grad students giving therapy

[chaos]

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I've heard vaguely that one can get reduced-fee therapy from grad students doing their clinical internships at campus mental health centers. How independently to these students generally work from their supervisors? Like, would a patient coming in have their initial diagnostic testing/interview done exclusively by the grad student, who would only indirectly report to the supervisor...and would the clinical supervisor meet/see the grad student's patients at any point?

 

[KillerDiller]

I don't know much about the subject, but, from what I've seen, it seems that interns at campus mental health centers tape record their sessions for their supervisors to play back and evaluate. I don't believe supervisors step in unless something isn't going well, but this could easily vary by site and from supervisor to supervisor. Some campus counseling centers have more advanced doctors do intake evaluations, some simply set up your initial appointment with the person who will likely become your regular therapist.

As for reduced fees, every campus counseling center I'm acquainted with offers a number of free sessions to students and is closed to the public.

 

[JockNerd]

This is how it works at my uni:

Someone (senior staff trained in this) does the intake. Clients are rated on a severity scale. Level 3 severity goes to interns, level 4 goes to staff. Grad students get levels 1 and 2. Clients are distributed to the grad students at a meeting where things like preferences of the client for particular types of therapists or therapist characteristics are taken into account.

Grad students are supervised by a training director and other senior staff. Sessions are taped and reviewed for supervision purposes. The grad student reports directly to the centre training director and other senior staff, presenting clients and describing the process and progress of therapy.

I don't know for sure but would assume that if a client were to suddenly and significantly increase in problem severity he or she would be immediately reassigned to a more experienced staff member. Other than that, I think more senior staff are hands-off other people's clients.

At my undergrad school, therapy for students was free for any duration from any of two centres. At my grad school I believe it's free for any duration as well (within reason, I'm sure).

 

[chaos]

Thanks 🙂

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

JN, that is how I've seen it also....great explanation.

-t