Practicum Training Opportunities
The Counseling Center and staff are dedicated to providing practicum training opportunities for graduate students in counseling and psychology at the masters and doctoral level. The following summary of training and service opportunities provides an overview of the various options available during the training experience as well as directions for applying and making an inquiry.
Clinical Training Opportunities
Intake
Practicum students participate in initial intake assessments of students. The intake session offers the practicum student a range of training experiences, including assessing student risk, conducting bio-psycho-social assessments and creating diagnostic impressions of a student’s concerns.
Individual Counseling
MCCC offers practicum students the opportunity to conduct counseling with a diverse undergraduate student population. Student issues cover a variety of concerns (e.g., depression, homesickness, anxiety, etc.) and psychological severity. Practicum students typically meet with 4 to 6 individual clients weekly.
Group Therapy
Practicum students can participate as an observer or co-facilitator for group counseling. An observer serves as the objective observer of group therapy content and process, as the record keeper of group events, and participates in group process with the co-facilitators after a group session. A co-facilitator shares the role of group counselor with a staff counselor at the center. The co-facilitator utilizes the counseling skills unique to group therapy and typically shares the responsibility of planning, forming, and conducting group counseling with the staff counselor.
Alcohol and Other Drug Assessment
MCCC offers two types of alcohol counseling to students (BASICS and CHOICES) who have been mandated by the Office of Student Development and provides drug and other addiction counseling as well. The MCCC uses screening intervention assessments along with short term individual and group counseling along with the use of motivational techniques (See Miller & Rollnick, 2002). Practicum students are also welcome to participate in program development and outreach related to alcohol and other drug issues.
Outreach
Practicum students are encouraged to become involved in multiple aspects of outreach programming. Our practicum students operate a desk in our HUB for a couple hours each week. Practicum students are also encouraged to plan and implement outreach presentations for various departments on campus and feel free to generate new ideas!
Crisis Intervention
College is often a stressful and difficult time for young people and crisis situations often arise. Practicum students have the opportunity to work with students in crisis, deliver crisis risk assessments and provide co-counseling with other staff members.
Consultation
Practicum students have the opportunity to consult with private professionals and various members of the campus community.
Professional Development
Supervision
Each practicum student receives two hours of individual supervision and one hour of group supervision. Supervision focuses on supervisee’s goals and growth areas (e.g., note writing, assessment interpretation). Supervision aims to enhance multiple aspects of counseling work (e.g., conceptualization and treatment planning) and professional development. Supervisors review video/audio-taped clinical sessions as well as provide formative and summative evaluations.
Case Presentations
Practicum students participate in weekly case presentations. Students also engage in dialogue and receive feedback from peers and supervisors.
How To Apply
Please send a cover letter and current curriculum vitae to:
Moravian College Counseling Center
1200 Main Street
Bethlehem PA 18018
If you would prefer to send your information electronically, please send it to counselingcenter@moravian.edu.
