Counseling Center

2023–2024 Practicum/Internship

The Counseling Center at Valparaiso University is soliciting applications from eligible masters-level students interested in a clinical practicum/internship training experience at our center. We are looking for three individuals interested in a 20-hour-per-week training experience for the academic year beginning in August 2023 and ending in May 2024. Preference will be given to those who have prior clinical experience and are interested in providing mental health services to a traditional college-age population; however, we strongly encourage everyone who is interested to apply.

Description of the Training Experience

The clinical work at the Counseling Center consists of providing brief solution focused therapy, with a focus on functioning.  Interns will provide individual psychotherapy, Intake Assessment, single sessions, outreach, and have the possibility of co-facilitating a group with a senior staff member. Please note that this is not an appropriate site for a diagnostic practicum, as we offer only limited experience using formal assessments. Trainees will work primarily at the Counseling Center, but may have additional opportunities for experience in the OADE office.

We require a 20-hour-per-week commitment at minimum, which allows for the accumulation of 600 hours over the course of the academic year. A typical week for trainees includes:

• two hours of individual supervision utilizing video review
• a one-hour case assignment meeting
• a one-hour staff meeting, professional development session, or case conference
• 10–12 hours of clinical service
• varying amounts of outreach
• adequate time for preparation and case management/paperwork
• access to supportive, dedicated, and multidisciplinary staff

Previous trainees have said that the setting’s combination of counseling and outreach programming, combined with exposure to administrative and case conferencing, has been extremely valuable to their professional development. Of particular interest has been the growth-oriented supervision utilizing visual recordings of trainees’ psychotherapy sessions. An important goal of the training program is to provide a supportive environment in which trainees will learn about who they are as counselors.

Requirements

Applicants are expected to have a foundational knowledge of psychological theories, psychopathology, and basic psychotherapy skills. The practicum or intern student must be available for a minimum of 20 hours during the Center’s normal hours of operation (8 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday). Trainees should have Friday morning 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. available for the administrative, supervisory, and clinical case conference meetings. You can expect to accumulate 600+ total hours in this two-semester placement. The accumulated number of clinical service hours obtained will depend on the readiness and focus of the trainee. A typical trainee is likely to accumulate 200–300 hours of direct clinical service provision.

Inquiries and Application Process

If you have questions, please call 219.464.5002 and ask for Olivia Gorman, or email counseling.center@valpo.edu. We also encourage you to contact our trainees with questions regarding their training experiences here. As a member of the Association of Chicagoland Externship and Practicum Training (ACEPT), we adhere to their dates and guidelines for selecting trainees. Applications may be sent via email, U.S. mail, or hand-delivered. We are currently working with a rolling deadline until all spots are filled. Interviews will be conducted and offers may be made at any time during the process, but we expect to be making our selections by the end of February.

Application materials should include:

• A cover letter describing your interest in and fit with our center, and your goals for the training experience
• A current vita, especially highlighting clinical experiences and skills
• Three professional references, including at least one from a person who can speak directly to your clinical skills

Send Application materials to:

Olivia Gorman, LMHC
Assistant Director
Counseling Services

Valparaiso University
Counseling Center
Attn: Olivia Gorman
1602 LaPorte Ave.
Valparaiso, IN 46383 or via email at counseling.center@valpo.edu.

Graduate Trainees

• Brielle Wilkins
• Reilly Ritter
• LaShonna Knight
• Brooke Spitler

The Valparaiso University Counseling Center would like to take time to recognize and center the fear and pain that many members of our community may be feeling at this time. The horrific events in Atlanta, in which eight lives were taken, require us to confront the increasing rise of violence against our Asian-American Community along with other communities of color and our marginalized communities. This moment, combined with the beginning of the Derek Chauvin trial in Minnesota, the murder of Sarah Everard, the increasing legislative attacks on trans women throughout many states, and the many other painful events against marginalized populations call on us to reach out in both support and advocacy. It is a reminder that the intersection of oppressions that exist within our society require vigilance and continued growth from those of us who inhabit privileged identities and that true freedom can only come through collective action. The Valparaiso University Counseling Center recognizes that as we continue to be in a time of intensely distressing events, many may feel uncertainty, fear and anger along with a host of other emotions. In an effort to support you, please find below information on accessing our direct services available to all those enrolled full-time as well as indirect resources available to all Valpo students.

The VU Counseling Center joins the rest of the Valparaiso University community in expressing our grief, sorrow and compassion to all those who have been impacted by the race-based tragedies that have been occurring across our nation. These tragedies reflect a longstanding and entrenched history of structural and systemic injustice and oppression that we condemn and are dedicated to addressing. While these tragedies can be traumatizing for all of us, we recognize that they are especially injurious in a unique way to members of our Black and African-American community. In the aftermath of experiencing or witnessing trauma, it is normal to experience a range of feelings and emotions, such as shock, fear, sadness, anger, helplessness or guilt. As a mental health service, the VU Counseling Center is committed to affirming and providing care for all of our students who have been directly or vicariously impacted by this trauma.

Couples counseling is designed to assist couples with their relationship-based problems. Couples can meet with a therapist in a neutral, non-threatening environment to explore their concerns and to work toward a better understanding and resolution of their difficulties. It can also help couples gain more insight into each other, to learn more effective ways of communication, and to learn ways to resolve conflict.

Couples counseling is free of charge and available to all types of couples in romantic relationships (i.e., single, married, LGBTQ, room/housemates). However, all partners must be full-time undergraduate or graduate students. If this does not include you, we are happy to provide you with some referral information to the local community.

Please contact us if you would like to schedule an appointment. Typically, each partner will complete an individual appointment first and will need to schedule these separately, in order for us to gather adequate background information about each of you. If you would like to learn more about this initial appointment, please navigate to the “Your First Appointment” accordion tab below.

At times, you may become concerned about a fellow student’s well-being and wonder how you might help your friend. You may encounter such fellow students either as a peer or as a student leader. It is OK to encourage your friend to seek counseling services, or you may encourage your friend to utilize our online resources by going here. If you would like some additional help in assisting your fellow student, our professional staff can be available to you for consultation by calling our office at 219.464.5002 and asking to speak to a therapist. If someone is not available at the moment, we will take your information and the next available therapist will contact you. We are happy to offer you support and suggestions to you as you try to help another student get the help they may need.

If you are concerned about the immediate safety of your fellow student (e.g., threatened or attempted suicide), or you believe the student is of immediate threat to you or others, please call 911 for help.

We also offer consultation services to faculty and staff members as well as to parents and loved ones. Please see the respective tabs on the left, to learn more about how we may be able to help you support your student.

Your first appointment is also called an Intake Assessment. Please read below in order to learn more about this experience.

How do I schedule my Intake Assessment?

Please call us at 219.464.5002, or come to our office during our business hours (Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–12 p.m. and 1 p.m.–5 p.m., except holidays). No appointments are made online. We will gather some brief information from you, then schedule you with an available therapist for a Intake Assessment for as soon as we can. We offer Intake Assessment appointment times throughout our business hours, and we will schedule you according to our openings in addition to your scheduling availability.

How long will I need to wait for this appointment?

We are committed to minimizing wait times as much as possible, and we acknowledge that waiting for your Intake Assessment may be difficult. We find that we are typically able to schedule students to be seen within five to seven business days. However, during our busiest times of each semester, it may take a little longer to be seen. This is due to the fact that during these periods, more students are requesting our services. In addition, you may also be busier, thus having limited time to schedule.

What should I expect during my Intake Assessment?

Your Intake Assessment will consist of completing paperwork prior to your appointment time. This is done online and an email will be sent to you for you to complete this. This is necessary in order for you to provide information about yourself. You will then meet with your Intake Assessment therapist remotely either via phone for video. You will be asked to describe the current concerns that have led you to come to us. Your Intake Assessment therapist will also ask questions to obtain specific information about your overall well-being and to better understand you. At the end of this appointment, your Intake Assessment therapist will discuss with you the follow-up services recommended, if any, in order to best help you with your concerns. The entire Intake Assessment process takes approximately 50 minutes.

What happens next?

If a follow-up is recommended, it might include receiving services from us. If those services involve counseling, then you will be assigned to one of our therapists, who may be different from your Intake Assessment therapist. A follow-up recommendation might also include receiving services from another office on campus or within the local community. We may referrals to other offices and professionals when we believe that your needs will be better served by them, and also when we find that we do not have the services available that you deserve.

Students discuss many different issues in counseling, all of which may be contributing to their current functioning or well-being. For some students, these concerns are relatively new or recent. For other students, such issues have been present for a long time. During Let’s Talk hours, students have a one-on-one 30 minute appointment with a therapist to process, gain insight, identify helpful resources, or problem solve present stressors through a brief solution-focused session. 

Here are some of the common reasons why students may come to us:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Relationship concerns
• Adjustment to a new school and culture
• Family problems
• Eating and body image concerns
• Self-esteem
• Understanding one’s sexual and gender identity
• Alcohol and other substance use
• Anger management
• Trauma

The above list is certainly not exhaustive, so we encourage you to seek help with us for any personal concerns you may have. Some students find that their concerns can be managed in a single 30-minute-session, others find that they need multiple appointments to be the most supportive, at which point we would get you scheduled for an Intake Assessment to begin individual counseling, or referred out for services within the community. 

Let’s Talk is free of charge and is available for full-time undergraduate, graduate, or DARC students living in the state of Indiana (This geographical criterion is due to state licensing restrictions on cross-jurisdictional counseling services.)  If this does not include you, consultations will still be offered to support you with connections to resources in your area and other general information.

Please contact us if you would like to schedule an appointment. Let’s Talk is available Monday-Friday from 2pm-4pm only. If you are currently in crisis (e.g., risk of hurting yourself or others), please come to our office if this is during our business hours, or please call 911 (or go to the nearest emergency room) if we are not open, or at any time.

As part of our commitment to promoting positive individual mental health and a healthy campus environment, the Counseling Center offers outreach presentations on a variety of topics. These presentations are available to students, faculty, and staff at Valparaiso University.

Potential topics include:

• Adjustment to College/Homesickness
• Stress Reduction & Relaxation Techniques
• Coping Strategies
• Conflict Resolution
• Time Management
• Managing Procrastination
• Test Anxiety
• Eating Disorders/Eating Problems
• Time Management
• Grief and Loss
• Introduction to Therapy (What to expect, Q&A, etc.)
• QPR Suicide Gatekeeper Training
• Other Mental Health-Related Topics

To schedule an outreach program please submit an outreach request or call 219.464.5002 to talk to the Outreach Coordinator. Outreach request must be submitted at least two weeks in advance and attendance of 10 or more participants is preferred. Outreach requests will not be accepted the last two weeks of the semester.

To request an Outreach presentation, please fill out this form.

Also available is Five Quick Ways to Manage Your Stress.

Visit our YouTube Channel for informational videos from Counseling Services Staff.