Clinical Training
The George Mason University Center for Psychological Services, maintained by the Department of Psychology serves as the primary training facility for the clinical program. The staff of the Center provide direct and indirect psychological services (assessment, psychotherapy, and consultation) to the Northern Virginia community and serves as an educational and research facility for students and faculty. Most practicum experiences in the first two years of the program are conducted at the Center and some dissertation projects are completed there in the last years of the program.
In the first year of the program, students learn to conduct child and adult intellectual assessments with volunteers in the Fall semester. In the Spring semester, students evaluate children for the Fairfax County Gifted and Talented Program and receive individual and group supervision with GMU faculty.
During the second year, students conduct comprehensive assessments and psychotherapy with child and adult clients. Students may provide individual, couple, family, and group psychotherapy. The faculty provide weekly individual and group supervision of students' work with these clients who are seen at the GMU Center for Psychological Services. Also, some students may provide psychotherapy services to college students at GMU Counseling and Psychological Services.
In the third and fourth years, students may work as externs at Washington, DC area assessment and treatment agencies. Finally, in the fifth year, students typically work fulltime as interns at hospitals, clinics, counseling centers, and other treatment centers located throughout the United States.