Training Program

The Doctoral Internship in Health Service Psychology at Student Counseling Services serves as a capstone training experience in the development of professional psychologists. Our program provides an opportunity for interns to integrate academic knowledge with direct clinical practice, building on prior training to strengthen competencies across multiple domains. Through supervised experiences in a comprehensive and supportive setting, interns further develop the skills, insight, and professional identity necessary to function independently as entry-level health service psychologists.

Program Overview

Our program provides comprehensive training and supervised experience in activities commonly expected of psychologists across a wide range of mental health settings. In addition, we offer specialized training tailored to the unique needs of university populations. The structure of the internship is designed to promote interns’ ongoing professional development while offering meaningful flexibility. Interns are encouraged to actively shape their experiences to meet their individual learning goals and clinical interests.

Several features distinguish our internship program and reflect our enduring commitment to excellence in training:

High-Quality Supervision: Interns receive three hours of individual supervision weekly, one hour beyond APA’s minimum requirement, ensuring depth, support, and individualized guidance.
Professional Identity Development: We emphasize the transition from trainee to early-career psychologist through intentional support for professional identity formation and socialization into the field.
Diverse Role Models: Our staff reflects a wide range of theoretical orientations, clinical interests, and lived experiences, providing rich exposure to diverse professional paths.
Program Stability and Support: Our internship program is long-standing and well-supported, offering a consistent and nurturing environment for growth.
Broadly Applicable Training: Interns are prepared for a wide variety of clinical and professional roles, with skills that translate across mental health settings.
Thriving Group Program: Interns actively participate in a vibrant group therapy program, with opportunities to co-lead and independently lead groups.
Graduated Crisis Training: Our developmental model allows interns to build skills in crisis assessment and intervention over time, with increasing autonomy and confidence.
Supervision Experience: Interns will have the opportunity to supervise advanced practicum students (e.g., doctoral externs or MSW interns), with dedicated support and training in supervision.
Diversity-Focused Outreach: We emphasize social justice and inclusion through programming, outreach, and clinical practice with diverse student communities.
Athletics Consultation Rotation: Interns may elect a rotation in providing consultation and clinical support to student-athletes in collaboration with ISU Athletics.

Our center also offers an attractive and fully equipped training space, including state-of-the-art technology designed to enhance learning and clinical work.

Finally, we believe it is important to be transparent with prospective interns: this is an immersive and intensive year that will ask for your full engagement. We are equally committed to providing both challenge and support throughout your training journey. Interns who fully invest in this experience often describe it as both transformational and professionally affirming.”

Compensation and Benefits

Interns for the 2025–2026 training year will receive a full-time annual stipend of no less than $38,868, with monthly compensation ranging from $3,000 to $3,239 based on the university’s monthly pay structure. This amount reflects 12 months of full-time training and may vary slightly depending on university payroll timelines.

Each intern is provided a private office furnished with updated furniture and equipped with a personal computer, LAN and internet access, and built-in audio/visual capabilities to support video recording of individual and group therapy sessions.

Interns receive full benefits associated with Administrative/Professional (A/P) employee status at Illinois State University, including:

Health Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision insurance
Time Off: Generous leave policies including university holidays, vacation days, and personal time
Campus Resources: Access to university libraries, fitness/recreation facilities, and professional development opportunities
Professional Development Support: Interns are encouraged to attend professional conferences and workshops and receive financial support for registration and travel costs, subject to university guidelines

We are committed to supporting interns not only in their clinical and professional development, but also in their overall well-being during this important training year.

Training Model

The Doctoral Internship in Health Service Psychology at Illinois State University’s Student Counseling Services is grounded in a Developmental-Mentoring Model. The overarching goal of our training program is to support the growth of competent, reflective, and well-rounded entry-level professional psychologists.

This model emphasizes two core components:

Developmental progression, where interns build on existing knowledge and skills through graduated learning opportunities, and
Mentorship, where strong supervisory relationships provide both professional guidance and personal support.

We recognize that internship is a transformative year. Interns shift from student/learner to learner/practitioner, and ultimately to emerging professionals prepared for independent practice. Our program is intentionally structured to support these transitions, with increasing autonomy and responsibility as the year progresses.

Supervision plays a central role in our developmental approach. Interns receive high-quality supervision from experienced clinicians who are invested in their growth. Many learning experiences are characterized by a “learning-by-doing” approach, allowing interns to apply theory, integrate scientific knowledge, and refine skills in real-world settings, all under thoughtful, individualized supervision.

Mentorship is a hallmark of our training environment. Through strong relational connections with staff, interns receive:

Career-related mentoring, which promotes professional advancement through modeling, coaching, socialization into the field, and exposure to professional activities and organizations
Psychosocial mentoring, which enhances well-being and identity development through affirmation, support, and authentic connection

Interns benefit from working with multiple supervisors and being exposed to a variety of staff with diverse clinical orientations, professional identities, and lived experiences. These relationships provide a rich foundation for professional identity formation, skills integration, and confidence in role functioning.

In short, our training model is intentionally layered, flexible, and human-centered—designed to meet interns where they are, challenge them to grow, and support them in becoming thoughtful and ethical psychologists.

Aims of the Training Program

The Doctoral Internship in Health Service Psychology provides supervised training across a broad range of professional activities essential to the practice of psychology. Interns gain experience in individual and group counseling and psychotherapy, daytime emergency services, and after-hours crisis intervention. In addition to direct clinical services, interns participate in a variety of preventive, developmental, and consultative activities, which may include outreach programming, campus consultation, supervision-related experiences, and opportunities for applied research or program evaluation.

The training program is designed to foster well-rounded, competent entry-level psychologists through intentional learning experiences grounded in best practices, developmental supervision, and a strong commitment to equity, inclusion, and ethical practice.

The three major aims of the internship training program are:

To develop core clinical competencies necessary for entry-level professional practice as a health service psychologist, including assessment, intervention, and ethical decision-making.
To foster the integration of science and practice, emphasizing the use of empirical literature, theory, and reflective thinking in the delivery of psychological services.
To support the formation of a strong professional identity, grounded in self-awareness, cultural humility, social responsibility, and commitment to ongoing professional development.

Aim 1

To provide training in the planning, delivery, and evaluation of high-quality, professional, and comprehensive psychological services within a university counseling center setting.

Interns are expected to develop profession-wide competencies in key domains of psychological practice, including but not limited to intervention, assessment, consultation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the integration of research into clinical work. Training emphasizes the delivery of evidence-informed, culturally responsive services that reflect ethical decision-making and a commitment to individual and community well-being.

Core clinical activities include:

Individual psychotherapy
Group psychotherapy
Crisis intervention
Psychological assessment (with a focus on diagnostic clarity and treatment planning)

Interns are supported in tailoring these experiences to their developmental needs, with increasing levels of autonomy as competence is demonstrated.

Aim 2

To provide training in the general practice of professional psychology, with an emphasis on professional identity development, ethical practice, multicultural competence, and professional socialization.

This aim supports interns in the process of becoming reflective, ethical, and culturally responsive psychologists. Through mentorship, supervision, and immersion in a collaborative interdisciplinary setting, interns are guided in the integration of professional values, scientific knowledge, and self-awareness into their emerging identities as health service psychologists.

Interns are expected to develop profession-wide competencies in areas such as:

Professional ethics and legal standards
Appreciation of individual and cultural diversity
Professional identity and socialization (e.g., understanding the role of the psychologist, integrating scientific literature into practice, and appreciating interdisciplinary systems of care)
Professional development (e.g., effective communication, interpersonal functioning, and reflective practice)

These competencies are fostered within a supportive, developmentally attuned training environment that emphasizes authenticity, humility, and lifelong learning.

Aim 3

To provide training in the breadth of activities associated with university counseling center practice.

Our program is designed to expose interns to the unique opportunities and responsibilities of working within a university setting. Interns receive training and supervision across a range of developmentally focused and system-level services that are responsive to the evolving needs of a diverse campus community.

All interns are expected to meaningfully engage in at least two general outreach programs over the course of the training year. In addition, interns may participate in liaison relationships (e.g., with housing, academic support units, or student organizations) and psychoeducational or wellness-oriented programming. These experiences emphasize the delivery of services beyond the traditional therapy hour and foster competencies in prevention, consultation, and systems-level intervention.

Interns also gain experience through setting-specific training options each semester, allowing for deeper engagement in areas commonly associated with university counseling center work. These focal areas are selected in collaboration with the training team based on availability and intern interest, and may include:

Multicultural outreach and social justice programming
Holistic health promotion
Athletics consultation
In addition, participation in the Supervision of Supervision rotation is a required component of the internship and provides structured experience in developing supervisory competencies.

These training experiences support the development of profession-wide competencies such as intervention at the group or organizational level, consultation, systems thinking, and leadership. Interns work collaboratively with supervisors to tailor these opportunities to their developmental goals and clinical interests, ensuring a dynamic and personally meaningful internship year.

Structure

Consistent with the goals of our training program, the internship is structured around two major components:

Core Training Areas

These include foundational experiences required of all interns, such as individual and group psychotherapy, crisis intervention, clinical assessment, outreach and preventative programming, and participation in supervision and professional development activities. These areas are designed to foster the development of profession-wide competencies and support interns’ progression toward independent practice.

Setting-Specific Training Opportunities

Setting-specific training opportunities are designed to capitalize on the unique characteristics and needs of the university counseling center environment. These experiences allow interns to deepen their competencies in specialized areas of professional practice, while also supporting the operational goals of the center.

Interns select one setting-specific focal area each semester in consultation with the Training Director and their supervisors. While all interns will engage in general liaison, consultation, and outreach activities, these focal areas offer more in-depth, hands-on experiences in a specific area of interest or growth.

Current examples of setting-specific focal areas include:
Multicultural Outreach and Social Justice Programming
Athletics Consultation (for interns with appropriate background or interest)
Holistic Health Promotion

Please note, Supervision of Supervision is also a setting-specific focal area, however, it is a required component of the internship. All interns receive formal training and structured experience in developing foundational supervision skills as part of their core training.

Selection of focal areas is based on a collaborative review of the intern’s prior experiences, developmental goals, and professional interests. Final assignments take into account both intern preferences and center needs, with most focal areas limited to one intern per semester to ensure depth and quality of experience.

This structure is intentionally flexible, allowing interns to take an active role in shaping their training while ensuring alignment with the broader mission of Student Counseling Services. The aim is to support interns in tailoring their experiences to meet individualized developmental goals while making meaningful contributions to the campus community.

Supervision Model

One of the notable strengths of our internship program is the depth, quality, and structure of supervision provided to interns. Our model reflects a strong commitment to training and professional development through a high ratio of supervision to service delivery, ensuring that interns are well-supported as they grow into confident, competent psychologists.

Each intern receives the following weekly supervision:

Two hours of individual supervision from a licensed psychologist
One hour of individual supervision from a licensed clinical supervisor (who may or may not be a psychologist)
One hour of group supervision with the Training Director
A minimum of 30 minutes of group therapy supervision, provided by the intern’s co-facilitator (a senior staff member)

In addition, interns benefit from ongoing informal supervision and mentorship through collaborative professional activities such as consultation, crisis intervention, outreach, and supervision-of-supervision experiences.

Supervision is delivered through multiple modalities, typically including:

Individual supervision, focused on clinical work in individual and group psychotherapy
Group supervision, including case consultation and professional development discussions
Apprenticeship-style supervision, in which interns co-facilitate services such as outreach programs or consultation with senior staff

Interns receive supervision across all domains of professional functioning, including clinical work, ethics, professional identity development, and systems-level interventions. Exposure to multiple supervisors with diverse identities, theoretical orientations, and areas of expertise offers interns a rich tapestry of professional role modeling, enhancing both their clinical skills and their evolving sense of self as psychologists.

Training Seminars and Case Conferences

A core component of the internship program is the Intern Training Seminar, a weekly meeting led by the Training Director and supported by professional staff. This seminar provides both didactic and experiential learning across a range of topics aligned with APA profession-wide competencies. Seminar modules cover key areas of clinical and professional development, including:

Individual psychotherapy (including brief therapy and evidence-based treatments)

Group psychotherapy
Psychological assessment
Crisis intervention
Legal and ethical issues
Outreach and consultation
Clinical supervision

In addition to the Intern Training Seminar, interns also participate in the following structured learning experiences:

Diversity Seminar (1 hour weekly): This seminar incorporates didactic instruction, group discussion, and experiential learning focused on developing multicultural awareness, cultural humility, and competence in clinical practice.
Case Conference (1 hour weekly): Interns meet weekly with the Training Director and their cohort to present clinical cases from their caseloads. These case conferences provide opportunities for interns to reflect on case conceptualization, diagnosis, treatment planning, and ethical considerations. At both mid-year and end-of-year, each intern delivers a formal case presentation to professional staff, including their individual supervisors. These presentations focus on assessment, intervention, and the intern’s clinical decision-making process, offering valuable feedback and support for continued growth.
Small Group Case Conference (bi-weekly): Led by senior staff, this experience is intended as both a professional development activity for staff and a mentoring opportunity for interns. Interns benefit from observing clinical reasoning, case conceptualization, and reflective practice modeled by experienced clinicians.

Sample Time Allocation

Interns spend on average, 40–42 hours per week engaged in activities related to the internship. All interns are considered full-time. While the majority of activities are required, there is some flexibility to incorporate intern interests—particularly within setting-specific training areas. Weekly time commitments may vary slightly based on the specific mix of responsibilities, intern preferences, and the evolving needs of the center.

The general time commitment per week is described in more detail in the Sample Time Allocation Table below.

Service Delivery/Experiential Learning	Hours per week
Individual counseling	10
Triage Assessment	2
Single Session Counseling	1
Group Counseling	1.5
Daytime Emergency/After-hours on-call	3/varies
Setting Specific Activity/Preventative Programming: Setting Specific Options: Supervision, Research and Program Evaluation, Eating Disorder Prevention, Multicultural Outreach, Athletics Consultation, Administrative Skill Development	3-4

Supervision and Training Time
Supervision of Group Counseling	.5
Individual Supervision	3
Group Supervision	1
Diagnostic and Treatment Case Conference	1
Training Seminar	2
Diversity Seminar	1

Administrative Area
Clinical paperwork, record keeping, preparation and general administration	8
Time for Scholarly Research	1
Interprofessional Consultation	1
Staff Meeting	1

	TOTAL: 40-42 Hr

Internship History

Student Counseling Services (SCS) established its doctoral internship program in 1973, and since that time, over 170 interns have completed the program. In November 1980, the internship was granted initial accreditation by the American Psychological Association (APA). The program most recently received full re-accreditation for ten years in 2017, and is currently accredited through 2027.

In its most recent accreditation report, the APA Commission on Accreditation wrote:

"The Commission recognizes the quality of training provided by the program and deems it in substantial compliance with the Standards of Accreditation. The program shows a strong commitment to diversity, specifically through diversity seminars and a diversity committee. There is a clear leadership structure, composed of three associate directors and one director who demonstrate the program's commitment to social justice and multiculturalism."

A recent survey of program graduates from the past several years indicates that alumni are thriving in a wide variety of professional settings, with many pursuing careers in university counseling centers, as well as in hospitals, academic institutions, private practice, and integrated care settings. Internship at SCS has served as a strong foundation for diverse career paths, and our alumni consistently report feeling well-prepared for the demands and opportunities of professional practice.

Our current interns are also available and would be happy to speak with prospective applicants about their experiences in the program.

*Questions related to the program's accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation

American Psychological Association

751 1st Street, NE

Washington, DC 20002

Phone: (202) 336-5979 / Email: apaaccred@apa.org

Web: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation