychology and Postdoctoral Internship Centers (APPIC) or by the American Psychological Association (APA). The program follows APA guidelines for the entire application process, and the Director of Clinical Training assists learners in the process. For internship sites not listed by APPIC or accredited by APA, the Director of Clinical Training will formalize agreements with these sites to ensure that the internship is equivalent to APA guidelines. A learner can attend an internship anywhere in the US.

For further information contact us at:  admissions.psyd@myunion.edu or 800.336.6794 ext. 8408 or 802.254.0152 ext. 8408