Components of the Clinical Traineeship

The traineeship incorporates an extensive orientation comprised of a coordinated series of four-to-six hour workshops over an eight-week period. Workshops include an overview of the agency, the psychosocial issues of our clients, an introduction to the brief therapy models used, diversity issues, substance use, gay identity, and risk reduction counseling.

Beginning in August, trainees are assigned brief therapy clients, begin conducting intakes, and meet their individual supervisors. Caseloads are built up over a four-week period to allow the trainees to adjust to the clinical workload. By the beginning to middle of September, most trainees have a caseload of six to seven brief therapy clients and one to two intakes per week. Practicum caseloads are clinically rich, a feature that trainees have consistently enjoyed and benefited from over the years.

In addition to the orientation workshops and direct clinical work outlined above, all trainees will meet for a variety of additional educational and training activities throughout the course of the traineeship.

• Group Supervision. Trainees present cases for weekly group supervision. Each trainee is expected to present a brief therapy case from his or her caseload approximately once a month (including a written case summary, a case formulation, and an audiotape). The focus of these presentations is on application of the brief therapy model to the presenting issues of the clients seeking services at our agency.

• Didactics. AHP will provide didactic sessions on a variety of relevant clinical topics once a month. Topics in the past have included grief and loss, personality disorders, HIV-medications, termination, and ethical and legal issues.

• Professional Development Group. An AHP clinical staff member provides a professional development group twice a month to allow trainees to discuss their experiences of: working with clients with HIV; working with general clinical issues, for example, intense transference and countertransference; and addressing issues related to becoming a therapist.

• Case Presentation. During the second half of the year, trainees present a completed case for group discussion. The case, which focuses on how the brief therapy model guides clinical work, provides an opportunity for trainees to critically evaluate the utility of the brief therapy model and demonstrate the strengths and limitations of the model when working with HIV. Agency staff are invited to attend these presentations.

While the clinical and academic work expected of trainees is demanding, AHP trainees have consistently evaluated the program highly for its very rigor. Below are some typical comments made by trainees when asked to evaluate the program:

• “[AHP’s] Training is among the best I have received. It is well organized, and the staff attitude is warm and supportive. AHP has been a very inviting place to learn and train.”

• “The [traineeship’s] group supervision and individual supervision were the most influential learning experiences at AHP. The knowledge and experience of the supervisors were exceptional and added to a greater understanding of myself as a counselor.”