Training of Mental Health Professionals
The Counseling Center has offered training opportunities for 20+ years. Our staff consists of psychologists, licensed professional counselors, and social workers. The counseling center has an overall philosophy of viewing clients through a developmental lens rather than a medical, deficit-based model common in many settings. The Counseling Center also operates within a time-limited model of service delivery, though there is the opportunity for a trainee to work with clients across the academic year. Our clinical supervisors operate with varied theoretical orientations and there is no single theoretical orientation that predominates or is required.
We routinely offer training placements for students pursuing degrees in Clinical Psychology, Master’s in Social Work, and Counselor Education. These degree paths lead to professional credentialing as a Psychologist, Social Worker, and Licensed Professional Counselor, respectively.
The training year begins in the Fall Semester and goes through the Spring Semester. Some students may have the opportunity to continue during the summer but this is not guaranteed. Individual therapy represents the primary focus of this site, though there are sometimes limited opportunities to engage in outreach programming and/or facilitate group therapy. Throughout the course of the training year, trainees are exposed to a variety of presenting concerns. Adjustment, mood, and anxiety disorders are among the most common presenting concerns seen at the Center.
Initially, trainees can expect fewer complex cases to be assigned to them. As the training year progresses trainees will be assigned more clinically complex cases consistent with their training and clinical skill. After the first two months, it is generally expected that trainees will begin to complete their own clinical intakes. Trainees will continue to develop a caseload through clinical intakes and case assignments.
Each trainee will be assigned an individual supervisor who is credentialed and licensed in their field. The training supervisor will serve as the trainee’s direct supervisor. The training supervisor will oversee all clinical work of the trainee.
At the Counseling Center, we integrate the training students with the professional staff. As a result, we expect all trainees to be present at regularly scheduled staff meetings. We encourage the training students to participate in the clinical and procedural discussions that occur at these regular meetings.
Finally, as the Counseling Center views itself as a training facility, we provide procedural and clinical training to all trainees. This will typically be weekly, and we expect that all students in training be in attendance.
Students interested in training at CC should contact the Associate Director of Clinical Training, Mitch Beavers, Ph.D. to request the application materials. All questions pertaining to the training should be directed to Dr. Beavers (205-348-3863, mgbeavers@ua.edu)
A total of 6-8 placements are available (including both doctoral and master’s level trainees).
