The practicum for CSU Counseling Psychology students is offered to a limited number of qualified third‑year students in the CSU Counseling Psychology doctoral program. The goal is to provide supervised experience in individual counseling and psychotherapy with a college student population, as well as provide training in conducting intakes (“initial consultations”). Please note that this training experience is focused on working with individual clients. No training in group or couple therapy will be provided, regardless of previous experience. PSY610 & PSY 611, or equivalent masters-level coursework from another institution are prerequisites.

The Colorado State University Health Network is an integrated mental health and medical clinic serving both undergraduate and graduate students within a large land-grant university. It is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) for the doctoral internship in Health Service Psychology and by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). Presenting issues of clients range from the expected developmental concerns of college students to severe mental health diagnoses, including psychoses and personality disorders. The most common presenting concerns are stress/anxiety, mood disorders, relationship issues, eating disorders, sexual concerns, substance use, and identity development.

Clinicians in our counseling center serve the mental health needs of students in a variety of ways. General Services includes individual psychotherapy, a vibrant group therapy program, and crisis intervention services. We work to foster team-based collaboration between our medical staff and mental health professionals and provide experience working within a medical context through several interdisciplinary treatment teams. Specialty programs including the DAY Programs (treatment related to substance use/abuse and other addictions) and the iTEAM (DBT-informed post-hospitalization program providing integrated care to clients experiencing an acute mental health crisis) provide additional opportunities for students to receive specialized care. Our Multicultural Counseling Team (MCC) was established to provide additional support for students holding marginalized identities and includes drop-in counseling hours for these students. The CSUHN has a strong commitment to social justice advocacy and has solid working relationships with the various Cultural Resource Centers and other student support offices and programs on campus.

The training of clinically-competent, ethical, self-aware, and culturally sensitive psychologists is central to our mission. (Please click here for more information on the training program’s commitment to diversity.) We provide training to as many as thirty graduate students from diverse disciplines each year. All training is provided on site. The CSUHN does not use any distance education technologies for training or supervision. The seven training cohorts that comprise our training program are described very briefly below.

Our Doctoral Internship in Health Service Psychology has been accredited by the American Psychological Association since 1973 and was one of the first university counseling services to earn this recognition. Our Master’s Internships in Social Work and Counseling are offered to students from CSU and other regional institutions. Advanced Practicum placements are open to third, fourth, and fifth year doctoral psychology graduate students from CSU and nearby universities, and GSA positions are sometimes offered to advanced-level doctoral psychology graduate students in CSU’s Counseling Psychology graduate program. The third year Counseling Psychology Practicum is offered in conjunction with CSU’s doctoral program in Counseling Psychology and is only open to their students. We also offer Post-Doctoral and Post-Masters Fellowships. These fellowships provide opportunities to continue to build skills as a generalist clinician while also developing skills in a specialized area.

Six core principles reflect our training philosophy and serve as a foundation for the model of training at the CSUHN. The following statements address our beliefs about the nature of training and our expectations for the treatment of others.

Broad-based training is essential for developing professionals.
We value the contributions of our own and other professional disciplines to the training program, recognizing that a diverse set of knowledge and skills are essential for effective practice.

Psychological theory and research are the foundation for competent practice. 
The training staff believes that psychological theory and scientific research provide a foundation for conceptualization and intervention. The practice of mental health professionals should be grounded in theories relevant to their discipline and the supporting scientific literature.

An optimal learning environment is supportive and challenging.
We believe that learning is facilitated by an environment in which challenge is balanced with support. We value an open environment in which ideas can be explored and it is safe to make mistakes. We encourage trainees to honestly assess their professional strengths and limitations so that we may collaboratively establish training goals.

A commitment to self-awareness and a willingness to monitor the impact of personal needs on professional behavior are expected of all members of the staff.
Effectiveness as a mental health professional is not simply the result of skills acquisition, but rather the successful synthesis of competence and personal maturity that results in self-regulated, ethical behavior. Self-knowledge, self-care, and the ability to balance one’s personal and professional lives are essential to being an effective role model and instrument of change.

Each trainee and staff member has the right to be treated with respect.
Respect, honest communication, cooperation in meeting goals, and the support of one’s colleagues are central to a productive work environment. Evidence of bias, stereotyped thinking, and prejudicial beliefs and attitudes will not go unchallenged, even when such behavior is rationalized as a being a function of ignorance, joking, or cultural differences.

Respect for human diversity is a fundamental component of all activities.

The CSU Health Network bases all its programs and services, including training, on a philosophy that affirms the dignity of all people. We expect staff and trainees to be committed to the social values of respect for diversity, inclusion and equity. Both trainers and trainees should demonstrate a willingness to examine their own assumptions, behaviors, and values so that they may work effectively (as clinicians, teachers, mentors, and advocates) with “cultural, individual, and role differences, including those based on age, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, language, and socioeconomic status” (APA Ethics Code, 2002, Principle E).

Our training program is based on the values inherent in the Practitioner-Scholar model. As practitioners, we value the learning that comes through direct experience with others and thoughtful self-reflection. As scholars, we recognize the importance of theory, research and critical thinking. We believe that both practice and scholarship are essential in preparing new mental health professionals to work effectively with diverse individuals and groups in a rapidly-changing world. We value a lifelong commitment to the integration of self-reflective practice and scholarly examination.

We believe that becoming a competent psychologist, social worker or counselor is a developmental process requiring graduated experiences and training. Consequently, the CSUHN offers training experiences from beginning practica through postdoctoral fellowships. The didactic instruction and supervised practice opportunities vary according to the level of training and the readiness of the individual student. As trainees gain experience, expectations for more advanced professional skills, greater self-awareness and autonomous functioning increase.

We place a high value on the integration of one’s personal and professional identities. We strive to tailor each student’s experience to their individual needs within the structured activities of our training program. Ongoing self-assessment of one’s strengths and limitations is encouraged. When coupled with the supervisory feedback of multiple staff members who are committed to training new professionals, there is great opportunity for personal and professional development.

This practicum is designed to provide third year students from CSU’s Counseling Psychology Department with experience and training working with undergraduate and graduate students presenting with a broad range of problems including mood disorders, anxiety, relationship difficulties, and concerns related to identity and family.

Hours and Caseload Requirements

Practicum students will complete a minimum of 50 hours of client contact per semester. This includes at least ten intakes and forty therapy sessions. They are expected to build their caseloads early in the semester to a stable level of about ten clients, who they will meet with every other week. Successful completion of practicum will require that practicum students have five therapy hours reserved on their weekly schedule and maintain an ongoing caseload throughout the academic year. 

Service Delivery and Training Experiences

Students can expect that approximately half of their time in this practicum will be spent providing direct service (clinical intakes and individual therapy) while the other half will be split between individual supervision, group supervision (practicum seminar), and clinical documentation. The approximate weekly time commitment and breakdown of activities for this practicum are as follows:

Please note that students are likely to need to devote significantly more than two hours weekly to note writing at the beginning of the semester, when they are doing approximately three intake appointments weekly (“GS Trainee ICs”).

The number of weekly client therapy appointments listed on the table above (5) is an average and assumes that practicum students are likely to have fewer clients on their caseloads early in the semester. Practicum students should plan to schedule approximately five client sessions per week once they have a full caseload (ten clients) because this will allow them to complete the required hours while providing an adequate buffer for time spent building a case load, no-shows and client terminations.

Evaluation of Practicum Student Performance

At the beginning of each semester, the practicum student and their supervisor will prioritize goals for the semester The student is responsible for articulating their goals with the input and collaboration of the supervisor.

It is the philosophy of the agency and the Counseling Psychology Department that the CSU Health Network practicum training is a joint training responsibility. Feedback, both to and from the trainee, will be an ongoing process. Practicum students should receive regular feedback about their performance during weekly supervision sessions. In addition, there will be four times each year when formal evaluations will take place. At mid-semester and at the end of each semester, practicum supervisors will communicate their evaluations to their trainee and elicit feedback about the supervisory process. Feedback will be both verbal and written. The trainee will then meet with their supervisor, the practicum course instructors, and the Training Director. The practicum student also is encouraged to invite their academic advisor to this meeting. Although the practicum student will already have heard the feedback from their individual supervisor, this evaluation meeting is held to make sure that everyone involved is aware of the student’s progress and training goals.

Evaluations are based on the nine APA competencies, and grades are assigned as Pass/No Pass based on satisfactory progress toward these competencies and completion of sufficient direct service clinical hours. Feedback at midsemester is only qualitative, and designed to help identify areas of strength as well as areas that will require improvement in order for the student to pass the practicum at the end of the academic year. At the end of each semester, students receive a numerical score for each competency area, indicating whether they are at the expected level for a practicum student. When a student receives score that indicates that they are below the expected level, they will receive specific feedback from their supervisor or seminar leaders about the changes they should make in this/these area(s).

A copy of the end-of-semester written evaluations also will be made and sent to the Counseling Psychology Department at the end of each semester. This is required for their APA accreditation and also aids in supporting students in their ongoing growth as clinicians.

Evaluation of Supervisors and Training Staff

During supervision it is typical for a supervisor to elicit feedback from the practicum student about the supervision experience. At both mid-semester and at the conclusion of the semester, each practicum student also will evaluate her/his supervisor by completing the Trainee’s Evaluation of Supervisor Form, which they will share with their supervisor. They also will be given the opportunity to provide both direct and anonymous feedback to seminar leaders.

All prospective CSU Counseling Psychology Practicum students interested in applying for the 2024-2025 training year should communicate their intention to apply for a 2024-2025 practicum position by 11:59pm Mountain Time on Sunday, January 29, 2024. The can do this by emailing the Training Director, Aki Hosoi (Aki.Hosoi@colostate.edu).

Interested students should plan to submit the following materials in Word or PDF format to Ginny.Laahs@colostate.edu by 11:59pm Mountain Time on February 25, 2024.

1. A letter of interest in the program;
2. A C.V. or professional resume;
3. A completed “Information Form;”
4. If you did not complete a practicum with the CSUHN in 2023-2024, please provide names, phone numbers, and email addresses of two professional references. Applicants who recently completed a practicum with the CSUHN are welcome to provide additional references, but should expect that we will review their evaluations from their prior work with us.

All applicants will be scheduled for a 30-minute Zoom interview.

Please note that students who have received ongoing individual counseling services from the CSUHN since starting their graduate training are not eligible for this position. The eligibility of students who received individual counseling services from the CSUHN before starting their graduate training will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, to avoid potential dual role relationships. Students who have received group services through the CSUHN at any time are eligible for this position. Please contact the CSUHN Training Director, Aki Hosoi (Aki.Hosoi@colostate.edu), if you have received ongoing services (i.e., not a one-time crisis appointment) at any time through the CSUHN, to discuss possible dual role concerns and how we can best navigate these when considering reviewers for application review and supervisors if selected for training here. Please also contact Dr. Hosoi with any questions concerning your eligibility.

2023/2024 Training Staff

Helen Bowden
Year-Round Staff, General Services
Licensed Psychologist (2008)
PhD (Counseling Psychology) – University of Florida (2005) 

Jenny Brandsma 
Associate Director, Clinical Services
Licensed Professional Counselor (2011)
MA – University of Denver (2007)

Andrew L. Brimhall
Senior Staff, General Services
Licensed Psychologist (2019)
PhD (Counseling Psychology) – Ball State University (2018)

Ivis Carrera Valdes
Year-Round Staff, General Services
MSA– University of Florida (2020)

Lisa Cline
Year-Round Staff, iTEAM
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (2013)
MSW – Colorado State University (2008)

Dee Colombini
Senior Staff, DAY Programs
Licensed Professional Counselor (1999)
Licensed Addictions Counselor (2014)
MA – University of Missouri (1990)

Karen Eichel
Senior Staff, Interpersonal Violence Counselor
Licensed Professional Counselor (2018)
M.Ed.—Colorado State University (2015)

Beit Gorski
Licensed Professional Counselor (less than 3 years)
Naropa University – 2013

Aki Hosoi
Associate Director/Training Director
Licensed Psychologist (2011)
PhD (Counseling Psychology) – Colorado State University (2010)

Christopher Leck 
Assistant Director, DAY Programs
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (2009)
MSW – Colorado State University (2006)

Allegra Lyon 
Year-Round Staff, iTEAM
Psychologist
PhD – University of Northern Colorado (2022)

Pam McCracken 
Year-Round Staff, DAY Programs
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (2014)
MSW – University of Kansas (1993)

Jeff Nepute
Senior Staff (team lead), iTEAM
Licensed Psychologist (2016)
PhD (Counseling Psychology) – Colorado State University (2014)

Stephen Okiyama
Senior Staff, General Services
Licensed Psychologist (2013 – CO)
PhD (Clinical Psychology) – Fuller Graduate School of Psychology (1989)

Adam Sargent
Assistant Director, Group Program
Licensed Psychologist (2016)
PhD (Counseling Psychology) – Colorado State University (2015)

Jesse Wolf
Senior Staff, iTEAM
Licensed Psychologist (2020)
PsyD (Clinical Psychologist) – William James College (2018)
 
Zoe Urcadez
Year-Round Staff, General Services
Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor Candidate
MA- University of San Francisco (2020)

Colorado State University is located in Fort Collins, a mid-size city of 165,080 residents in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The 833-acre main campus of Colorado State University is virtually a city within itself, with nearly 100 buildings that house administrative offices and facilities, classrooms, laboratories, residence halls, library, student activity and recreational facilities, a bookstore, and performing arts venues.

The University’s 2018-2019 resident instruction enrollment was 28,679 with students from every state and more than 110 countries. Approximately 62% of the students are Coloradoans. Our U.S. student population identifies as 27.3% ethnic minority and 72.7% Caucasian. There are over 2300 students and scholars from foreign countries with the highest percentage from Saudi Arabia, China, Oman, and Vietnam. Women represent approximately 51.8% of CSU’s enrollment. Last year, 6084 students (approximately 21% of CSU’s 2018-2019 enrollment) were seen at the CSUHN Counseling Services. We saw primarily undergraduate students, with graduate/professional students making up 19.5% of the population we served. Of the clients who came to the CSUHN Counseling Services, 58.2% identified as female, 41.3% identified as male, and 0.5% identified in another way. In terms of ethnicity, 20.7% of our clients identified as ethnically diverse: American Indian/Alaska Native (0.3%), Asian American/Pacific Islander (2.5%), Black/African American (2.2%), Latinx (11.8%) and multiracial (3.8%). These numbers closely parallel the representation of these populations within the student body. International students comprised 8.5% of the students we served. Many more of these historically underrepresented students were served through outreach programming.

Colorado State University is one of our nation’s leading research universities with world-class research in infectious disease, atmospheric science, clean energy technologies, and environmental science. It was founded in 1870 as the Colorado Agricultural College, six years before the Colorado Territory became a state. Colorado State is a land-grant institution and a Carnegie Doctoral/Research University-Extensive.

Colorado State University is a “university of choice” for Colorado residents – 37% of all of Colorado’s science, math, engineering and technology majors pursue degrees at CSU. In addition to its excellent programs in those areas, CSU offers among the very best professional programs in the United States in veterinary medicine, occupational therapy, journalism, agriculture and construction management. Colorado State faculty are researching and tackling critical global issues, such as the reemergence of tuberculosis, air pollution in Asian cities, severe weather forecasting, nutrition and wellness, and bioterrorism. CSU’s faculty provides an enriched student learning experience by offering laboratory and field experiences from a major research university. This approach – combining the intellectual experience of the classroom with the practical experience of the field and laboratory – is based on the land-grant philosophy.

Colorado State’s Student Leadership, Involvement and Community Engagement office hosts some of the strongest community-service programs in the country, allowing more than 6,000 students to participate in the university’s proud tradition of public outreach. CSU faculty played a significant role in the founding of the Peace Corps, and CSU remains one of the primary sources of Peace Corps volunteers today.

Colorado State is ranked in the top tier of universities in U.S. News and World Report’s rankings of “America’s Best Colleges and Universities,” while Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine named CSU one of the top public universities in the United States in terms of educational quality and affordability. For more information on Colorado State University, please visit http://www.colostate.edu.

Fort Collins is a city that has garnered an array of honors:

∙   One of the Top 10 Best College Towns: Small-Sized Cities Category, USA Today– September 2019

∙   One of the top six ‘Smarter Cities’ for Energy: Natural Resources Defense Council, (population 100,000-249,999)– August 2010

∙   6th Best Place to Live in the Nation: Money Magazine– July 2010

∙   One of the Most Underrated Cities in the West: com– June 2010

∙   One of the Greatest Places to Live in the West: American Cowboy magazine– April 2010

∙   Ranked 4th Best Places for Business and Careers: Forbes– April 2010

∙   One of a Dozen Distinctive Destinations: National Trust for Historic Preservation– February 2010

∙   Ranked 3rd ‘Smarter City’ for sustainability: Natural Resources Defense Council– July 2009

∙   One of America’s 20 Most Economically Vibrant College Towns: com– September 2011

∙   Ranked First, Safest Drivers in America: Allstate Insurance Company– 2011

∙   Ranked 3rd on the Best Bicycle Cities list: League of American Bicyclists and TheStreet.com– August 2011

∙   One of the top 15 Best Places for triathletes to live and train: Triathlete Magazine– August 2011

∙   Ranked 1st Best Place to Live and Work for Young Professionals (pop. 100,000-200,000): Next Generation Consulting– March 2009

Fort Collins has more than 300 days of sunshine per year (rivaling Miami or San Diego), so Colorado State University students can sample the city life and a variety of recreational opportunities throughout the year. Fort Collins is located 65 miles north of Denver and 45 miles south of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Transportation between Fort Collins and Denver International Airport is provided by both bus and limousine service.

At the foot of the Rocky Mountains, Fort Collins is within a one-hour drive of such major recreational areas as Estes Park, Red Feather Lakes, Horsetooth Reservoir, and several national parks, including the 790,000 acre Roosevelt National Forest and Rocky Mountain National Park. A wide variety of recreational activities is fostered not only by the presence of such areas but also by the climate in the Fort Collins region. Located at an elevation of 5,000 feet, Fort Collins has a clear, dry atmosphere and generally pleasant temperatures throughout the year. The summer temperature ranges from an average high of 82 to an average low of 52 degrees; the winter temperature ranges from an average high of 41 to an average low of 13 degrees.

Indicative of the cultural life of Fort Collins is the museum, public library, Lincoln Center, and Civic Symphony. An active University calendar — guest speakers, art exhibits, theater, cinema, concerts — adds to community life. This broad spectrum of cultural and outdoor recreational facilities, the excellent climate, and the mountain surroundings contributes to the ideal university setting of Fort Collins.

For more information on Fort Collins, please visit http://www.fcgov.com/visitor/.