Counseling and Psychological Services

This specialty practicum is a focused professional training opportunity for masters and doctoral level students to acquire knowledge in the design, implementation and evaluation of psychoeducational interventions offered to the Northwestern University community. Externs will learn to provide workshops on a variety of topics and life skills within the primary areas of Health and Wellness and Relationships and Emotional Intelligence. Utilizing an apprenticeship model, externs learn by initially observing and/or assisting senior CAPS clinicians as they develop and conduct psychoeducational workshops, then subsequently the extern will assume primary responsibility by conducting the workshop independently or with another facilitator. Externs would be expected to participate both in the workshops of the developmental programming area as well as some off-site outreach presentations (on campus) that relate to developmental programming. Further, DP externs are trained to provide interventions that reduce stress and anxiety for Northwestern University students in individual and group formats. In their role as anxiety reduction counselors, externs provide psychoeducation as well as experiential interventions. Empirically validated biopsychological approaches for stress and anxiety reduction are used, including mindfulness techniques, cognitive-behavioral techniques, and biofeedback.

1. Developmental Programming Seminar: Externs will meet 2 hours per week with the Director of Developmental Programming to receive training and supervision on workshop design, facilitation, and evaluation skills. Theories and models of workshop design will be reviewed, as well as theory and empirical support behind the life skills being taught in the developmental programs.

2. Supervision of Clinical Intervention: Developmental Programming Externs will meet with a clinical supervisor 1 hour per week in a small-group format to discuss their experience of intervention for stress and anxiety reduction. Videotapes of externs’ intervention sessions will be utilized to provide supervisory support and guidance in the externs’ skill development. If an extern’s supervision is provided by an unlicensed supervisor, the supervisor is in turn supervised by a licensed psychologist, and the extern’s supervisory sessions are routinely recorded.

Applications are invited from graduate students in masters and doctoral programs in counseling and clinical psychology.

Applications should include:

A cover letter explaining your interest in this particular practicum--applications will only be considered if the cover letter addresses your interest in this particular practicum.

Your curriculum vita

Two letters of recommendation. We recommend that at least one be from a supervisor who has overseen your clinical work (e.g., supervisor at the therapy practicum)

Very Important: CAPS has two separate practicum programs. To ensure you are considered for the correct program, please do the following: state clearly in your cover letter that you are applying to the Developmental Programming Externship make sure you put the name of the practicum in which you are interested in the address on the envelope (see directions below)

Deadline for applications for the 2009 -2010 Academic Year will be Friday, February 13 , 2009. All applications must be received by CAPS by 5:00 p.m. of that day to be considered.

Send application mateials via US Mail (or Fed Ex, UPS, or another carrier). No electronic applications will be accepted.

Jod Taywaditep, Ph.D.
Assistant Director for Training
Attention: For Developmental Programming Practicum
Northwestern University
CAPS, 633 Emerson
Evanston, IL 60208-4000