Postdoctoral Fellowship in Psychology

The basis of the UCC postdoctoral training program is an apprenticeship model that promotes the independent practice of the fellow to competently perform in positions in which advanced level psychologists function, within our framework of reflective practice in a University Counseling Center setting. The postdoctoral fellowship is designed to accomplish the following objectives:

1. Add to clinical competencies already established by rounding out training (i.e., increasing one’s depth and breadth of brief individual treatment and year-long group therapy, developing skills in self-reflection).
2. Refine one’s multicultural skills and sensitivities.
3. Develop one’s level of supervising and teaching.
4. Begin to understand and perform administrative functions in which counseling center psychologists engage.
5. Develop outreach and consultation skills.

Possibilities for specific clinical roles, tasks and areas of focus are numerous and are determined in consultation with the Postdoctoral Coordinator and the Director of Training. The fellow conducts individual, couples and group psychotherapy, receives 4 hours of supervision, provides 1-2 hours of supervision to advanced graduate students, offers consultation and outreach services to the university community, performs administrative functions (e.g. administrative evaluations, meetings about students of concern), co-teaches a clinical issues seminar to practicum students, and attends several case-oriented seminars.

Training Philosophy

The UCC training program is designed to support the Postdoctoral Fellow’s growth, development and competency in core areas in which psychologists practice, in a diverse campus mental health setting and with attention to the needs and goals of the individual. The University of Rochester UCC maintains a philosophy and belief in the importance of self-reflection and critical thinking in the practice of professional psychology. The model of training in which we collectively engage at UCC is best described by the concept of the “reflective practitioner” as defined by the experienced professional-in-action. We bring an intellectual rigor to the practice of our craft (therapy) and an unwavering reflection upon that practice (through supervision and seminars).

In consultation with the Director of Training, the Post-Doctoral Coordinator and other supervisory faculty, fellows select training experiences that add to their overall level of competence (i.e., advanced learning of time-limited treatment, increased competence as a supervisor/teacher etc.). Fellows are expected to teach a year-long Clinical Seminar, to supervise one to two graduate students per week, and to perform administrative functions typical of staff psychologists in counseling centers. The postdoctoral fellow may also assume a clinical specialty such as Group therapy, and Consultation work with specific issues or student groups, program development, or Multicultural Services specialization.

The Setting

The University of Rochester is a privately supported university with an enrollment of roughly 8000 students in its seven schools: The College, which comprises Arts & Sciences and the School of Engineering & Applied Science; Eastman School of Music; Simon School of Business Administration; The Warner School of Education & Human Development; the School of Medicine & Dentistry; and the School of Nursing. The university is located in the city of Rochester, in upstate New York, with a six-county metropolitan population of over 1,000,000.

The University Counseling Center is a multidimensional, multidisciplinary section of the University Health Service. The UCC provides University of Rochester students with clinical consultation, individual and group counseling, crisis coverage, case management and campus outreach. The UCC is committed to providing excellent clinical services to the campus, which also benefits from well-established, diverse and rigorously supervised training programs. Services are provided by ten UCC senior staff, two Postdoctoral Fellows, two post-MSW Social Work Fellows, five Pre-doctoral interns, four Social Work interns and additional training professionals (practicum students in Psychology/Counseling doctoral training programs and Psychiatric Residents at the University of Rochester Medical School

Postdoctoral Fellowship in Psychology

• About The Program
• Components and Supervision
• Seminars and Meetings
• Evaluation
• Typical Work Week
• Qualifications, Stipend and Benefits
• Applying / Requesting Information