Counseling & Psychological Services

While the staff strives for generalist training of health service psychologists, there are plenty of opportunities within the structure of the internship to specialize in areas that might be of particular interest to an intern. Each intern who chooses to specialize individually designs the specialization, in consultation with the training director and supervisors. There are numerous possibilities for the manner in which specilizations might be structured, but below are examples of activities in which interns have engaged in different specialty areas in the past. Please be advised that for various reasons (including the needs of the center and its clients, the interests of the other interns in a given cohort, etc.), we cannot guarantee that all opportunities within a specialization will be available in a given year or semester, and we encourage you to contact the Training Director if you have specific questions about a given specialty area. Given the extensive generalist training that is provided throughout the internship, potential applicants should be aware that a limited amount of time will be dedicated to specialty areas throughout a typical week (typically 1-4 hours). Interns may choose to do additonal work outside of the 40 hour work week, though this is not an expectation or requirement of our interns.

Administration

• Serve on a Counseling Center committee such as the training committee, clinical committee, or outreach committee
• Meet regularly with the director, training director, or clinical director to discuss issues related to the administration of those areas
• Assist with administrative projects
• Serve on university-wide committees

Eating Disorders

• Assist the coordinator of the Eating Concerns Treatment team
• Conduct eating concerns assessments and consultations
• Provide group therapy through the Food/Mood group
• Provide individual therapy sessions for clients with body image and eating concerns
• Participate in special outreach offerings associated with Eating Disorders Awareness Week

Group Therapy

• Co-lead two therapy groups each semester
• Assist the Group Therapy Coordinator with the set-up and advertising of groups
• Complete a research project related to group therapy
• Co-lead a group with a practicum student during the spring semester, providing supervision of the co-leader (depending on group therapy and supervision skills)
• Present a professional training seminar on a topic related to group therapy

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender

• Serve as a co-consultant to LGBT student groups/clubs on campus
• Co-lead the Gender Spectrum or LGB support/therapy groups
• Work with the LGBT Center on a special project
• Provide outreach programs related to LGBT concerns

Multicultural

• Serve as liaison/consultant to offices that serve diverse students or clubs/organizations representing diverse students
• Serve on the Counseling Center's Diversity Outreach Team
• Complete a special project that will help meet the needs of diverse students and/or help the CC connect with diverse and underrepresented populations
• Provide individual and/or group therapy to diverse students
• Provide a training seminar, lead a lunch and learn (or other professonal development activity) related to working with diverse clients

Mindfulness/Mind-Body

• Co-lead the Mindfulness Group
• Present outreach programs related to mindfulness
• Apply mindfulness-based approaches in work with individual therapy clients
• Present a professional training seminar on Mindfulness or Mind-Body approaches

Supervision/Training

• Supervise an additional pre-practicum student in the fall semester
• Supervise an additional practicum student or an advanced student (extern) in the spring semester
• Serve as the lead of a co-led therapy group (if you have already obtained substantial group experience)
• Assist the Master's Training Coordinator in the provision of group supervision for Master's trainees
• Participate on the Training Committee
• Present a training seminar on a topic related to supervision and training

Trauma

• Co-lead a trauma-focused group (Painful Pasts, Promising Futures, etc.)
• Participate in planning for Sexual Assault Awareness Week
• Present outreach programs related to trauma
• Participate as a co-consultant for groups such as the Women's Center or the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART)
• Maintain a clinical caseload that includes clients dealing with trauma-related concerns
• Use trauma instruments, such as the Trauma Symptom Inventory, in work with clients
• Present a professional training seminar in the spring related to trauma

Athletics

Please be advised that the Athletics specialization provides a scaffolded approach to intern development, offering developmentally appropriate opportunities based on their experiences prior to internship. This typically results in more shadowing, didactics and outreach planning in the Fall semester and peformance consultation, workshop development, and work with specific teams in the spring and summer. The Case Disposition team will work to place athletes on the schedules of interns with this specialization throughout the academic year.

• Provide initial consultations, individual, and/or group therapy to student-athletes
• Provide consultation to Athletics staff, including administrators, trainers, coaches, and Academic Services for Athletes (ASA) advisors and GAs
• Shadow the CC's Student Athlete coordinator's participation on the Athletics Department’s High-Performance Team
• Provide outreach consultation through the Injury Consultation Clinic
• Present outreach and prevention-based training to teams and Athletics staff
• Assist the Coordinator for Student-Athlete Services with summer Orientation presentations and other outreach programming
• Collaborate with the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), including the Black Student-Athlete Committee, and the Director of Student-Athlete Development to support student-athlete mental health and diversity initiatives
• Present a professional training seminar on a topic pertinent to student-athlete mental health and well-being
• Serve as the liaison to a particular varsity team of interest and be a point of contact for getting students on that team connected to services if needed.

Behavioral Health Consulting

• Spend time in Student Health Services performing behavioral health consultations when medical providers refer students who might benefit from such meetings
• Attend monthly all-staff meetings with other health professionals in Student Health Services
• Meet bi-weekly with other members of the Behavioral Health Consulting team to discuss cases and engage in didactic training
• Engage in research to determine the efficacy of a behavioral health consulting program at Appalachian State University
• Present a training seminar on behavioral health consulting