Graduate Training Program: Internship
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Our thoughts and well wishes are with those who have been affected by Hurricane Sandy. Given the complications this storm may have caused in submitting applications, we have extended our deadline to
Thursday, November 8th at 11:59 PM.
Internship Program Description
The University
The Counseling Center
An Introduction to to the Internship Program
Internship Training Philosophy
Goals and Objectives
Components of the Internship
Typical Breakdown of Hours per Week in Different Activities
Intern Training Meetings
Standard Center Meetings
Self-Disclosure Policy
Compensation and Benefits
Counseling Center Staff
Past and Present Interns
Internship Application
American University is an independent coeducational university with more than 12,000 students enrolled in undergraduate, masters, doctoral, and professional degree programs. On an 84-acre residential campus in a quiet neighborhood in upper northwest Washington, D.C., the university attracts students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the territories, and nearly 150 foreign countries. Apart from, yet a part of the city, American University is a short distance from Washington’s centers of government, business, research, commerce, and art. Major city bus routes and a campus shuttle to a nearby subway stop serve the university.
The Counseling Center
The Counseling Center is American University's primary counseling facility. It is an ideal setting for interns to gain experience working with a wide variety of presenting concerns and broad range of diagnoses. The top five self-reported reasons for seeking counseling reveal typical issues addressed at the Center: family relationships, social relationships, depression, academic concerns, grief and loss. Other common presenting issues include anxiety, sexual assault or abuse issues, eating disorders and related concerns, and drug and alcohol use/abuse.
The Center provides a variety of services to students including crisis intervention, ongoing counseling/psychotherapy, workshops and therapy/support groups. The student population also offers the opportunity to work with clients from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
The mission of the Counseling Center is to promote students’ educational success by supporting their intellectual, emotional and social development. The Center operates from a developmental approach that recognizes that we must address the needs of the whole student body-- all the students, including but not limited to those in need of formal psychological diagnosis, treatment, and/or crisis intervention. A developmental approach also emphasizes the importance of addressing the needs of the whole student -- we must recognize the ongoing and multi-faceted nature of the student’s life and the interdependence of the students’ emotional, social and academic concerns.
Furthermore, a developmental approach recognizes that adolescents need support and guidance as they navigate their way into adulthood and encounter new challenges -- many of them crucial, life-defining challenges - in areas such as self-identity definition, social and sexual activity, substance use/abuse and other health/safety issues, spiritual commitment, career decisions, emotional self-understanding and self-management, cognitive/intellectual/academic functioning, interpersonal relationships, and an understanding of themselves in relation to their family, peer groups, and culture. Whatever the particular service or activity we provide -- a crisis intervention, an ongoing counseling relationship, an interactive one-session workshop, a time-limited therapy/support group -- we strive to recognize our students as developing human beings and to nurture their growth and learning.
In working from a developmental approach, the Center staff use a variety of theoretical orientations but shared amongst the staff is an interest and dedication to the training of professionals in the use of psychodynamic therapy. This is the primary theoretical orientation of the internship program.
The Center is staffed by eight psychologists and several adjunct consulting professionals. Clinical staff members are currently licensed or license-eligible in D.C. and are actively involved in professional organizations. Many of the staff have pursued advanced training.
An Introduction to the Internship Program
The American University Counseling Center’s internship program received full APA accreditation in the Spring of 2004. The 2001-2002 year was the first year of the program, and two interns served during that period. The Center sought three interns through the national match service for the subsequent years. Beginning in 2005, the Center began training four interns each year.
Although the internship is a relatively new program, the Center has a long-standing commitment to training. For more than 20 years, the Center has offered an externship program to graduate students in Psychology doctoral and Social Work masters programs. The extern program has 6 graduate trainees. It is a structured program, which includes didactic seminars, a case conference, opportunities for outreach and group programming, as well as clinical hours. Additionally, the Center offers training opportunities for first and second year graduate students in the American University’s Clinical Psychology doctoral degree program.
Training has been a passion of many staff members and we are excited to have embarked on the development of an internship program. The opportunity for daily interactions among staff and trainees helps keep us learning, questioning and wondering.
Internship Training Philosophy
The Center’s model of training emphasizes the following: (1) the importance of teaching interns how to integrate theory and scientific knowledge into practice (the practitioner/scholar model), (2) the importance of attending to the intern’s developmental needs, (3) the importance of teaching interns about professionalism and being a part of a team in addition to learning basic clinical skills.
The training site is viewed as a place to integrate theory and practice. An emphasis is placed on helping interns learn how to apply the knowledge they have gained from their classrooms, research and readings into what they do in their work. Opportunities to increase their knowledge base are incorporated into the program. Interns attend seminars that provide a list of readings. The seminars are planned so that trainees are introduced in didactic form to topics that coincide with where they are in their developmental process. In planning the internship training, the staff felt it was important to fully integrate this didactic experience with the practical. Interns have Intern Training which incorporates both of these components in several content areas: Intake and Assessment, Supervision, Consultation and Outreach, Group Therapy, Psychodynamic Theory, Diversity Training, and Professional Issues.
Additionally, we strive to teach through modeling that professional development and scholarly inquest is an ongoing process, one that reaches well beyond the internship year. Our aim is to help our interns see that one cannot and should not practice within a vacuum, that we need theory and science to inform our work, and that there are tremendous benefits in learning from others’ experience.
Consistent with the overall mission of the Counseling Center, which focuses on the developmental needs of the student population and the diverse ways that such needs can be met, the staff further believe that the training experience needs to follow a developmental progression, meeting each intern at his/her entering skill level and pressing them to expand beyond that. In doing so, our training incorporates the following:
• Didactic experiences to enhance awareness of the current literature, theoretical models, diagnostic issues, and ways to integrate these into practice
• Opportunities to learn through direct observation and other vicarious experience (i.e., hearing about others work through case discussion in seminars and peer supervision)
• Opportunities to learn through experience
• Opportunities to share work, discuss experiences, and teach others.
Our training program seeks to provide these opportunities within a sequential fashion in which interns assume increasing levels of autonomy. This model is incorporated into much of what we do. For example, interns first are provided didactic training on conducting intakes, then conduct intakes with staff observation, then conduct intakes independently with weekly supervision that is incorporated into their weekly meetings with their primary supervisors.
Lastly, as mentioned earlier, the staff believes that for interns to be prepared for careers in psychology that some attention needs to be paid to issues around professionalism and working as a team player. By involving our interns in staff meetings and meetings with other offices in the Office of Campus Life, we provide them opportunities to truly witness the workings of a counseling center, and the importance of working together. Ethical issues are addressed in seminars as well as within Peer Supervision meetings with staff, where dilemmas that occur are often addressed. Interns also attend a Professional Development Group (run by an outside consultant) to help them explore their issues around developing as a professional, meeting the personal and professional demands, and examine their own work together as interns. Biweekly meetings with the Assistant Director for Training also address professional issues.
Goal #1: To produce graduates who have the requisite knowledge and skills for entry into the practice of professional psychology in a counseling or private practice setting.
Objective 1: To acquire knowledge and clinical skills in providing individual psychotherapy.
Competencies Expected:
-Interns will demonstrate the ability to form and maintain therapeutic alliances with their individual clients through effective listening, empathy, and other relationship building skills.
- Interns will demonstrate the ability to employ appropriate therapeutic interventions.
Objective 2: To acquire knowledge and clinical skills in providing group psychotherapy.
Competencies Expected:
-Interns will become proficient in skills related to the selection of clients for group therapy.
-Interns will become proficient group psychotherapy intervention skills.
-Interns will become proficient in skills related to being a co-leader of a group.
Objective 3: To develop intake and diagnostic assessment skills.
Competencies Expected:
-Interns will become proficient in assessment of client problem areas and needs.
-Interns will become proficient in developing and implementing recommendations for treatment based on clinical assessment skills.
-Interns will become knowledgeable and proficient in assessing goodness of fit for clients to engage in group therapy.
Objective 4: To acquire knowledge and skills in crisis intervention.
Competencies Expected:
-Interns will become proficient in assessment of clients in crisis.
-Interns will develop skills in conceptualizing client needs in crisis and will develop appropriate safety plans for clients in distress.
Objective 5: To (prepare professional psychology interns as practitioners who can) provide outreach and consultation.
Competencies Expected:
-Interns will become proficient in the development of outreach programming.
-Interns will become proficient in the provision of outreach programming.
-Interns will develop skills required to provide consultation.
Objective 6: To develop knowSledge and skills in providing clinical supervision.
Competencies Expected:
-Interns will develop good working relationships with their supervisees.
-Interns will be proficient at assisting supervisees in skill building.
Goal #2: To produce interns who are grounded in their ability to integrate theory and research into clinical practice.
Objective 1: To expand intern’s knowledge of theories and research related to clinical practice
Competencies Expected:
-Interns will expand their knowledge of research and theories related to both individual and group psychotherapy.
-Interns will expand their knowledge of research and theory related to non-direct contact clinical skills(i.e., supervision, outreach, consultation).
Objective 2: To develop intern’s capacity to integrate knowledge of theories and research into their clinical practice.
Competencies Expected:
-Interns will demonstrate a capacity to integrate knowledge of theories and research on psychotherapy into their clinical practice
-Interns will demonstrate the capacity to integrate research and theory related to non-direct contact clinical skills(i.e., supervision, outreach, consultation) into their practice in these areas
Goal #3: To foster interns’ professional identity as a psychologist that engenders a life-long commitment to learning.
Objective 1: To develop an ongoing commitment to continued learning.
Competencies Expected:
-Intern will demonstrate commitment to continued learning in psychotherapy.
-Intern will demonstrate commitment to continued learning in areas of outreach, consultation, supervision, and other areas of professional psychology.
Goal #4: To facilitate a professional identity that incorporates an awareness of self and an understanding of and respect for diversity (e.g., gender, ethnicity, disability).
Objective 1: To develop a professional identity that incorporates an awareness of self.
Competencies Expected:
-Intern demonstrates an ongoing commitment to self-awareness and self-examination.
-Intern demonstrates the personal and professional awareness of strengths, limitations and areas of growth as a clinician.
Objective 2: To develop the knowledge, sensitivity and clinical skills needed to work with diverse populations.
Competencies Expected:
-Interns will become knowledgeable of the impact of issues of diversity on the therapeutic relationship and of practices to engage in sensitivity around these issues.
-Interns will become knowledgeable of the impact of issues of diversity on outreach, consultation and supervision of trainees.
Goal #5: To engender an understanding and knowledge of professional issues and their application in the clinical setting.
Objective 1: To develop a professional identity sufficient to enable the intern to function as ethical psychologist in a variety of settings.
Competencies Expected:
-Interns will develop an awareness of ethical behavior and ability to integrate into their practice in therapeutic settings.
-Interns will develop an awareness of ethical behavior and ability to integrate into their outreach, consultation, and supervision work.
Objective 2: To develop a professional identity sufficient to enable the intern to function with a sense of professionalism in a variety of settings.
Competencies Expected:
-Interns will develop an awareness of professional behavior and ability to integrate into their practice in therapeutic settings.
-Interns will develop an awareness of professional behavior and ability to integrate into their outreach, consultation, and supervision.
Components of the Internship
The internship training is highly experiential. Approximately half of the intern’s hours are devoted to activities that involve direct service: individual therapy, group therapy, intake, crisis intervention. Ample opportunities to be socialized into the profession exist as interns are fully integrated into the staff. By attending staff meetings and seminars and peer supervision with staff they have opportunities to witness and work collaboratively with the staff as they wrestle with ethical dilemmas, seek feedback on their clinical work, and develop policy within the center. Interns have many opportunities to witness staff’s work. Mentorship is an important part of the intern’s experience. The wide variety of supervisory experiences allows interns to have individual contact with a number of staff members. As such, the interns have a number of mentors and role models. Additionally, the interns have a Professional Development Group led by an outside consultant to explore issues regarding becoming a professional. This consultant also serves in a mentoring/role model relationship, particularly for interns who have aspirations to work in private practice.
Specific components of the program are as follows:
1. Individual Therapy. Each intern will be expected to carry ten to twelve on-going cases. Clients are generally seen once a week. Sessions take place at the Counseling Center. Interns will get exposure to both long- and short-term models of psychotherapy. The number of sessions that a student is seen depends upon his/her own needs, within a time-limited model. The opportunity exists for interns to carry some of their caseload for the entire internship.
2. Supervision on Individual Therapy Cases. Each intern will have two clinical supervisors for individual therapy cases. One of the clinical supervisor will also supervise intake and crisis intervention sessions. Each supervisor will provide an hour a week of individual supervision. Interns will also participate in a weekly group seminar format for individual psychotherapy supervision. Finally, interns will also participate in peer supervision once a week.
3. Assessment. Learning to assess the client and the client’s situation so as to help them make the most of their counseling is essential. In order to provide training and supervised experience in this area, each intern will conduct three intakes per week and receive supervision on this work. Interns are supervised by their primary supervisor for their intake work. Didactic training around assessment issues is a concentrated element of the Orientation Phase of the internship year, with additional didactic training and ongoing supervision around assessment issues occurring throughout the two remaining phases of the internship. Content information for this assessment focus centers around applied skills in conducting effective clinical assessment throughout all phases of clinical contact, including: clinical observation in intake, risk assessment, clinical diagnosis, conceptualization and treatment planning, and integration of cultural information in all phases of clinical work. Formal assessment training is primarily focused on the instruments utilized in all clinical services: each client of the Center completes the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms (CCAPS), and all clients expressing suicidality upon intake or in subsequent sessions are tracked using the Suicide Status Form (SSF) protocol.
4. Consultation and Outreach. Each intern will work on a minimum of four outreach projects within the university community. Interns will work closely with the Assistant Director of Outreach and Consultation on these projects. Other projects might include: assisting with the Center’s newsletter, attending campus events, or consulting with faculty or residential advisors. Interns’ own interests regarding outreach will be encouraged. Past trainees have given workshops to the community on eating disorders, anger management, relationship issues, and other topics pertinent to the college experience. Interns meet with the Assistant Director of Outreach regularly in the Outreach Seminar. Some of this time is devoted to didactic presentations, some to supervision on outreach projects. Substantial training time is provided during the orientation period as well. Interns will also receive training and experience in program evaluation as part of the evaluation of their outreach work.
5. Crisis/Emergency. The center operates using several walk-in emergency intake times per day. Each intern will be expected to serve several emergency intake times per week. Additionally, the center staff rotates on-call coverage responsibility through out the year. Interns will be expected to take part in this rotation. Back-up supervision during these hours is built into the structure of the schedule. Supervision of the interns’ crisis intervention work will be provided in conjunction with their intake and assessment supervision in a dyad format. Seminar topics on crisis management are also included throughout the Orientation Phase and in various seminars, particularly the Counseling Center Clinical Issues Seminar.
6. Supervision Training. Each intern will provide individual supervision to three total trainees in the externship program (two supervisees in one semester, and one supervisee in the other semester). Supervision for this experience will be provided in dyad format with fellow interns. The initial phase of Supervision Training will incorporate didactic information regarding theories of supervision, discussion of Center policies and procedures regarding supervisory responsibilities, and the opportunity to hear about others’ supervision styles.
7. Group Therapy. Interns will be given the opportunity to co-lead Psychotherapy groups with a staff member and/or lead Support groups. They will also be co-leading an additional group with either a staff member or another intern. Supervision will be provided by the group co-leader. Interns will also meet weekly with a staff member to address group issues as a part of the Group Seminar. Some of this time will be devoted to didactic information on groups; some of the time will be devoted to discussion of groups that the interns are co-leading.
8. Evaluation and Feedback. Feedback on intern’s progress will be provided in individual supervision as well as each element of the training experience. Planned feedback will occur at the end of each Phase of the internship, and all staff involved in training are encouraged to consider the importance of providing feedback throughout the internship year as well. Interns are evaluated on all of the objectives listed above. Interns are expected to perform at the “on target” level, and staff are encouraged to use the mid-point in the objective parts of the evaluation as the “anchor point” when completing written evaluations.
9 Professional Development Group. A professional development group will be provided for the interns to explore issues related to becoming a professional. The facilitator for this group will be an outside consultant. Professional issues are also addressed in seminar format, and through various forms of supervision as well.
10. Psychodynamic Theory. Interns will be given specific training in four psychodynamic theories: ego psychology, object relations theory, self psychology, and contemporary relational theory. Each of the four theories will be presented in a didactic format with opportunity for clinical material discussions as well.
11. Cultural Competency Training. Interns are assigned a client load that is diverse. Interns also receive training which addresses diversity issues and cultural competencies. Seminars are presented during the orientation period as well as weekly throughout the year. Presentations and discussions of clinical case material are an integral part of how interns engage in learning cultural competencies.
12. Empirically Supported Treatments. Interns are given training in empirically supported treatments focused on issues typical for college students including depression, anxiety, self harm behaviors, and eating disorders.
Typical Schedule of Hours per Week in Activities during the Academic Year
Clinical Activity - 19/19.5 Total Hours
Direct Contact:
10 Individual Client Hours (typically interns have additional cases at end of each semester noted as Short Term Intervention cases)
3 Scheduled Intake Assessment Hours (this increases during summer months)
2 Emergency /Walk-in Intake Assessment Hours
1.5 Group (typically September – early May)
1.5 Group #2 (one semester only)
Total Direct Contact Hours: 16.5/18
Additional Clinical Activities:
2/1 Supervision of Trainee (interns supervise two externs for one semester, and one extern for the other semester)
.5 Outreach /consultation
Total Additional Clinical Activity Hours: 2.5/1.5
Training - 12.5/13 Total Hours
Supervision Received:
2 Supervision on Individual Clients (Individual format)
1 Individual Psychotherapy Seminar Supervision (Group format)
1 Peer Supervision (group format) (3x a month)
1 Supervision of Supervision (Small group format)
.5/1 Supervision on Group (Individual format) (typically only September–early May)
Total Supervision per week: 5.5/6
Seminars (8 Total):
1 Intern Training: Counseling Center Clinical Issues Seminar (fall) and Professional Issues (spring)
1 Intern Training: Cultural Competencies Seminar
1 Intern Training: Group Seminar
2 Professional Development Group (with travel)
1 Outreach and Consultation Seminar
1.5 Staff Development Seminar (2x a month)
Summer Seminars: 2 Supervision of Supervision; 2 Psychodynamic Theory; 2 Empirically Supported Treatment.
Administrative - 8.5/7.5 Total Hours
3 Meetings:
1 Staff Meeting
1.5 Case Assignment Meeting
Other:
5.5/4.5 Record Keeping, other administration
Intern Training Meetings (not including individual supervision)
Intern Training meetings include both supervision and didactic components. The intern orientation sessions during the first weeks of the academic year address topics such as administrative issues; orientation to the Counseling Center and the University; orientation to the internship program; issues of ethics and confidentiality; intake assessment; and handling crises.
The weekly Intern seminars throughout the year cover several general topic areas:
Outreach & Consultation. Prepares interns to meet outreach opportunities on campus and examines the role of outreach in the university and the profession. (Typical seminar topics: Models of Outreach; Outreach to the University Community)
Cultural Competencies Seminar. Educates interns about the importance of attending to issues of diversity in treatment. (Typical seminar topics: Multicultural Issues; Working with Students with Learning Disabilities; GLBT Issues; Multicultural Pride; Racial Identity Development; Working with different racial/ethnic groups in psychotherapy)
Professional Issues and Training Program Seminar. Addresses issues in the professional development of the interns including use of supervision, transitioning into the world of employment. (Typical seminar topics: Ethical Issues; Creating a Balanced Schedule; Private Practice Issues; Professional Development as an Ongoing Journey.) This seminar meets during orientation and in the spring semester.
Professional Development Seminar. This training experience is conducted by a psychologist affiliated with the Counseling Center. The purpose of the seminar is to provide a resource and opportunity for interns to discuss their experiences and explore their reactions to the internship experience. No didactic material is presented as a part of this seminar.
Counseling Center Clinical Issues Seminar. Focuses on improving interns’ assessment and diagnostic skills. Assists interns in developing skills regarding making referrals and developing a referral base. Also addresses issues regarding handling of emergencies. Provides interns with a more systemic understanding of mental health issues in higher education. (Typical seminar topics: Handling Crises; Issues in Suicide Assessment; Clinical System Delivery Models; Resources for specific student populations; Handling On-Call Crises; Resources for Low Fee Services; Issues in Differential Diagnosis). This seminar meeting during orientation and in the fall semester.
Supervision of Supervision. Prepares interns to take on the role of supervisor with graduate level trainees. (Typical seminar topics: Models of Supervision; Setting the Frame in Supervision; Assessing Supervisee's Developmental Training Needs; Ethical Issues in Supervision; Diversity Issues in Supervision.) This didactic seminar meets in the summer prior to beginning role as supervisor.
Group Therapy Seminar. Focuses on issues relevant to conducting group psychotherapy. Part of the seminar time is spent on group supervision of the group psychotherapy experience. (Typical seminar topics include: Why Group Counseling?; Referring to Group; Therapeutic Factors in Group)
Psychodynamic Therapy Seminar. Interns will be given specific training in four psychodynamic theories: ego psychology, object-relations theory, self-psychology, and contemporary relational theory. Each of the four theories will be presented in a didactic format with opporutnity for clinical material discussions as well.
Empirically Supported Treatment. Interns are given training in empirically supported treatments focused on issues typical in college students including depression, anxiety, self harm behaviors, and eating disorders.
Standard Weekly Meetings
In addition to intern training meetings that are specific to the interns, interns participate in many of the standard meetings of the Center:
Staff Meeting. Meeting where administrative issues are addressed. Reports are given by the Assistant Director of Clinical Services, Assistant Director of Training, and Assistant Director of Outreach.
Assignment and Case Consultation Meeting. Meeting of staff and interns which addresses all intake cases seen during the week. Decisions regarding appropriate treatment assignments are made. Interns and staff often present cases for discussion if there is diagnostic uncertainty or questions regarding treatment needs.
Peer Supervision. Each week an intern presents a case for discussion during the hour. A staff member facilitates the discussion.
Staff Development. Seminar meets 2x/month for staff and interns.
Self-Disclosure Policy
The American University Counseling Center training programs view supervision as a means for trainees to learn how to assess and intervene with clients, and to recognize, understand and manage their personal reactions to those under their care. We believe that the therapist’s response to the client “in the room” can be an important vehicle for understanding and helping the client. As such, an integral part of supervision is exploration of such issues. In accordance with the APA ethics code, section 7.4, it is important for the trainees to be informed that they will be expected to explore and reflect upon their feelings and reactions to clients. In the process of this self-reflection, personal information about the trainee may be addressed. The staff believes that the decision as to how much or how little to share is a choice that needs to be made by the trainee. Supervision is never viewed as psychotherapy.
Also in accordance with APA ethics code, section 7.5, it is important for trainees to be aware that the due process procedures for our training programs indicate that the staff may require trainees to obtain psychotherapy in those cases in which a trainee is deemed impaired.
Compensation and Benefits
Stipend. $26,000 gross, paid as a stipend, equal amounts each month from July through July.
Leave time. Total of 10 holidays (Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Friday after Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve, New Years Day, Martin Luther King Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day) , 6 days of sick leave, and 8 days of vacation. An additional 5 days are given at the end of the internship to prepare for rotation of intern classes. Up to 4 days of professional leave time will be provided for dissertation defense or to attend conferences. Interns are also allotted 2-3 hours/week in research time during May, June, and July, as well as during the January break.
Library use. Interns may use the campus library facilities and check out books using their AU I.D. card.
Sports facilities. For a fee, interns may use the campus sports facilities.
Parking on campus. For a fee, parking on campus is available for interns. For more information go to http://www.american.edu/finance/ts/rates.html.
Benefits. Interns may purchase the student health insurance. Rates for spouse/domestic partners can be found on the Student Health Center Web site at www.american.edu/ocl/healthcenter.
Counseling Center Staff
Wanda Collins, Ph.D. (Director of the Counseling Center)
Doctorate: Virginia Commonwealth University. Special interests: psychodynamic therapy, self-psychology, group therapy, supervision and training, multi-cultural issues, sexual orientation issues, men’s issues, consultation and outreach.
Traci Callandrillo, Ph.D. (Assistant Director for Clinical Services)
Doctorate: University of Kansas. Special interests: clinical supervision and training, group therapy, college student development, mental health issues in higher education, existential therapy, integrative psychotherapy approaches, stages of change models, LGBTQ issues, relationship concerns, working with men's issues in therapy, positive psychology, and white racial identity development.
Jeanne Piette, Ph.D. (Assistant Director for Clinical Training)
Doctorate: Loyola University Chicago. Special interests: Supervision and training, psychodynamic theory, trauma and recovery, integrative approaches to therapy and military/veterans' mental health and wellness.
Amanda Rahimi, Ph.D. (Assistant Director for Outreach and Consultation)
Doctorate: George Mason University. Special interests: women's issues, cultural identity development, body image and eating disorders, bereavement, outreach and consultation, and clinical training.
Ana Buenaventura, Psy.D. (Staff Clinician)
Doctorate: George Washington University. Special interests: psychodynamic therapy, object relations theory, trauma and recovery, multicultural issues, cultural adjustment of international students, and learning disorders.
Keum-Hyeong Choi , Ph.D. (Staff Clinician)
Doctorate: Loyola University of Chicago. Special interests: psychodynamic theory, attachment and separation-individuation, loss and grief, multicultural and women's issues.
Charrise de Vera Hipol, Psy.D. (Staff Clinician)
Doctorate: University of Denver, Graduate School of Professional Psychology. Special Interests: identity development, multicultural issues, and women's issues.
Past and Present Interns
Our past and present interns have included graduate students from American University, Argosy University, Biola University, Catholic University, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Duquesne University, George Mason University, George Washington University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Loyola University, Northwestern University, The Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology, The Wright Institute, University of Maryland, and University of Massachusetts - Amherst.
To apply to the American University Counseling Center clinician internship, please submit the following using the online AAPI:
1. Current APPIC application for psychology internship
2. Official transcripts of all graduate work
3. Current vita
4. Three letters of recommendation -- at least two from clinical supervisors
**The match number for the American University Counseling Center is: 177811. Please see the National Matching Services website for more information.
Submit all documents with the online AAPI and address your cover letter to:
Jeanne Piette, Ph.D.
Assistant Director for Training
American University, MGC-214
4400 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington DC 20016-8150
(Please Note: Direct all inquiries regarding the status and completion of your application to Dr. Jeanne Piette, Assistant Director for Training, at piette@american.edu)
Applications must be received electronically using the online AAPI by November 1st.
Selected applicants will be interviewed in mid-December and early January.
The AU Counseling Center Pre-doctoral Internship is a member of APPIC. This internship site agrees to abide by the APPIC policy that no person at this training facility will solicit, accept or use any ranking-related information from any intern applicant.
The AU Counseling Center Pre-doctoral Internship program is fully accredited by the American Psychological Association.
Information regarding APA accreditation guidelines can be obtained through the APA Committee on Accreditation: c/o Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation 750 First Street, NE • Washington, DC • 20002-4242 Phone: 202-336-5979 • TDD/TTY: 202-336-6123 Fax: 202-336-5978.
