Training Opportunities
Our commitment lies in delivering high-quality patient care to the community, and we strive to cultivate the next generation of skilled clinicians. In our collaborative environment, mentorship is a cornerstone, offering you the chance to refine your clinical skills, deepen your therapeutic understanding, and enhance your cultural competence.
Training Opportunities
Courage to Connect Mental Health Center provides training opportunities tailored for pre-and post-doctoral level clinical psychologists. Through our program, trainees will gain comprehensive experience in the private practice setting, covering various aspects such as conducting a clinical intake, diagnosing, integrating diagnostic information into case conceptualization, providing evidence-based interventions, treatment planning, patient engagement, psychotherapy, family interaction, and patient discharge.
Comprehensive Training Curriculum
Trainees in our program will gain valuable insights into providing evidence-based treatment aimed at fostering and developing relationships with their patients while delivering support and interventions to improve their quality of life. The training extends across the age spectrum, encompassing children, adolescents, and adults, with a particular emphasis on children, adolescents, and families. Patients present a diverse array of clinical issues commonly encountered in private practice settings.
Child and Family Focused Private Practice
Our training extends across the lifespan, with a particular emphasis on children, adolescents, and families. Patients present a diverse array of clinical issues commonly encountered in private practice settings, including mood disorders, adjustment issues, family and relationship conflicts, behavioral and adjustment issues in children and adolescents, and more.
Enhancing Practice Culture
As a thriving mental health practice with a robust referral schedule, Courage to Connect recognizes the multifaceted benefits of our practicum program. Graduate students contribute fresh energy and enthusiasm, allowing us to effectively expand our capacity to serve patients. They play a vital role in revitalizing our practice culture, enhancing staff diversity, and addressing the varied needs of the patients we provide mental health services. Importantly, our Training Program contributes to addressing the critical shortage of quality therapists in the mental health field, benefiting both our practice and society at large.
Applicant Criteria:
For Practicum Students:
Our practicum program operates on an academic year basis, running from August to July, with a commitment of at least 16 hours per week.
To accommodate the diverse schedules of our clients, some evening and weekend hours may be expected.
We require a training commitment of 12 months, and this duration is flexible based on the needs and availability of our trainees.
For Therapy Practicum Students:
You will receive a minimum of 625 hours with at least 240 hours of direct service therapy hours.
For Diagnostic Practicum Students:
You will receive a minimum of 625 hours and will complete at least 8 batteries.
For Advanced Practicum Students:
You will receive a minimum of 500 hours with at least 240 hours of direct service hours. These students will be able to gain experience in assessment and therapy services
Direct service activities may encompass therapy, psychoeducational groups, intakes, psychodiagnostic assessment, and related activities.
For Post-Doctoral Psychologists:
We also invite those who have completed their internships and graduate programs to apply to complete their postdoctoral training hours for licensure.
Please email drmurphy@couragetoconnecttherapy.com for more information.
Supervision & Support
Supervision and training are vital to a mental health provider’s professional growth and development. We provide supervision support, service activities, and didactic training, ensuring a comprehensive learning experience. Individual supervision: Each student is required to participate in a minimum of two hours of supervision. One hour will be with a licensed clinical psychologist. The second hour may be with a postdoctoral fellow or with another mental health professional (i.e., LCSW, PSY.D., or NP) or through group supervision. Group Supervision: During years when multiple students are admitted, we will offer a weekly group supervision seminar in addition to individual supervision. These seminars offer opportunities to share insights and discuss cases and benefits from collective wisdom.
Important Dates:
The application schedule follows ACEPTS guidelines. The training year will begin in mid-August and end in late June/early July.
For additional information, please send an email to
drtraining@couragetoconnecttherapy.com.
For postdoctoral psychologist positions, applications are open until the position is filled. Please email drmurphy@couragetoconnecttherapy.com for additional information.
Requirements to Apply:
- Current Curriculum Vita
- Cover Letter
- Two current letters of recommendation, one of which is from the training director
- De-identified assessment or case conceptualization report (if applying for diagnostic practicum/training)
- Proof of liability insurance from graduate program.