Baruch College’s Psychology Internship Training Program Receives Full Accreditation from the American Psychology Association
October 3, 2018
The American Psychological Association (APA) has granted accreditation to Baruch College’s Counseling Center Doctoral Psychology Internship Program. This designation makes Baruch College one of only two colleges in New York City that currently offer an APA-accredited counseling center internship program.
This accreditation is the highest recommendation a clinical psychology training program can receive. As part of their experience, interns work and collaborate with staff psychologists, social workers, psychiatry residents and other mental health professionals. Trainees in the Baruch College’s Doctoral Psychology Internship Program participate in direct services such as individual therapy, group therapy, crisis assessment, and psychological testing. In addition, interns’ training includes two weekly seminars, monthly case conferences, group and individual supervision, and opportunities to participate in outreach activities across the campus.
“This APA-accreditation is a testimony to all the hard work our staff dedicates to this program,” says Teresa Hurst, PhD, Acting Director and Director of Training for the Baruch College Counseling Center. “We believe in the importance of teaching interns more than a set of skills. Rather, we are committed to teaching them how to learn, be reflective about their work, and assess the ways their experiences fit with what they have learned.”
Learning to Work in a Diverse World
The Doctoral Psychology Internship Program at Baruch trains students to work in a diverse world. The program’s model stresses sensitivity to various populations and specifically focuses interns on becoming aware of their own assumptions about human behavior, values, and biases. Interns are actively trained to understand the point of view of each client without negative judgments and to practice appropriate, relevant, and sensitive intervention strategies and skills in working with culturally diverse clients.
Similar to critical practice, critical thinking, conceptualization, problem-solving, and research are also part of the program, which offers two full-time positions every year. Graduates are expected to be able to function as competent and ethical psychologists and to provide scholarship-based psychological services to individuals, groups, and organizations.
The Counseling Center’s Doctoral Psychology Internship Program is funded through Student Activity Fees, which are managed by the Baruch College Association.
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