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This document describes the externship in clinical psychology offered by Jennifer E. Manfre & Associates for the 2022/2023 training year. This is a part-time, one year program. Applications are accepted from students in accredited doctoral programs in clinical, counseling, and forensic psychology.  Application procedures will be addressed below.

The externship strives to meet the training needs of master’s level doctoral candidates in applied psychology through supervised experience and didactics. Our aim is to help candidates transition from student to practitioner; becoming well-rounded generalists in the clinical applications of psychology, using experiences with various populations to facilitate this process. The externship takes a developmental approach such that students’ progress toward increased responsibility and autonomy over the year. Our philosophy of training emphasizes creating an environment that simultaneously nurtures and challenges the interns, both as professionals and people.

The externship is based on the practitioner-scholar model which seeks “the productive interaction of theory and practice in a primarily practice-based approach to inquiry” (Hoshmand Polinghome, 1992). As an externship, the primary mode of education is experiential, yet supported by didactic programs, modeling, supervision, and inquiry relevant to clinical work. The goal is to develop critical thinking, conceptualization, problem-solving and other scientific skills that are particularly pertinent to clinical practice. All externs receive exposure to empirically validated treatments and empirically-based models of assessment.

At the most fundamental level the main goal of any externship is to provide broad and general preparation for entry into the professional practice of psychology. The externship experience aims to build a cohesive foundation of knowledge, skills, and attitudes acquired through graduate training. Externs are selected based on appropriate preparation for more intensive, primarily applied work in the core areas of intervention, assessment, consultation, ethics, cultural sensitivity, and management/administration. The program emphasizes the applicability of training to a wide variety of client populations and settings.

Four interrelated aims can be identified to support our program goal:

• Acquisition of knowledge specific to Psycholegal practice in forensic psychology
• Development of professional autonomy
• Service to diverse clients
• Integration of science and practice

The didactic portion of the program includes a weekly clinical psychology seminar for the benefit of both staff and interns. Clinical staff and extern present emerging diagnostic or therapeutic dilemmas for review and feedback from the group, and diagnostic and treatment methods for various conditions or disorders are examined with an emphasis on empirically validated treatments. Extern presentations serve to hone valuable skills in presenting to a professional audience and reinforce the importance of scholarship. Clinical staff involvement includes mainly topical presentations of clinical importance, and may serve to relay information obtained through continuing professional education or other sources.

Our externships include clinical training in the following areas, among others:

• Couples counseling
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Parent coaching
• Family therapy
• Trauma

Externship details:

• Hours: TBD
• Supervision Structure: 1 hour/week individual supervision; 1 hour/week group supervision/didactics

Externship Requirements:

• Attend externship orientation training
• Adhere to the work schedule on selected workdays
• Report to our site 3-4 days per week
• Attend all individual and group supervision meetings

Ideal candidates are organized, dedicated, and passionate students who value clinical exposure in an outpatient private practice setting.

Application procedures:

• Applicants must submit transcripts of all graduate work, a writing sample/report (please redact), a curriculum vitae, and three references.
• A cover letter which indicates which populations with whom you are interested in working with.
• Applications may be submitted on our website, or contact:

Tracy Tilton, Ph.D.
Clinical Director
630.968.0792
ttilton@manfre-associate.com