Counseling Internships

The counseling staff consists of graduate level psychology interns and postdoctoral associates who work under the supervision of the director, a licensed clinical psychologist. The staff is selected each year on the basis of competence, interest in serving college students, and freedom from bias in meeting the needs of a diverse population.

Pre-doctoral Internship Training Description


WHITTIER COLLEGE
Student Counseling Center
P.O. Box 634
Whittier, CA 90608
(562) 907-4239

LEVEL: P/T Internship; 24 hours per week
Member of California Psychology Internship Council (CAPIC)
CONTACT: Jeannie Wallace, Office Coordinator
(Director, Shikana Temille Porter, Ph.D., PSY 11642)

NATURE OF AGENCY/POPULATION SERVED

The Student Counseling Center serves only Whittier College students. Whittier College is a private liberal arts college of approximately 1,300 students. In addition to undergraduate degrees, the College awards Masters Degrees in Education. It is primarily a residential school and attracts students from across the United States. Currently, fifty percent of the student population is from ethnic and minority backgrounds.

DIRECT/INDIRECT SERVICES

The mission of Student Counseling Services is to meet the psychological needs of the campus community through direct services, outreach programs, guest lectures, training of residential advisors, and consultation with staff and faculty. Interns participate in all of these activities. Individual therapy includes crisis intervention, short-term and extended term. Group therapy and conjoint therapy may be offered on a limited basis.

THEORETICAL ORIENTATION

Supervision and training are eclectic (“integrative”), with an emphasis on assessing client needs and developing treatment strategies which fit those needs.

SUPERVISION

Two licensed psychologists provide supervision. One psychologist provides one hour per week of group supervision. The director provides two hours per week of individual supervision, and a two-hour didactic seminar which at times includes some group supervision.

TRAINING

Work with the College population offers a range of complaints including normal development issues, as well as problems prevalent in this age group (alcohol and other substance abuse, eating disorders, children of alcoholics, adults molested as children, etc.). Interns receive training in models of short-term, problem-focused therapy. Clinical assessment skills are developed, and the intern learns to contract with the student client for a focused treatment goal. Certain cases will be selected for year-long treatment, where appropriate to client needs. Interns will learn consultation skills and be involved in outreach programming in areas that interest them.

The two-hour weekly training seminar covers topics such as Rape Trauma Syndrome; Suicide Issues; Eating Disorders; Treatment Issues with Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual Clients; and many other issues relevant to counseling in a college setting. Interns will participate in creating the training agenda, so that training sessions are responsive to current needs and interests. At least once each month, a guest presenter will provide the training.

Interns may also be given release time to attend appropriate training seminars in the community as these opportunities present themselves.

LENGTH OF TRAINING

Nine months, from September 1 to May 31; 24 hours per week.
A two-day orientation is scheduled the week of Labor Day, on Tuesday and Wednesday from 9-5 each day.

VACATION/HOLIDAYS

Interns are expected to take vacation the 3 weeks of the College Winter Break; and the week of Spring break (which may be in March or April). The Counseling Center is also closed Thanksgiving Day and the Friday following; Memorial Day, Martin Luther King holiday, and July 4 (observed). Other time off must be negotiated with the Director.

PREFERRED/REQUIRED DAYS

The Counseling Center is open 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday; interns schedule clients and individual supervision during these hours. Group supervision/training time is negotiable to fit schedules of all interns (Tuesdays or Wednesdays, typically.)

STIPEND

$900.00 per year, paid in nine installments of $100.00 each, on the first of each month, September through May.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

The Whittier College Counseling Center is a CAPIC half-time internship site, and follows the CAPIC guidelines for application and selection.

Please send the following materials:
CAPIC Uniform Internship Application (available from CAPIC website: www.capic.net)
Cover letter, which provides a statement of your interest in this site
Curriculum Vitae
Letter of Internship Readiness (signed by the appropriate graduate school representative)
Three letters of recommendation, two of which must be from recent clinical supervisors (These may be mailed directly or included with the application)

Deadline for application and interviews for each training year will be coordinated with CAPIC guidelines.

The Director prefers to schedule interviews during the month of January. Candidates from institutions other than Alliant International University, CSPP-LA should make their intention to apply known to the Director as early as possible.

The preferred candidate will have had a year of part-time supervised clinical experience above the practicum level. 

Post-doctoral Internship Training Description


WHITTIER COLLEGE
Student Counseling Center
P.O. Box 634
Whittier, CA 90608
(562) 907-4239

LEVEL: Postdoctoral Associate position, part-time
CONTACT: Jeannie Wallace, Office Coordinator or
Shikana Temille Porter, Ph.D. PSY 11642, Director

NATURE OF AGENCY/POPULATION SERVED

The Student Counseling Center serves only Whittier College undergraduate students. Whittier College is a private liberal arts college of approximately 1,300 students. In addition to undergraduate degrees, the College awards Masters Degrees in Education. It is primarily a residential school and attracts students from across the United States. Currently, fifty percent of the student population is from ethnic and minority backgrounds.

The Counseling Center is staffed by the Director, who is the only full-time licensed professional staff; a full-time service coordinator; an adjunct clinical supervisor, who provides group supervision to the intern staff one hour per week; three part-time pre-doctoral interns, who provide 24 hours per week each of service; and the part-time postdoctoral associate.

DIRECT/INDIRECT SERVICES

The mission of Student Counseling Services is to meet the psychological needs of the campus community through direct services, outreach programs, guest lectures, training of residential advisors, and consultation with staff and faculty. The postdoctoral associate may participate in all of these activities. Individual therapy includes crisis intervention, short-term and extended term. Group therapy and conjoint therapy may be offered on a limited basis.

THEORETICAL ORIENTATION

Supervision and training are eclectic (“integrative”), with an emphasis on assessing client needs and developing treatment strategies which fit those needs.

SUPERVISION

Supervision of the postdoctoral associate will be provided by the director, Shikana Temille Porter, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist (license obtained 1990). Supervision will be scheduled for one hour, each day that the associate is on site, and/or will meet the current requirements for obtaining California licensure.

TRAINING

Work with the College population offers a range of complaints including issues of normal development, as well as problems prevalent in this age group (alcohol and other substance abuse, eating disorders, children of alcoholics, adults molested as children, etc.). The postdoctoral associate will receive training in models of short-term, problem-focused therapy. The associate will have opportunities to learn consultation skills and be involved in outreach programming in areas of interest.

LENGTH OF TRAINING

Nine months, from September 1 to May 31; 16 hours per week, minimum scheduled commitment. Currently, office space is expected to be available on Thursdays and Fridays. Evening outreach programs are expected, and will accrue additional training hours. These will be scheduled as needed, and the associate should have at least one weekday evening available for an occasional program. The associate may be asked to cover emergency consultation some evenings or weekends; according to BOP regulations, no additional hours accrue unless service is delivered.

VACATION/HOLIDAYS

The associate is expected to take vacation the 3 weeks of the College Winter Break; and the week of Spring break (which may be in March or April). The Counseling Center is also closed Thanksgiving Day and the Friday following; Memorial Day, Martin Luther King holiday, and July 4 (observed). Other time off must be negotiated with the Director.

PREFERRED/REQUIRED DAYS

The Counseling Center is open 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday; three part-time interns are selected each year for training, and schedule their hours typically on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Office space consists of the director’s office and three other counseling rooms. Therefore, the associate should plan on scheduling Thursdays and Fridays from 9 am to 5 pm at the Center.

STIPEND

$5,000 per year, paid in nine installments of $555.55 each, on the first of each month, September through May.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Please send the following materials:

Resume
Statement of Interest
2 Letters of Recommendation (preferably from current or recent clinical supervisors)
Verification of doctoral status.

Applications will be received and reviewed on a continuous basis from February through May. Appointment to the position may be made at any time.