Practicum Training

In addition to the clinical services offered to all students at Georgia Southern University, the Counseling Center also serves as a graduate training facility for students currently enrolled in either master’s- and doctoral-level programs in mental health counseling or psychology. Each year, students from these programs are invited to apply for practicum positions for the following academic year/semester to fulfill the practice requirements for their degrees. Several formats are available including a 10-, 15-, or 20-hour per week curriculum based on each student’s program. Our practicum training provides in-depth experiences in individual counseling and psychotherapy with possible opportunities for outreach and/or group therapy.

Mission

The mission of the Practicum Training Program is to offer high quality training in the practice of professional psychology, based on an integrated working knowledge of the application of clinical theory, research, and ethical, legal, and professional standards. In addition, woven into the program, is the belief that every competent practitioner in the field should be guided by sensitivity to individual differences within a diverse society, and openness to lifelong learning.  We incorporate these ideals into our training program via a practitioner-apprenticeship training model/method in which didactic and experiential learning are combined.  Practicum students are treated as emerging professionals, and as such are expected to understand, demonstrate and apply appropriate levels of clinical skills, acquired from their academic training program, as well as participate fully in the mission of the Counseling Center at Georgia Southern University.  Training and supervision are designed to simultaneously consider agency and trainee needs, departmental degree requirements, and trainee preparation for advanced training or entrance into the Internship in Health Service Psychology market.

Supervision

The staff at the Counseling Center enjoys training and supervising students, and we view these functions as an integral part of our mission. Graduate trainees play an important role in Center operations and are encouraged to actively participate in a variety of activities. Practicum students are trained to refine and further develop their clinical skills and function effectively in university counseling centers or other similar outpatient settings.

Contact

If you are interested in learning more about the practicum, please contact the Dr. Mark Taracuk at the Counseling Center via phone (912-478-5541) or mtaracuk@georgiasouthern.edu

Last updated: 5/2/2024