The Goucher College Student Counseling Center accepts doctoral students into our externship program each academic year. Trainees will experience a variety of clinical experiences, a diverse caseload, and different supervisors throughout the year.

Clinical Experiences

Trainees work at the Student Counseling Center 20 hours each week and can expect to receive approximately 8-10 hours of direct client contact on a typical week. The majority of this time is spent with Goucher students in individual psychotherapy. This process often begins by responding to students’ initial requests for counseling, conducting phone screenings and triage, and performing intakes and psychodiagnostic assessments. Psychotherapy is then provided on a weekly basis following a short-term treatment model with goals of increasing self-awareness, teaching adaptive coping skills, and reducing distress. In the second half of the year, externs may also participate in urgent appointment coverage to assist students in acute distress. Externs will also gain experience planning and implementing targeted campus outreach activities.

Clientele

Goucher College has a diverse student population, and the Student Counseling Center is committed to ongoing development of cultural humility and consideration of personal identity factors in psychotherapy. Common presenting problems amongst our clientele include adjustment challenges, academic difficulties, relationship issues, stress management, self-esteem, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, grief, loss, sexual assault, and concerns related to identity. Because presenting severity ranges from mild adjustment disorders to severe psychopathology, externs will also obtain experience in risk assessment, coordinating treatment with other health professionals (e.g., psychiatric providers), and in some cases facilitating referrals to a higher level of care.

Training & Supervision Experiences

Doctoral externs will receive a minimum of one hour of one-on-one supervision each week, provided by licensed psychologists. Supervisors aim to help trainees find their own identity as clinicians. Live supervision is also used periodically to assist with clinical development. Trainees will attend a one-hour extern seminar each week, which combines didactics with group supervision. Externs will also participate in a one-hour case consultation with other staff members each week. Finally, externs will attend the weekly all-staff meeting on Wednesday mornings.

 

Application Process

Applicants must be enrolled in a doctoral program in clinical or counseling psychology, and must be able to commit to 20 hours per week for the entire academic year (August through May). Prior counseling experience is preferred. Application materials are due by February 1st with interviews beginning mid-February.

Apply for a Doctoral Externship

For those who wish to apply, a letter of recommendation is required. Please direct your contact to complete the Extern Recommendation Form.

Doctoral-Masters Extern Recommendation Form

For additional information, please contact:

Lauren Greenberg, M.S., LCPC (she/hers)
Acting Director of Student Counseling Center
Phone: 410-337-3023
Email: lauren.greenberg@goucher.edu