Professional Counsellor Training Program
The Counselling Centre offers a comprehensive practicum training program for masters/doctoral level graduate students in the faculties of Applied Psychology, Counselling Psychology, Social Work, and Clinical Psychology. With the aim of enhancing professional counsellor development, the training program includes regular individual and group supervision, and offers opportunities to engage in personal, career, and academic counselling with the university student population. Professional development seminars are held on a variety of ethical, clinical, and theoretical issues related to the counselling profession.
In addition to these opportunities, trainees are engaged in case consultation seminars. Where possible, the specific learning interests and goals of each participant in the training program are accommodated. The practicum involves two academic terms, beginning in the Fall Term (September) and continuing until the end of classes in the Winter Term (April).
Training Programs
Nature of Counselling
Objectives
Setting
Clientele
Duties/Activities
Training Staff
Applying
Available Positions
Practicum Program
Provisional Psychologist Internship
Nature of Counselling
- Clients are registered university-level students (undergraduate and graduate-level)
- Personal, academic and career counselling
- Group work (academic workshops, career development workshops, personal development groups)
- Wide range of clinical issues addressed (e.g., depression, anxiety, gender issues, multicultural concerns, grief/loss, family of origin work, separation/divorce, relationship issues, sexual assault, eating issues, procrastination, substance abuse)
Objectives
- Strong emphasis on developing self-monitoring/self-evaluation skills through student's review of his/her client video work, the supervisory process and the training seminar
- Personal and professional counsellor development overall
- Specific emphasis on building/strengthening formal knowledge, skills, and personal characteristics that pertain to counsellor development
- Provide opportunities for enriched learning experiences in client work within a university context
- Foster supervisory relationships that promote the development of theoretical conceptualizations and enable the consolidation of the trainee's counselling style
- Promote ethical sensitivity and knowledge in counselling practice
- Engage in supportive environment to examine own client work
- Gain knowledge and understanding of the intricate links between emotional, psychological, intellectual, social,physical, and spiritual well-being
Setting
The Counselling Centre is an integral part of the University of Calgary, Wellness Centre, which also includes the University Health Services and the Multi-Faith Chaplains' Centre. The Counselling Centre is one of the Student Services units within the university, other services include the Disability Resource Centre, The Native Centre, the International Student Centre, the Office of Student Experience, Residence and Career Services. The Counselling Centre also house the Office of the Sexual Harassment Advisor. The Student's Union and the Graduate Student Association are also located in the MacEwan Student Centre.
The practicum site is located on the campus of the University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Calgary has a population approaching one million people and is situated in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. As a beautiful, vibrant, energetic and outdoor-oriented city, it provides a diverse range of cultural and recreational opportunities. It is characterized by a strong western heritage while viewed as a city of the future and the energy capital of Canada.
Clientele
The Counselling Centre is used primarily by undergraduate and graduate students. The average age of the undergraduate population is 22.5. Its diversity is reflected in a wealth of resources for disabled students, ethnic minorities, international students and adult students returning to formal education. A wide range of personal concerns found in the general population characterize Counselling Centre clients in addition to academic and career concerns. While individuals are most commonly seen, couples are also well represented in the clientele. The level of severity of presenting concerns has increased in the past 20 years such that the typical case is a challenge to therapeutic skill which often accelerates learning. The population is typically verbal, highly motivated and functional.
Graduate Practicum Training Program
Duties/Activities
- Comprehensive individual supervision is provided for one hour per week
- Participation in a weekly two-hour Training Seminar
- Specific learning goals/objectives are negotiated between trainee/supervisor. However all trainees are required to engage in personal, career and academic counselling.
- Seven to nine direct client contact hours per week
- Maintaining a journal
- Case note preparation
- Video tape review of client sessions
- Preparation of two written case studies
- Client tape presentations in Training Seminar
Training Staff
The Counselling Centre staff includes counselling/clinical psychologists. Psychiatric consultation is available through University Health Services.
The training staff is experienced in both brief and long-term therapy, thus bringing a range of counselling styles to the therapeutic context. With the Centre's increasing emphasis on the provision of limited therapy sessions, considerations are given to the practice of briefer counselling approaches.
Staff academic affiliations include part-time or adjunct appointments to counselling-oriented programs. Membership in professional associations includes CPA (Canadian Psychological Association), PAA (Psychologists Association of Alberta), AAMFT (American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy), APA (The American Psychological Association), AUCCCD (Association of University and College Counselling Centre Directors), CUCCA (Canadian University and College Counselling Association) and CACUSS (Canadian Association of College and University Student Services).
The Counselling Centre staff is friendly, energetic, and committed to diverse professional interests and professional development. The provision of an effective and supportive learning atmosphere is an important part of the daily functioning at the Counselling Centre.
Applying
Your application will include:
- Statement of learning objectives for the practicum
- Curriculum vitae
- 3 letters of reference (academic & professional)
Interviews will be arranged with selected applicants.
Deadline for Applications is March 26, 2012
For further information contact:
Judy Chew, Ph.D., Training Coordinator
Wellness Centre
The University of Calgary
MacEwan Student Centre, Room 370
2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
Phone: (403) 210-WELL or 210-9355, #1 for Counselling
or Fax: (403) 284-0069
E-mail: chew [at] ucalgary [dot] ca
Provisional Psychologist Internship
Provisional Psychologist Internship
The Counselling Center offers a comprehensive, one-year (full-time) training experience for provisionally registered psychologists who are fulfilling the College of Alberta Psychologists' (CAP) 1600-hour requirement for supervised practice.
The Training experience includes:
- two hours per week of individual supervision with a qualified CAP supervisor
- two hours per week in a training seminar
- 22 hours of direct client contact
- 11 hours of case note preparation, review of tapes and other administrative duties
- direct client experience in terms of individual and group work
- opportunities to gain experience in a wide range of personal issues, career and educational planning; and academic success
The goals of the internship are to:
- provide trainees with rich experiences in direct client work
- offer opportunities to enhance skills in self-monitoring/self evaluation
- consolidate knowledge and skills in ethical practice
- strengthen knowledge and application of counselling modalites
- foster professional and personal development towards independent practice
Requirements for the Application would include the following:
- A letter from the College of Alberta Psychologists noting that your academic credentials have been reviewed and meet the requirements to become a Registered Provisional Psychologist
- Letter of interest in the Registered Provisional Psychologist internship
- Outline of specific learning goals for the Internship
- Curriculum Vitae
- Three letters of reference
Funding for the September 2012 - August 2013 internship is pending.
Application deadline : June 15, 2012
Send application or inquires to:
Judy Chew, Ph.D., R.Psych. - Training Coordinator
Wellness Centre
The University of Calgary
Room 370 MacEwan Student Centre
2500 University Dr. NW
Calgary, Alberta
T2N 1N4
Phone: (403) 210-WELL or 210-9355, #2 for Counselling
Fax: (403) 284-0069
Email: chew [at] ucalgary [dot] ca
