The training program at the Counseling Center includes a doctoral internship in health services psychology. The internship is conceived as the capstone year of the doctoral training experience in clinical and counseling psychology that provides an opportunity for interns to develop professional autonomy while working under the supervision of experienced professionals. This transitional year encourages interns to formulate a deeper understanding of their theoretical orientation while building skills in individual, group and couples therapy, crisis intervention, consultation, primary prevention, outreach and assessment with a diverse university student population.

The training staff works within a practitioner-scholar model with an emphasis on the development of the intern. This practitioner-scholar model focuses on the practical integration of empirical knowledge into clinical work, guided by mentoring supervisory relationships, discussions with peers and senior staff in weekly case conferences and didactic training. The primary focus of the training program is clinical work with an urban university population that is diverse in terms of many variables including age, race, gender, ethnicity, sexual identity, religious affiliation, socioeconomic status and presenting concern. This broad training experience prepares interns to move comfortably and competently into a variety of outpatient settings. A major strength of training at the Counseling Center is the diversity of the student body and training staff of Georgia State University.

In addition to clinical experiences available, the Counseling Center is committed to serving as an engaged campus partner and provides proactive programming and wellness-based outreach to the campus community. The center is a key member of the Healthy State Committee and, as such, regularly partners with a variety of departments on campus to host campus events, health fairs and workshops on topics such as stress management, time management, relationship skill building and assertiveness training. Interns are given the opportunity to co-facilitate workshops and to lead them independently.

Supervision focuses on helping interns develop and refine methods of intervening therapeutically that are grounded in theory and research. Emphasis is placed on development of the strengths of interns. The center highly values the abilities and talents brought by interns and strives to integrate each intern into the full operation of the center as an independent professional. Interns will have the opportunity to serve on center committees, present clinical questions and offer feedback in regular case conference meetings, make suggestions and give insights on the operation of the center and pursue professional development through conference and workshop attendance. The staff of the center is diverse and offers a variety of theoretical orientations and training backgrounds. Interns are given the opportunity to be involved in the selection of their individual supervisors and are involved in identifying their needs and goals for the internship year.

Statement of Purpose

For psychologists to competently serve all members of the public now and in the future, professional psychology training programs strive to ensure that psychology trainees demonstrate acceptable levels of knowledge, skills and awareness to work effectively with diverse individuals. Clients/patients are complex individuals who belong to diverse cultures and groups. Trainees also bring a complex set of personal characteristics and diverse cultural or group memberships to the education and training process. An important component of psychology training to explore is when and how trainees’ world views, beliefs or religious values interact with and even impede the provision of competent professional services to members of the public. It is essential that potential conflicts be acknowledged and addressed during training so that psychologists are prepared to beneficially and non-injuriously interact with all clients/patients. This statement is intended to help training programs address conflicts between trainees’ worldviews, beliefs or religious values and professional psychology’s commitment to offering culturally responsive psychological services to all members of the public, especially to those from traditionally marginalized groups.

The training program is a member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) and is accredited by the American Psychological Association. Questions related to the program’s accreditation status should be directed to:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
50 1st Street, Washington, DC 20002
Phone: 202-336-5979
Email: Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
Web: American Psychological Association Accredited Programs

The GSUCC has 3 available intern positions for the 2024-2025 training year. The stipend for interns is $31,800. The training year extends from August 5, 2024 - August 1, 2025. Intern positions are full-time (40-44 hours per week) and include the benefits listed below.

Medical Benefits

Interns have access to the same health insurance benefit plans as full time staff members with optional addition of vision and dental insurance.

Vacation/Sick Leave

Interns will accrue eight hours sick leave each month and 10 hours of vacation leave for a total of 96 hours of sick and 120 hours of vacation leave. Interns also get approximately 12 days of paid holiday during the year. Interns also receive 8 hours of educational/professional leave time.

*Note: there are 6 days of unpaid winter break time during which the GSUCC offices will be closed and all full-time staff have the option to use vacation hours to supplement pay during this time period.

Other University Benefits

Interns receive additional benefits as GSU employees, including access to the recreational exercise and sports facility for free, discounts at local businesses and access to the University’s library system.

Offices and Resources

Each intern has their own office at the Student Counseling Center. Interns are provided a desktop computer and university laptop (for work from home purposes) with an electronic scheduling and recording-keeping system, access to email, internet and word processing. All computers are also equipped with webcams for session recording purposes.  

Application Qualifications

Applicants for internship must be doctoral students currently enrolled in APA-accredited counseling or clinical psychology programs. Prior to the application submission, applicants must have obtained 450 intervention hours. Interns must have successfully passed their comprehensive examinations by application deadline and are expected to have passed their dissertation proposal by the start of internship. Interns must also have completed all appropriate coursework prior to beginning internship.

In addition to the application requirements, GSUCC is seeking applicants who:

• Demonstrate interest and experience working in university counseling centers through practicum and clinical work.
• Demonstrate a commitment and value to multicultural awareness and sensitivity with interest in working with diverse populations.
• Demonstrate interest in self-reflection and awareness of their own identities and the “self of the therapist.”

Application

We only accept applications that are submitted electronically via the APPIC AAPI online system.

Applications should include:

• A curriculum vitae
• Official transcripts of all graduate work
• Three letters of recommendation

Application Deadline: Applications are due at 11:59 p.m. EST on November 5, 2023.

APPIC Guidelines

Our selection process follows all APPIC guidelines and APPIC Match Policies www.appic.org. Specifically, our internship site agrees to abide by the APPIC policy that no person at this training site will solicit, accept or use any ranking-related information from an intern applicant.

If you have any questions regarding our program or the application process, please contact the internship Training Director at [email protected].

2023-2024 Class:

Sidney Allen, M.A., University of Indianapolis
Imani Lipp, M.A., Regent University
Manu Muasau, M.A., John F. Kennedy University

Data Program Tables updates 8/7/2023

Program Disclosures

Does the program or institution require students, trainees, and/or staff (faculty) to comply with specific policies or practices related to the institution’s affiliation or purpose? Such policies or practices may include, but are not limited to, admissions, hiring, retention policies, and/or requirements for completion that express mission and values.

No

Internship Program Admissions

Briefly describe in narrative form important information to assist potential applicants in assessing their likely fit with your program. This description must be consistent with the program’s policies on intern selection and practicum and academic preparation requirements:

The APA-accredited internship program at Georgia State University is a 2000 hour, 12-month training program. We use the APPIC Internship Matching Program for our selection process. Candidates must be enrolled in a counseling or clinical psychology doctoral program and have completed a minimum of 450 intervention hours. All relevant coursework must be completed, competency exams complete and dissertation proposed.

Our program is designed to provide senior level doctoral psychology students with an opportunity to advance their clinical skills and widen their breadth of client and professional experiences with the aim of meeting APA profession wide competencies and edifying their identity as an emerging psychologist. We strive to provide a program that balances both challenge and support while centering growth from a developmental model and cultural awareness and sensitivity in service provision. GSUCC is located in an urban university setting integrated into downtown Atlanta, Georgia and we serve a highly diverse student body with a wide breadth of clinical needs. We are seeking applicants who show special interest in serving this unique student population as evidenced through their practicum and clinical experiences; as well as their commitment to the training program values of multicultural sensitivity and diversity.

Does the program require that applicants have received a minimum number of hours of the following at time of application? If Yes, indicate how many: 

Hours Type	Amount	Required
Total Direct Contact Intervention Hours	450 Hours	Yes
Total Direct Contact Assessment Hours	N/A	No

Describe any other required minimum criteria used to screen applicants:

1. A minimum of 450 intervention hours
2. Comprehensive exams passed by the application deadline.
3. Dissertation proposal by the start of internship.
4. An ability to pass a criminal background check and GSU onboarding screenings.

Financial and Other Benefit Support for Upcoming Training Year* 

Annual Stipend/Salary for Full-time Interns	$31,800
Annual Stipend/Salary for Half-time Interns	N/A
Program provides access to medical insurance for intern?	Yes

If access to medical insurance is provided:

Trainee contribution to cost required?	Yes
Coverage of family member(s) available?	Yes
Coverage of legally married partner available?	Yes
Coverage of domestic partner available?	Yes
Hours of Annual Paid Personal Time Off (PTO and/or Vacation)	120 hours (48 hours may be used to cover unpaid winter break time, at intern discretion)
Hours of Annual Paid Sick Leave	96 hours

In the event of medical conditions and/or family needs that require extended leave, does the program allow reasonable unpaid leave to interns/residents in excess of personal time off and sick leave?

Yes

Other Benefits (please describe):

Life and disability insurance.

Retirement benefit.

University/State holidays.

*Note: Programs are not required by the Commission on Accreditation to provide all benefits listed in this table.

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Initial Post Internship Positions
(Provide an Aggregated Tally for the Preceding 3 Cohorts)

2019-2022 

Total # of interns who were in the 3 cohorts	9
Total # of interns who did not seek employment because they returned to their doctoral program/are completing doctoral degree	0

 

Facility Type	Post-doctoral residency position (PD)	Employed Position (EP)
Academic Teaching	0	1
Community Mental Health Center	0	0
Consortium	0	0
University Counseling Center	0	3
Hospital/Medical Center	0	0
Veterans Affairs Health Care System	0	0
Psychiatric Facility	0	0
Correctional Facility	0	0
Health Maintenance Organization	0	0
School district/system	0	0
Independent Practice Setting	0	5
Other	0	0

Note: “PD” = Post-doctoral residency position; “EP” = Employed Position. Each individual represented in this table should be counted only one time. For former trainees working in more than one setting, select the setting that represents their primary position.