The USU psychology graduate programs train students through hands-on clinical experience. Practicum placements provide students the opportunity to apply their clinical knowledge and skills in a variety of applied settings. All of these training opportunities are based on an evidence-based practice model, considering research evidence, clients’ characteristics/values, and clinical expertise, to provide clinical services to clients. Students provide therapy and/or assessment services under the supervision of licensed psychologists. Group meetings / supervision are also a component of many practicum placements. Close supervision and support between licensed professionals and students help create the best educational experience for the student. In addition to learning about assessment and treatment, students are educated in the ethical responsibilities and documentation required for practice in psychology.
Students in the Combined Clinical/Counseling and School Psychology PhD specializations can engage in additional applied training through clinical assistantships. Assistantships are reserved for students working at an advanced level and offer an additional opportunity to gain applied experience and clinical hours.
Three of our graduate-level specializations feature practicum training as part of the curriculum and course work. Practicum locations vary, so students can gain experience in a number of specialties. Each graduate specialization determines the specific practicum training sites appropriate for their curriculum. There are many practicum sites across the applied training specializations.
The table below features the practicum placement opportunities for students. As these opportunities vary from semester-to-semester and year-to-year no guarantees can be made for students seeking placement in a specific training location.
| Training Location | Specialty | Supervisor | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box Elder County School District | Psychoeducational assessments and/or interventions conducted in the school setting. | Marietta Veeder, PhD | Tremonton |
| Cardiac Rehabilitation | Psychological evaluations and interventions conducted with cardiac patients at Brigham City Hospital. | Scott DeBerard, PhD | Brigham City |
| Integrated Assessment Clinic | Autism, ADHD, learning disorders, and other neurodevelopmental disorders primarily in children | Martin Toohill, PhD | USU |
| McKay-Dee Behavioral Health | Assessment and therapy needs for children, adolescents, and adults. Child/adolescent track includes assessment of autism, ADHD, mild TBI, psychological disturbance, fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), and learning disorders. The adult track includes dementia, psychological disturbance, and/or TBI. | Bryan Bushman, PhD | Ogden |
| Neuropsychology Center of Utah (Assistantships) | Community-based clinic that provides neuropsychological and psychological evaluations and therapy to clients across the age spectrum with a variety of neurocognitive, behavioral and emotional disorders. The majority of clients are children/adolescents, although opportunities to work with older adults are also available. | Adam Schwebach, PhD | Clinton |
| Sorenson Center for Clinical Excellence - Behavioral Health Clinic / Psychology Division; Advanced Practicum | Specialty practicum to further develop an area of interest to students and to apply it to individual and group therapy experiences. Therapy hours will be geared towards this particular interest as best possible. Areas of focus could include child or adult work with a range of populations and/or interventions that can be competently supervised. Options for group experience may include, but are not limited to: Dialectical Behavior Skills training, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, eating disorders/body image, and Behavioral Parent Training | Sara Boghosian, PhD | USU |
| Sorenson Center for Clinical Excellence - Behavioral Health Clinic / Psychology Division | Integrated practicum that provides didactic and experiential knowledge to a wide range of clients (child, adolescent, adults) and clinical diagnoses. Activities include psychological assessments and interventions (with emphasis on evidence-based practice). | Sara Boghosian, PhD & Susan Crowley, PhD, ABPP | USU |
| Sorenson Center for Clinical Excellence - Behavioral Health Clinic / Psychology Division; Anxiety Specialty Services | Specialty practicum treating clients with anxiety disorders, employing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) techniques. | Michael Twohig, PhD | USU |
| Sorenson Center for Clinical Excellence - Behavioral Health Clinic / Psychology Division: Sexual and Gender Minority Support Services | Individual, couple, and group therapy for sexual and gender minority clients. Clinicians may work with children, adolescents, adults, and couples. Services include providing letters of support for hormone replacement therapy or gender affirmation surgery. View a flyer for the clinic. | Tyler Lefevor, PhD | USU |
| Student Health and Wellness Center | Psychological evaluations and brief psychological interventions conducted in a primary care setting at the USU Health and Wellness Center. | Scott DeBerard, PhD | Brigham City |
| The Family Place | The Family Place provides services to Cache and Rich County families and children including therapy, educational workshops, and emergency child care at the Kid’s Place. Therapists at The Family Place will provide a broad array of services. | Melanie Domenech Rodríguez, PhD | Logan |
| University of Utah Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences - Lifespan Neuropsychology | Comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations with children, adolescents, adults, and older adult patients. Reason for referral varies widely from ADHD to dementia rule-outs. Opportunities to conduct pre- and post-ECT neuropsychological evaluations with adolescents and adult patients. | Kelly Konopacki, PhD | Salt Lake City |
| Up to 3 Early Intervention Program | Students in this setting are considered behavioral specialists and provide services to families of children with disabilities ages birth to age 3. The majority of behavioral interventions are provided in clients’ homes. | Gretchen Peacock, PhD | Northern Utah |
| USU Counseling and Psychological Services Center (CAPS) | Applied experience at the USU Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) center includes intakes, treatment planning, intervention (individual and group), and termination with university students. | Charles Bentley, PhD | USU |
| Utah Center for Evidence Based Treatment | Community-based clinic that provides outpatient psychotherapy and psychiatric medication management for a range of individuals. Training in cognitive behavioral therapies, dialectical behavior therapy, mindfulness approaches, and others are available. | Sheila Crowell, PhD and other psychologists | Salt Lake City |
| Veteran’s Medical Center | A number of opportunities exist in this practicum including the following areas: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Cognitive Assessment/Neuropsychology, Psychiatric and Geriatric Neuropsychology, Services for Outpatient Addiction Recovery, General Outpatient Mental Health, and several advanced placements such as Advanced Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Veterans Integration to Academic Leadership and Military Sexual Trauma. Eligibility for placements in advanced settings require prior completion of VA practicum experiences. Other opportunities may arise depending on VA staff. | Elisabeth Scott, Psy.D. | Salt Lake City |