The primary purpose of our internship training program is to prepare broad-based generalists to function independently as psychologists in a university counseling center environment as well as in a variety of mental health service delivery and academic settings. The training consists of learning experiences focused on building and refining skills in a wide range of activities preparing trainees to work with adult and young adult populations. The internship is an intensive, year long, 2000-hour, full time training program that integrates knowledge, applied skills, and competence in individual and group therapy, outreach programming, consultation to the University community, clinical assessment, and supervision of master's or doctoral-level practicum students. We believe that interns learn best in a congenial, supportive, and yet challenging atmosphere, where they receive continuous instruction, supervised hands-on experience, frequent feedback, and encouragement to move steadily toward greater autonomy. We operate from a developmental framework, acknowledging different challenges at each of the phases of the internship year. Training needs and goals are identified early in the year, and activities are chosen to help interns meet their specific goals. Internship experiences are graded and sequential in nature, increasing in depth, breadth, and intensity and giving interns an opportunity to develop skills and to increase in competencies over the course of the year.
All professional staff members share a strong commitment to the training program and all participate in the internship training program. Staff members serve as mentors and models for interns, available to provide instruction, supervision, mentoring, and feedback as needed. Interns grow in autonomy during the year, serving first as staff members-in-training and eventually as more independent team members. Over the course of the year, interns develop stronger identities as psychologists and greater clarity about their professional senses of self. We also work to help interns develop awareness and appreciation for the rich sources of diversity in themselves and their clients. As an agency we share a common value for sensitivity to and appreciation of diversity, and apply this value to the internship training program through activities that deepen self awareness, build multicultural skills and sensitivity to individual and cultural differences, and facilitate application of this awareness and skill set in psychological practice. We view this as one of the key learning experiences of the internship year, and we are committed to helping interns grow in their abilities to work with clients who present with diverse identities and perspectives related to culture, race, sexual identity, religious affiliation, ability, and gender.
The internship training program at Counseling & Psychological Services is based on the practitioner-scholar model of training. This model emphasizes continuous instruction and integration of the interplay between practice and scholarship. We emphasize the application of science in professional practice through didactic instruction in training activities and seminars, the use of hypothesis testing in diagnosis, treatment planning, and clinical intervention choices, and through the use of assessment, research data, and clinical literature to inform clinical decisions. We define scholarship broadly to include theory, empirically-based research and analysis of current trends in the profession, and the use of scientific methods and critical thinking in the process of clinical decision making. Internship experiences are designed to integrate this base of scholarship with the practice of psychological intervention.
From this philosophy and model, we have one overall aim of the internship training program: Produce graduates who are skilled in the interface between science and practice and prepared for entry into the practice of health service psychology. From this overall aim comes a broad array of training activities that will provide opportunities to develop and hone practice competencies. In accordance with the Standards of Accreditation for APA accredited internships, the training program at CAPS focuses the training components on the nine profession-wide competencies: research, ethical and legal standards, individual and cultural diversity, professional values and attitudes, communication and interpersonal skills, assessment, intervention, supervision, consultation and inter-professional/interdisciplinary skills.
Interns achieve proficiency in these competencies via our twelve-month, 2000-hour internship, consisting of service activities, training activities, and professional development activities.
Individual Counseling & Psychotherapy
Interns spend twelve to fifteen hours each week providing direct service to UNC Charlotte students. Counseling & Psychological Services works from a short-term individual counseling model and interns will work with their supervisors to identify clients to work with on a longer-term basis. Interns have the opportunity to broaden their clinical experience base through work with a variety of client issues ranging from developmental concerns such as college adjustment to more psychologically-challenging clinical issues such as working with mood disorders and trauma-related concerns. Clients present with a wide variety of personal concerns, including relationship challenges, stress and anxiety management, and depression.
Access Appointments & Therapeutic Consultations
CAPS provides daily Access Appointments to assess new clients, manage crises, and to provide consultation to the University community. Interns participate in this important service by providing one four-hour Access Team shift per week in which they facilitate Access Appointments with students. During the Access Team shifts, interns are also responsible for managing emergencies, crises, and for consulting with faculty and staff who contact the Center.
Interns will also provide more thorough Initial Consultations (IC), which are CAPS’ version of clinical intakes.
Process & Structured Groups
Our group program is central to Counseling & Psychological Services and reflects the most recent advances in best practice guidelines for group psychotherapy. We currently offer an average of three process-oriented therapy groups each semester and numerous identity-based groups (e.g., Multicultural Women’s Empowerment, The Empowered Black Man, The Empowered Black Woman, True Selves). We also have a number of workshop offerings that focus on skill-building for students presenting with concerns related to stress/anxiety, depression, and relationships. See our current group offerings here and our workshops here. Interns will co-lead at least one process-oriented and one structured group or workshop with a senior staff member during the training year, with options for additional group and workshop experience. Interns receive supervision from their group co-leaders and participate in the monthly group case conference, where leaders engage in rich discussions using digital recordings. These meetings provide training on group development, diversity issues, co-leadership dynamics, and a variety of other topics. Leaders rotate presenting group material for peer feedback and discussion.
Outreach & Consultation
Interns are required to participate in a minimum of seven outreach and consultation programs per year and are given flexibility to allow many of these programs to match their specific clinical interests, including particular topics and/or serving particular communities on campus. Interns will further have the opportunity to participate in a variety of different types of outreach including table events, liaison relationship building, classroom presentations, and participation in CAPS signature outreach events. More information about CAPS outreach programs can be found here. Included in the seven outreach and consultation programs, interns will also complete a Discover Your Wellness Passport Program during the fall semester, and a year-long Community In-Reach Project (CIP), both with the mentorship and support of the senior staff. The CIP requires interns to choose a specific campus community, often one that is marginalized or underserved, and take steps to engage with that community in order to address issues related to well-being and mental health.
Practicum Supervision
Interns will provide individual supervision for a doctoral-level psychology or counseling practicum student during the Fall and Spring semesters. This supervision is supervised by a senior staff member. Supervision of supervision is provided to interns in a supportive group environment, where issues such as supervisor development, learning training concepts, use-of-self in supervision, supervisee concerns, and other relevant issues are addressed.
Counseling Center staff members are committed to providing quality supervision. Interns are supervised closely and in a number of formats.
Individual Supervision
Each intern receives two weekly hours of individual supervision by a licensed senior staff psychologist. To allow exposure to alternative styles, interns switch supervisors mid-year. While we believe that our training program satisfies the requirements for licensure in most states, it is the responsibility of the intern applicant to contact the licensing boards in the states in which they desire to practice to determine the specific requirements for supervision.
Intern Case Conference
For one hour each week, interns meet as a group with a senior staff member who provides additional supervision in a case-presentation format.
Assessment Seminar
Interns obtain experience in the objective assessment of personality, strength-based assessments, and symptom inventories. They meet biweekly for didactic instruction and discussion of the theory of therapeutic assessment, review of each instrument, selection of clients, report writing, and feedback sessions. Instruments commonly used with our specific population include the PAI, NEO-PI, BDI, BAI, Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP-32), and Trauma Symptom Inventory. Interns are required to complete three assessment batteries during their internship year. Each test battery will include a minimum of two testing instruments.
Individual and Cultural Diversity Seminar
The goals of the ICD seminar are to enhance the development of core competencies in working with clients from diverse perspectives and identities related to culture, race, class, sexual orientation, gender, spiritual affiliation, and ability. The seminar focuses on various areas, including counselor self-awareness, awareness and understanding of other cultural perspectives, and the exploration and development of culturally-sensitive interventions, strategies, and techniques. Self-awareness in this context includes world views, cultural/ethnic/racial identity, values and belief systems, attitudes, levels of acculturation and social justice advocacy in clinical practice. The seminar also includes a focus on current events and social justice issues that impact minoritized populations.
Supervision of Group Therapy
Interns meet weekly with their senior staff co-therapist to process their groups. Additionally, all group leaders meet monthly in group case conference. This meeting is focused on consultation and ongoing growth in the facilitation of interpersonal process groups. This meeting provides a rich training experience through use of recordings, discussion of journal articles, and case consultation. Areas of focus include attending to aspects of cultural identity in group, ethical considerations, managing challenging group dynamics, and group interventions.
Supervision of Supervision Seminar
During the Fall and Spring semesters, interns meet for 2 hours per week with a senior staff member for supervision of supervision. These meetings involve case management, discussion of assigned readings and discussion of personal and professional issues that arise as a result of providing supervision.
Interns engage in a variety of formal and informal professional development activities throughout the internship year. These activities include:
Clinical Case Consultation
Interns participate in our clinical case consultation group. This consultation group consists of senior staff, interns, and postdocs. The consultation group meets monthly and focuses on providing consultation to one another on challenging clinical cases as they arise throughout the year.
Quarterly Diversity Trainings
Senior staff and trainees participate in diversity training at CAPS four times throughout the training year. These workshops are focused on discussions related to multiculturalism, social justice, various identities and communities, power, oppression, and privilege. Examples of past workshops have included discussions of microaggressions in counseling work, microaggressions in supervision, religion and spirituality, and issues related to ability.
Committees
Interns each have the opportunity to serve on one or more committees within Counseling & Psychological Services throughout the training year. Those committees currently include Outreach, Clinical Services, and Training. Our committees are a valuable introduction to the behind the scenes and administrative work that shapes our Center, and we benefit from having our intern’s perspectives represented. Interns may also have opportunities for committee work within the Division of Student Affairs, depending on the needs of the Division and the interests of the intern. Examples of other committee assignments include the multi-disciplinary Eating Disorder Treatment team. Interns also participate in the recruitment and selection process of the following year's intern group by reviewing applications and by having contact with prospective intern applicants.
Professional Development Opportunities
All CAPS clinicians (senior staff, interns, postdoctoral fellow, and practicum students) have the opportunity to engage in a variety of professional development training throughout the year. Interns are additionally allocated professional development funds to support professional interests.
Training Support
Interns meet as a group with the Training Director every weekly to discuss issues related to their experiences over the course of the year. Common topics include how to move into the role of a professional, job search strategies and licensure issues, dealing with difficult clients, and how to manage paperwork demands.
Research, Professional Writing, and Presentations
The internship sets aside four hours per week for work on doctoral dissertations, other research projects, and preparation for presentations to professional groups.
Staff Meetings
Interns participate in biweekly meetings of the professional staff throughout the year. These meetings are an opportunity to share information relevant to CAPS services, meet campus partners, get feedback from trainees and staff, and discuss emerging trends in campus mental health.
Internship applicants must have completed at least one year of supervised practica, all required doctoral coursework, and comprehensive examinations in counseling or clinical psychology and have successfully completed their dissertation proposal meeting. We prefer candidates who share a commitment to diversity and inclusion.
The deadline for applications for the 2025-2026 class is November 1, 2024.
This year the application process will occur online. See the APPIC website for more details and instructions. We will not accept any paper materials.
The electronic application includes:
- Completed AAPI
- Curriculum vita
- Cover letter explaining interest in this site, how this internship fits with your experience & training goals, how your experience would contribute to our program & how this training experience fits with your longer-term career goals.
- Three letters of recommendation, at least two of which address your recent clinical experience.
We participate in the computer match program through National Matching Services. Our match number is 141111. Intern applicants who wish to participate in this match must complete and send NMS an "Applicant Agreement" form, which can be obtained from the NMS website. Just click on "Applicant Registration" and you will be taken to a form where you can request an application online.
Our Center agrees to abide by the APPIC Internship Offers and Acceptance Match Policies (April 10, 1999), specifically, that no person at this training facility will solicit, accept or use any ranking-related information from any intern applicant. A copy of these policies may be obtained from the NMS website.
In compliance with employment policies of the state of North Carolina, interns matched with our site are required to participate in pre-employment background checks. Applicants for consideration will be sent a Disclosure and Authorization Statement with information and signature to facilitate this process. The checks will be conducted by an agency contracted by the University and the results will be considered before hiring decisions are final. Applicants who match to our program but do not successfully pass the background check will be dismissed from internship (see APPIC Match Policy 6b). Applicants are welcome to discuss any questions about this procedure with the Training Director.
The internship is a twelve month full-time position that begins in early August. Salary will be $35,569 for the 2024-2025 year. Benefits include medical coverage, sick leave, eleven university holidays and 24 days of vacation per year for which payout at the end of the year of half the days not taken. Interns have private offices with telephone and computer (with Internet access), library privilege, and access to the University computer system for statistical analysis. Some financial support and leave time for professional development is also available.