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THERAPY
PRACTICUM
IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
Mission & Philosophy of Training
Northeastern
Illinois University is dedicated to access and excellence in higher
education. The most important facets of the university's mission are to
offer high quality graduate and undergraduate programs to a broad
spectrum of students and to foster student growth and development. The
Counseling Office furthers these goals by providing psychological and
career services that promote the personal, academic and career
development of Northeastern students. Trainees are an important part of
the Counseling Office's professional team in these efforts.
In
the context of the larger University, the Counseling Office provides an
environment rich with opportunities for learning and deepening skills.
In many ways more a community mental health center than a traditional
college counseling center, our office provides services for a community
that is broadly diverse across all dimensions and that presents an
equally broad range of clinical issues. Postdoctoral fellows
participate in all aspects of Counseling Office activities. We view
clinical training as an apprenticeship experience in a service
environment committed to ongoing learning, professional independence
and reflection about practice.
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About
Northeastern
Campus environment
Northeastern
Illinois University is a comprehensive state university serving more
than 12,000 commuter students. It offers more than 70 undergraduate and
graduate majors within 3 colleges. Northeastern is located on 67 acres
in an attractive residential neighborhood on the northwest side of
Chicago -- click here for directions
to campus.
Northeastern's
diverse student population reflects the rich diversity of the Chicago
metropolitan area, and the Chicago area offers many intellectual
and cultural opportunities to compliment those provided by our
university campus setting. Northeastern was named one of the "Best 201
Colleges for the Real World in 2000" by author Michael Viollt, based on
five different criteria, including opportunities for the general
student body, affordability, and the overall college experience.
For
the fifth consecutive year, Northeastern Illinois University has been
named as the most ethnically diverse university in the Midwest, by US
News & World Report. It has also been noted as ranking 16th
nationally (#1 in Illinois) in graduating Hispanic education majors,
and 12th nationally for the number of Asian American students earning a
master's degree in Mathematics. Click here for NEIU
at a Glance.
Characteristics of the student body & our clients
Northeastern's
population is highly diverse, representing students and staff members
from a wide range of ages, ethnic backgrounds, socio-economic levels,
gender identities, and cultural and religious groups. Over 60% of
Northeastern's students are first-generation college students (the
first in their families to pursue a college education) and many are
"non-traditional" students, coming from groups underrepresented in
higher education. Significant numbers of returning adults also
compliment this diversity. Because many of our students are in the
process of a life transition, they experience high levels of stress as
they balance the often competing worlds of school, work, and home.
A
brief look at the population served by the Counseling Office over the
past several years provides an overview of our client characteristics.
Below is a table comparing the overall NEIU student population with
clients seen in the Counseling Office last year. Over 90% of the
treatment provided last year took the form of individual sessions, with
additional couple/family therapy, group therapy and counseling.
Northeastern Illinois University Client Profile - 2007-2008 |
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|
NEIU Students |
Counseling Clients |
| Age |
average |
28 |
28 |
| Gender |
Female |
62 |
73 |
|
Male |
38 |
27 |
| Ethnicity |
African American |
9.9 |
11.0 |
|
Asian |
10.0 |
8.2 |
|
Caucasian |
46.8 |
50.2 |
|
Hispanic |
25.5 |
24.8 |
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About the Counseling Office
Northeastern Illinois
University's Counseling Office is a service unit within the Division of
Student Life, the area responsible for the many
non-academic and co-curricular support needs of our students. Some of
the other service units within Student Affairs include the Health
Services, Career Services, Campus Recreation and the Student Activities Offices.
Within this milieu, the Counseling Office provides both
psychological and career counseling services, outreach efforts and
crisis intervention to Northeastern students, along with consultation
services for university faculty and administrative staff.
Click here for a
current listing of our staff.
Psychological
Services
The Counseling Office
provides a range of outpatient clinical services to university students
and staff members. Primary clinical activities include individual,
couple, family and group psychotherapy, as well as outreach and
consultation services. A short description follows:
- Individual
Psychotherapy
Individual psychotherapy is the most common service modality. What
characterizes individual treatment at Northeastern is the very diverse
client population, representing a wide variety of background
characteristics and clinical presentations. Psychological services
include crisis intervention and both brief and longer-term
treatment.
- Couple & Family
Psychotherapy
Although individual therapy is predominant, the Counseling Office also
provides couple and family therapy. Whether clients are seen
individually or in couples is determined primarily by client need and
the clinical judgement of the therapist. During 2002-2003,
approximately 5% of the office's sessions involved couple or family
treatment.
- Group Psychotherapy
All clinical staff are encouraged to help develop therapy, support and
psychoeducational groups on campus. These groups frequently have a
specific focus to address the needs of target audiences, and are
sometimes sponsored in collaboration with other service units. Previous
groups have included an ongoing Psychotherapy Process Group, as well as
Counseling groups focusing on specific target populations and issues,
such as anxiety management, stress management, parenting skills, a
women's group and a group for students of color.
- Outreach and
Consultation
All clinical staff are also involved in ongoing efforts to provide
outreach and consultation to the university community, administration,
and faculty about a wide range of psychological and student-related
issues. Recent examples of outreach efforts include parenting groups,
couples workshops, and interpersonal communications training, while
consultation services range from serving on committees and advisory
groups to consultation to university faculty and adminstration.
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About Therapy Practicum
Northeastern's Counseling
Office has a long history of involvement in various levels of clinical
training. Since the early 1990's, the Counseling Office has trained
Masters-level interns, doctoral externs, predoctoral interns and
postdoctoral fellows.
The focus of therapy
practicum in our Counseling Office involves the development of clinical
skills and a professional identity. This is accomplished by joining the
clinical team with involvement in a variety of office activities,
including:
- Providing clinical
services (individual, couple or group therapy)
- Outreach and consultation
to the university community
- Participating in case
conferences
- Psychiatric
case-consultation
Practicum students spend
20 hrs per week on site. Therapy practicum generally begins mid-Aug and
runs through May of the following year.
Application Procedures
To apply, please
send the following materials:
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Copy of your graduate
transcript
- Two Letters of
Recommendation
- Personal statement
In your personal statement, please address the
following: What are your goals for therapy practicum? Also, please
describe your approach to your work and how it fits with who you are as
a person and who you want to be as a psychologist.
Send your application
materials to:
Dr. Elizabeth Pullen
Counseling Office
Northeastern Illinois University
5500 N. St. Louis Ave.
Chicago, IL 60625-4699
Application and
Timeline:
Applications will be accepted for practicum beginning February 2010 with
interviews expected from late February through mid-March. Therapy
practicum runs from the last week of August, 2010 through May 2011.
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For more information
- Visit the Counseling Office's home page
for general information about the Counseling Office and its various
services.
- If you have other
questions about the postdoctoral program, contact Dr. Pullen at:
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Northeastern
Illinois University is an Affirmative Action,
Equal Opportunity Employer
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