Supplemental Advanced Doctoral Practicum
SCU Counseling & Psychological Services is pleased to announce the return of our Supplemental Advanced Doctoral Practicum Training Program for trainees to gain clinical experience working in a fast-paced university counseling center. CAPS is dedicated to providing high-quality, developmentally appropriate, and challenging training experiences for doctoral trainees. Our goal is to further develop clinical skills as generalist psychologists serving diverse student populations. By the end of the training year, advanced doctoral practicum trainees will have developed competence with: triage assessment and disposition planning, intake interviewing, individual therapy, group therapy facilitation, diagnostic formulation, and outreach/consultation. CAPS places an emphasis on the development of culturally competent knowledge, awareness, and skills for our trainees.
We are a multidisciplinary team of clinicians (5 psychologists, social workers, and marriage and family therapists) working within an integrated center and dedicated to training the next generation of psychologists to work in university settings. Our center utilizes a brief therapy model with no session limits so clinicians are able to see clients as long as clinically indicated. Our advanced practicum trainees will join a larger doctoral cohort which includes an APA-accredited doctoral internship and a post-doctoral fellowship.
Supplemental practicum positions are unpaid positions at SCU CAPS.
The training program is a one-year learning experience in a university counseling setting to nurture the professional and personal development of its interns. The aim of the program is to train inclusive, competent, and culturally aware entry-level generalist psychologists to work in the field of Health Service Psychology serving diverse populations. CAPS is an ideal setting to meet this aim given the diversity of the SCU student body. Approximately 57% of the student body identified as persons of color and 5.6% identified as international students coming from 44 different countries. Interns see clients representing diversity around age, ability/disability, religion, culture, sexual orientation, value systems and lifestyles as well.
Clients present to CAPS with an extensive variety of clinical presentations ranging from normative relational and developmental issues to high acuity presentations. The most commonly presenting psychological issues are anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, stress, relationship issues, and adjustment concerns. In addition, we also treat a more seriously distressed population of students suffering from mood instability, eating disorders, psychotic and bipolar spectrum disorders, and personality disorders. Our multidisciplinary team, which is composed of both Student Health Services and CAPS professionals, offers interns a robust team for collaboration and consultation. As interns navigate this bustling clinical setting with appropriate staff support, they gradually hone their clinical skills to work effectively as generalist psychologists.
Practicum trainees see a range of clients for individual therapy (between 5-6 sessions per week). Practicum trainees attend individual and group supervision with licensed psychologists for a total of 2 hours of supervision weekly and participate in peer supervision with a pre-doctoral intern for 1 hour per week for winter and spring quarters.
Phone Consultation
Practicum trainees are responsible for 1 hour of phone consultations per week. Phone consultation is the first step for most students seeking therapy at CAPS. When a student calls the Cowell Center to request counseling services, the front office staff schedules them for a half-hour phone consultation appointment with a therapist. At the appointed time, the therapist calls the student to screen for needs and risk and refer the student either for intake at CAPS or for more appropriate other resources, including case management for support with off-campus referrals or additional crisis intervention. If appropriate, the trainee may schedule the student for an intake on their own schedule; otherwise, the trainee briefly presents the case at the next weekly Case Disposition Meeting.
Intake Assessments
Trainees are responsible for providing at least 0-1 intakes per week. Trainees establish a therapeutic relationship and assess the appropriateness of the student’s presenting problem to a brief treatment model versus longer term therapy. Trainees also develop skills for conducting assessments for a range of presenting issues, for providing crisis intervention, referring for medication evaluation, and collaborating with other university resources.
Individual Therapy
Trainees provide approximately 5-6 sessions of brief therapy per week for registered Santa Clara University undergraduate and graduate students. Individual counseling is typically done within a brief therapy model. However, trainees have the opportunity to do longer term therapy for a full year with one student. The decision of which clients may be seen longer-term is made in consultation with the trainee’s supervisor and/or after presentation to the larger clinical staff. Additionally, trainees can experience referral and management activities within our integrated health/ mental health center. Trainees refer students to our clinical case manager for psychotropic medication, physical, and dietary assessment and monitoring, as well as to outside providers for continuity of care. Trainees also actively interface with other professionals on and off campus regarding managing student mental health care.
Group Therapy
CAPS offers a variety of group therapy options (e.g. Understanding Yourself and Others, Body Liberation, BIPOC Support and Empowerment Group, SCQ: Queer at SCU) every quarter to help students work through common issues in a communal setting. Trainees may have the opportunity co-faciliate a therapy group with a staff member and are provided with an additional 30 minutes of supervision at the end of each group session.
Workshops
CAPS offers mental health workshops (e.g. Self Compassion, Grief Workshop, Unlock Your Focus: Executive Functioning & ADHD Skills Workshop) every quarter to help students learn facts, skills, and strategies. Trainees have the option to co-facilitate workshops with pre-doctoral interns, post-doctoral fellows, or staff persons.
Assessment
Trainees are expected to utilize the CCAPS and integrate the results into their clinical work with clients. The Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms (CCAPS) was developed by Counseling & Psychological Services at the University of Michigan in 2001 and is a 62-item instrument with eight distinct subscales related to psychological symptoms and distress in college students. Trainees are expected to electronically administer the CCAPS to clients at three points in a treatment episode or as clinically indicated: at intake, session 6, and during the final session. This routine administration is to assist the initial assessment phase, measure the impact of clinical interventions, and review progress to date. Other assessment instruments available to interns at CAPS include: BDI, YBOCS. Trainees are expected to consider other methods of assessment that may be helpful to clients and refer them for these services in the community when they are not available at CAPS.
Outreach
Trainees participate in outreach activities to the larger university community. Trainees may present to student groups on such topics as depression, anxiety, positive relationships, self- care, services offered by CAPS etc. Trainees also have opportunities to take personal initiative in developing outreach activities consistent with their individual areas of interest and expertise. All outreach activities are to receive prior approval from the Training Director and primary supervisor and be done under the supervision of a CAPS staff member.
Peer Supervision
Each trainee engages in a peer supervision experience. Trainees are provided with an additional hour of peer supervision by one of the pre-doctoral interns and this experience takes place in winter and spring quarters. Assignment of practicum students to interns for supervision are made by the Training Director. Trainees will meet with their peer supervisor weekly for one hour of individual supervision, which will include a review video of sessions, clinical documentation, and clinical guidance on cases.
| Activities | Hours/Week |
| Direct Services: Intake assessments, individual counseling, crisis management, group co-facilitation, campus outreach activities | 6-8 |
| Formal Training: Supervision (individual, group, and peer) | 2-3 |
| Administrative: Assessment reports, progress notes, case management | 3 |
September 8, 2025 - June 12, 2026.
The practicum experience begins with part-time orientation for the first 3 weeks starting September 8, 2025. Orientation is a time to learn about CAPS policies and procedures, meet with campus partners to holistically support SCU students, and review foundational skills for clinical work and outreach/consultation.
Qualifications
- 3rd year (or beyond) student in a doctoral program
- Ability to commit to a 9-month supplemental advanced practicum from September 2025 to mid-June 2026
- Ability to commit to a minimum of 10+ hours practicum training
- Open to learn and willing to be an active participant with a diverse clinical team
Students may be invited for an on-site or remote interview following review of application materials. Our training site adheres to BAPIC interview and notification standards and procedures.
Please submit the following materials to Estrella Ramirez, Ph.D. (eramirez2@scu.edu) after May 30, 2025 when BAPIC Open Match for Supplemental Practicums begins. Applications are due June 16th, 2025. We anticipate interview offers to be made by June 18th, 2025 and interview days to be June 23rd and 24th, 2025.
Application Process
- Cover Letter
- Curriculum Vitae
- 2 letters of recommendation (including one from your current or most recent practicum clinical supervisor)
- Graduate Transcripts (unofficial transcripts are accepted)
We require that the above application materials be emailed to the Assistant Director of Doctoral Training. When submitting your materials please subject the email: "Advanced Practicum Application_Training Year_Name" for example "Advanced Practicum Application_2025-2026_Jane Smith":
Estrella Ramirez, Ph.D.
Counseling and Psychological Services
Santa Clara University
Cowell Center
500 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95053-1055
Phone: 408-554-4501
Fax: 408-554-5454
E-mail: eramirez2@scu.edu