Counseling Center

The Training Program:

Areas of Concentration

Interns may choose from any of the Areas of Concentration listed. Additionally, if an intern has an area of interest not listed, the training staff is open to hearing new ideas.

There are two criteria for an Area of Concentration. The first is that a Counseling Center staff member has the necessary knowledge base within your chosen area to provide effective supervision. The other criterion in choosing an Area of Concentration is that there is a need on the SIUC campus for the service you want to provide.

Areas of Concentration include:

Individual Therapy: The Area of Concentration in individual therapy is intended to give the intern the opportunity to obtain more experience with individual therapy than is provided for in the standard intern contract. In addition, this concentration would allow an intern to specialize in a particular type of client or client problem (e.g., students of color, men, depression, GLBT clients, physically disabled, trauma, Axis II, etc.), subject to the availability of such clients in the agency. Supervision of these additional clients would take place during already scheduled individual supervision hours, so no additional time would need to be contracted for this purpose.
Duties:

The intern will see additional individual therapy clients beyond the number in the standard contract for the semester. The type of clients will be negotiated with the Director of Training and Chief Psychologist.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Program: Interns will have an opportunity to work with clients who would benefit from the DBT Program. Therapy work will be provided through individual counseling and the option to facilitate the DBT Skills group. Interns do not need to have prior knowledge of DBT, but they do need to have an interest in working with trauma, impulse control disorders, and clients with Axis II characteristics. Supervision of DBT clients would take place during already scheduled individual supervision hours and in a weekly (30 minute) meeting with their group co-facilitator.
Duties:

The intern may co-facilitate the DBT Skills Group
The intern will see one to four clients for individual therapy who participate in the DBT skills group or are being prepared for the skills group
The intern will attend the weekly DBT Consultation Team meetings
The intern will read books and articles by Marsha M. Linehan and other authors as needed
The intern will attend weekly meeting (30 minute) with group co-facilitator if co-facilitating the DBT Skills Group

Eating Disorder Outpatient Program (EDOP):The Area of Concentration in Eating Disorders will give the intern the opportunity to learn more about individuals who have an eating disorder or who are at risk for developing an eating disorder. This learning will occur through working with individual and group clients who have an eating disorder (as well as individuals with sub-clinical patterns of disordered eating). Interns will attend weekly meetings as part of the Eating Disorders Outpatient Program (EDOP). These meetings will alternate between a multidisciplinary staffing meeting, in which treatment for individuals is coordinated amongst a physician, nurse, dietician, and senior psychologists and meetings with the coordinator of the EDOP. As part of the multidisciplinary team meetings, interns will be exposed to the medical and nutritional aspects of eating disorders, address conceptualization issues, and discuss treatment planning. The bi-weekly meetings with the coordinator will allow interns to read and discuss relevant research and treatment literature on eating disorders, and to assess application and relevance to their clinical cases. The intern will work with the Coordinator of the Eating Disorder Outpatient Program as well as with their individual supervisors for supervision in this area.

Number of Interns: Two interns will be able to work with the EDOP program.

Time Commitment: A one- or two-semester commitment for this area of concentration.

Duties:

Will attend weekly meetings of the EDOP team
Will carry one or two eating disordered individuals on their caseload.
May develop a program for early intervention for those individuals at risk of developing an eating disorder.
May facilitate a group for women with food issues/body image concerns
Eating Disorder Awareness Week Activities
Will do readings in the literature as needed.

Relationship/Couples Psychotherapy: Interns will provide 1-3 hours/week of couples therapy or therapy with individual clients for whom relationship issues are a focus. Depending on prior training and experience in couples work, interns will provide couples therapy with a senior staff co-therapist, an intern co-therapist, or will see the couple by him/herself. Individual clients with relational issues will be assigned to their regular caseload. Training for this area of concentration includes weekly supervision and readings from couple’s supervisor.

Duties:

The intern will see additional clients beyond the number in the standard contract for the semester in question.
The intern will complete readings as assigned by couple’s supervisor.

Community Intervention: As a member of a Counseling Center community intervention team, interns may initiate a community intervention project or collaborate with other team members on new or ongoing activities. In this area of concentration, a project or activity is chosen that allows the intern increased opportunities to work closely with their team members and/or other campus constituents (e.g., student groups, other professional staff) to address a need or issue in one of the Counseling Center’s major areas of programming emphasis (mental health, diversity, social justice/advocacy, campus safety and violence reduction/prevention, support for academic success and retention). Community Intervention may include University committee work, policy development, being a liaison to student groups, community service, program development, workshop design and implementation, web based interventions, etc.

Duties:

The intern will discuss interests with the Director of Training and Community Intervention Coordinator
The intern, Director of Training and the Community Intervention Coordinator will determine the responsibilities and duties and document these in writing. This document will be signed by the intern, Community Intervention Coordinator, and Director of Training

Program Evaluation & Administration

Interns will work collaboratively with the Chief Psychologist and/or Director in regards to Counseling Center program evaluation, needs assessment, outcome data regarding therapy, client satisfaction surveys, and client/student learning outcomes. This concentration is limited to one semester.

Duties:

The intern will discuss interests with the Director of Training and Chief Psychologist or Director
The intern, Chief Psychologist, and Director will determine the responsibilities and duties and document these in writing. This document will be signed by the intern, designated project supervisor, and Director of Training

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