How many University Counseling Center Pracs do I need for internship?

[annel]

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Hey all,
I'm in the midst of preparing internship applications along with the rest of my cohort. I'm in the 4th year of a PsyD program. My first prac was at the CMH clinic run by my program. Last year, I completed my second prac at a University Counseling Center. This year, I'm completing my prac at a CMH clinic that focuses on DV and doing group therapy with mandated clients who have been convicted of DV. I'm also on my school's organizational/consulting track, and have done some consulting work while at my UCC prac last year (including creating a client satisfaction survey, and compoling data on clinic usage)

I have had this lingering fear that because I chose not to do a second prac at a UCC, I will be less competitive for UCCs than my friends who are in the process of completing a second prac in a UCC.

Can anyone speak to my concern? I know UCCs like applicants to have at least one year of experience at a UCC. But beyond that, is more better or do they prefer people with a variety of experiences?

Thanks!

 

[MCParent]

Hey all,
I'm in the midst of preparing internship applications along with the rest of my cohort. I'm in the 4th year of a PsyD program. My first prac was at the CMH clinic run by my program. Last year, I completed my second prac at a University Counseling Center. This year, I'm completing my prac at a CMH clinic that focuses on DV and doing group therapy with mandated clients who have been convicted of DV. I'm also on my school's organizational/consulting track, and have done some consulting work while at my UCC prac last year (including creating a client satisfaction survey, and compoling data on clinic usage)

I have had this lingering fear that because I chose not to do a second prac at a UCC, I will be less competitive for UCCs than my friends who are in the process of completing a second prac in a UCC.

Can anyone speak to my concern? I know UCCs like applicants to have at least one year of experience at a UCC. But beyond that, is more better or do they prefer people with a variety of experiences?

Thanks!

You'll be more competitive with wide experience. For example, my UCC interviewers liked my experience at a VA and with athletes--two populations UCCs see often. Especially if your prac UCC has a narrower scope of service.

 

[KillerDiller]

Agree with the above. 2 UCC pracs would likely make you look like you don't have a broad enough range of experiences. It would be ok if there were limited prac opportunities in your geographic area, but in general you'd want to avoid that.

 

[joetro]

1 would be nice but isn't always mandatory. Focus on severe mental health experience, diversity/multiculturalism, training/supervision experience, crisis, process-oriented/"use of self" models.

 

[cara susanna]

I know that my N = 1 here, but my friend only had counseling center practica experience and received a lot of interviews at counseling center internships (eventually matching to an APA-accredited UCC internship).

 

[MCParent]

I know that my N = 1 here, but my friend only had counseling center practica experience and received a lot of interviews at counseling center internships (eventually matching to an APA-accredited UCC internship).

I think that's very common. I don't think people are kicked out of the pool at most UCCs for having only CC training. But it's very nice at UCCs to have people in the pool who have been at VAs (lots of vets with their GI bills are in college, and don't want their mental health services recorded at the VA) or hospitals, etc., for similar reasons, and those experiences would be bonuses.