Frequently Asked Questions
What are the values of the USDCC training program?
One of the University of San Diego’s core values is community, which speaks to a commitment to creating an inclusive community respectful of the rights and dignity of the indivudal (see http://www.sandiego.edu/administration/president/strategicdirections/mission.php for discussion of the University’s core values.) Congruent with this, the USDCC is committed to embracing diversity in all its forms. We expect our training staff and interns to have a respect for diversity and a commitment to personal growth in the area. As such, we value self-reflection, especially as it is translated into the action of creating safe and welcoming professional relationships. As professional psychologists and psychologists in training, we adhere to all aspects of the APA’s ethical code and treatment guidelines in all of our professional work.
What are the terms of appointment?
The appointment begins August 1, 2008 and ends July 31, 2009. Salary will be a minimum of $21,174. In addition, interns receive 12% of the salary retirement benefits, so total financial compensation is approximately $23,714. The University also provides contributions each month per month toward the purchase of a benefits package. One of the health insurance options can typically be selected with little or no cost to the intern. Interns accrue 10 vacation days and 12 sick days in addition to 12 paid university holidays. A full description of the benefits plan for interns is provided at USD Benefits.
What is a typical intern day like?
It is probably easier to consider what an intern’s overall week is like rather than the days, which can vary quite a bit. The breakdown of how an intern’s work hours are spent is listed in the following chart: Link to chart currently on website
How are primary supervisory relationships determined?
The USDCC values the supervisory relationship as foundational to the intern training experience. As such, interns are encouraged to formally express supervisory preferences. Prior to submitting requests, interns have structured opportunities to meet with training staff to get to know staff approaches to supervision. Subsequent to these meetings interns submit their supervisory preferences to Coordinator of Training. These preferences are valued and considered before official supervisory relationships are determined. This process is repeated prior to the spring semester when interns work with new primary supervisors.
What are you looking for in an intern?
Fundamentally, we are looking for interns who really enjoy learning. We hope to provide a training experience where interns learn both about the clinical work of a practicing psychologist, and about themselves as therapists, so interns who are highly committed to supervision and to self-reflection do especially well here. We expect our interns to embrace the many forms of diversity and, while we don’t expect expertise in all of its realms, we do expect openness and commitment to learning in this area. Finally, we want interns who will really become members of our team by participating in our training experiences, sharing their ideas, and volunteering for different activities.
What is supervision like at USDCC?
Although supervisory styles vary here, we have in common a value of self awareness. It is common in our seminars and various supervision experiences to ask interns to self reflect, for example to self-examine for biases and countertransference reactions. Supervision is never used as therapy, and interns have the choice of how much to reveal in supervisory settings. At the end of the training year, it is common for our interns to note supervision as the best aspect of their training year and to comment how safe and supported they felt in supervision.
What about diversity at USD?
USD is a private, Catholic university with an enrollment of about 6500 students. About 24% of the university’s students identify as people of color, with approximately 2% identifying as African-American/Black, 8% identifying as Asian, 1% identifying as Native American, and 13% identifying as Latino/Hispanic. Detailed information is provided about the university’s enrollment at https://www.sandiego.edu/irp/quick/quick-2006/ethnicity.php. In general, the Counseling Center’s clients mirror the student body.
Does your site have one theoretical orientation?
Though we do not have one theoretical orientation by intent, many of our staff overlap in theoretical approach. We have many supervisors who have interests in interpersonal and psychodynamic psychotherapy, especially time limited models. Many of our staff also draw from cognitive-behavioral or systems theory within an integrative model. See our individual staff descriptions for more information.
Do USDCC interns get to learn about supervision?
Throughout the training year, interns typically supervise and provide training for the USD peer advisement program. These peer advisors are a group of USD undergraduate students who are selected via a formal application process after completing a peer counseling course offered within the Department of Psychology. Typically interns aid in interviewing and reviewing student applications for this program. Additionally, interns may have an opportunity to provide a lecture on a topic relevant to counseling practice to the students during the fall term and/or work with students to create a campus outreach activity or presentation.
In the spring term, interns participate in orientation meetings with peer advisors. Interns are trained in strategies of supervision in a seminar. Then, interns will meet with a small group of 3-4 students for weekly supervision of their peer advisement work. Students will bring audiotapes and transcripts to supervisory session. As part of this training experience, interns will meet with a senior staff psychologist for supervision of supervision each week.
This experience provides interns with unique and valuable exposure to the training and supervision of paraprofessionals.
What about groups?
We ask that interns co-lead one group per semester with a senior staff psychologist. At a small campus, groups are at times difficult to fill. When the groups don’t fill, the interns increase their individual clinical hours. In the last academic year, interns ran a women of color group and a graduate student therapy group. A mindfulness group was an additional training option.
Seminars and in-services
On a weekly basis, interns receive two hours didactic training per week, either in the form of intern seminars, or staff in services. In addition, the USD Wellness Area typically offers two continuing education programs the interns attend along with other USDCC staff. In the past, the university has sponsored programming on psychopharmacology, ethics and boundaries in supervision, substance abuse, and eating disorders.
A summary of the current seminar information is listed at: (link)
Do interns get dissertation or professional development time?
Interns are provided three hours each week to be used in professional development activities. Interns have the option of banking some of these hours by doing clinical work on site, which allows them to accrue professional development days off.
Does the USDCC have taping/recording equipment?
Interns have access to video recording including web cams.
Is there anything special I should know about this internship?
Our interns are very busy during the academic year! While we do have a 40 hour work week, in order to accumulate 2000 hours for the overall internship and 500 clinical contact hours, our interns need to maintain a fairly high clinical caseload. It gets much more relaxed during the winter intersession and the summer. Interns are also highly active in outreach at our site. Finally, like all our clinical staff, interns have intermittent evening and weekend outreach duties.
Can I come visit?
We are aware that applying for internship and traveling to multiple interviews can constitute a financial burden on many applicants. For this reason, all of our interviews are phone interviews. However, we also realize that many applicants can’t really get excited about a site unless they have the opportunity to see it and meet some of the staff. Interns who are selected to interview are invited to an optional Open House, which is scheduled after interviews are done, but before ranking lists are submitted. At the open house, applicants have the opportunity to meet most or all of the training staff and interns. Applicants who cannot attend at that time are welcome to contact the Coordinator of Training to schedule a site visit. These individual appointments can be scheduled as time permits.