Doctoral Training

The McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School internship is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association.

Questions related to the program’s accreditation status should be addressed to the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association, Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation, 750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242 or by phone at 202.336.5979.

Our training program participates in the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) Internship Match Program and observes all of APPIC guidelines.

It is the policy of McLean Hospital to affirmatively provide equal opportunity to all qualified applicants for employment and existing employees without regard to their race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, ancestry, protected veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender orientation, or any other basis that would be in violation of any applicable law or regulation.

All aspects of employment, including recruitment, selection, hiring, training, transfer, promotion, termination, compensation, and benefits conform to this policy in order to further the principles of equal employment opportunity and the spirit of affirmative action.

The McLean Hospital psychology internship is committed to attracting and training interns from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds.

How to Apply

Please submit your application via the APPIC electronic application procedure. Required applicant materials include a curriculum vitae, APPIC Application, three letters of reference, and complete graduate transcript. Deadline for applicants is November 1.

For more information, please contact our track coordinators:

• Adult General Track: Email Rachel B. Weiss, PhD or call 617.855.4423
• Adult PTSD Track: Email Antonia Seligowski, PhD or call 617.855.2945
• Child/Adolescent Track: Email Fairlee Fabrett, PhD or call 617.855.4510

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Adult Psychology Practicum

Behavioral Health Partial Hospital Program Adult Psychology Practicum

Each year, the Behavioral Health Partial Hospital Program accepts three or four trainees in their third or fourth year of doctoral studies in psychology.

Trainees are expected to commit three days and 20 hours per week from September through May. Additional summer opportunities may be available to trainees after completion of the practicum.

Led by Thröstur Björgvinsson, PhD, ABPP, the practicum includes training in teaching and implementing CBT/DBT/ACT skills in short-term individual and group therapy, completing structured diagnostic interviews, individual and group clinical supervision, didactic seminars, and collaboration on ongoing treatment outcome research.

Trainees are exposed to a multidisciplinary team approach within a program that is also the training site for the McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School Internship in Clinical Psychology.

How To Apply

Applicants interested in the BHP practicum should send a curriculum vitae, letter of interest, and two letters of recommendations addressed to Dr. Michaela Swee, Co-Director of Practicum Training, by January 9.

For additional information, or to submit application materials, please email Michaela Swee.

Division of Psychotic Disorders Adult Psychology Practicum

McLean’s Division of Psychotic Disorders offers 1-2 clinical psychology PhD/PsyD training placements for a 1-year hybrid practicum program (July/August/September start).

The program is excited to train the next generation of clinicians in evidence-based psychosocial services for patients (and their families) experiencing psychosis, such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder with psychotic features, as well as individuals experiencing first episode psychosis and clinical high-risk for psychosis.

Trainees are also exposed to a multidisciplinary team of psychologists, social workers, peer specialists, psychiatrists, and related mental health professionals.

Trainees have the opportunity to engage in the following activities:

• Inpatient groups (e.g., CBT, DBT)
• Residential groups (e.g., mindfulness, dual diagnosis)
• Outpatient groups (e.g., WellSpace, multi-family groups)
• Individual family coaching (e.g., CRAFT)
• Assessments for clinical high risk
• Individual supervision (up to 2 hours/week)
• Didactics (e.g., grand rounds lectures, professional development seminars)
• Research

Learn more about treatment programs in the Division of Psychotic Disorders

Application requirements include:

• Entering year 4+ of PhD/PsyD program at start of practicum
• Commitment to a minimum of 2 days (16 hours) per week
• Ability to be on campus at least 1 day per week

Selected practicum students are required to complete an onboarding packet and orientation and may also need to complete an additional institutional agreement, if not previously on file.

How to Apply

Applicants for the 2024-2025 academic year should send a cover letter, curriculum vitae, unofficial transcript, and 2-3 letters of recommendation to the practicum director, Julie M. McCarthy, PhD.

Applications are due January 8, 2024.

With questions, please contact Dr. McCarthy by email or phone at 617.855.3521.

OCD Institute Adult Psychology Practicum

McLean’s Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Institute (OCDI) offers psychology practicum placements. The OCDI utilizes a multidisciplinary treatment approach, built on the foundations of exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy. The practicum experience is ideal for those interested in OCD and related disorders, anxiety disorders, exposure therapy, and/or CBT/ACT-based approaches to treatment.

For students early in their training, the OCDI provides an opportunity to practice basic therapeutic skills within a structured treatment environment and without the pressure of being the primary therapist. More advanced students have the opportunity to go beyond the basics and use supervision to delve into complex cases and challenging aspects of clinical work. Two practicum tracks are offered.

Clinical intervention track students spend most of their time in the role of behavioral/ERP coach, assisting patients with ERP during individual coaching sessions. Students receive training and supervision on the cognitive-behavioral model and empirically based treatments for OCD, OCD-spectrum disorders, and anxiety disorders (e.g., exposure therapy, cognitive restructuring, habit reversal, mirror retraining, de-hoarding, social skills training, emotion regulation/distress tolerance skills).

Elements of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and motivational interviewing (MI) are often core ingredients of a productive ERP session and are woven into the fabric of the training.

Students observe and co-lead group therapy offerings. A subset of the students in the Intervention track also have the opportunity to lead specific therapy groups and receive additional supervision from a senior-level OCDI group specialist. Students profess interest in running groups at the beginning of the training year, and are selected on the basis of their initial interviews and performance during orientation.

Clinical assessment track students focus on administering structured diagnostic interviews to newly admitted patients. These assessments provide valuable information to clinical teams to inform treatment planning and serve to characterize the sample for research purposes.

Students are expected to complete approximately two individual assessments/clinical reports per week and attend weekly assessment-focused group supervision. Opportunities to carry out 1:1 behavioral/exposure coaching is also available based on the student’s schedule, provided that assessment responsibilities are prioritized.

The assessment track is most appropriate for second year or higher practicum students or those who have at least a foundational knowledge of diagnostic criteria and the assessment process.

Completion of a psychopathology class (or comparable class reviewing diagnostic criteria) and introductory clinical/diagnostic assessment course (reviewing principles of diagnostic assessment, reliability/validity, differential diagnosis) is recommended, given the complexity of the clinical presentations at OCDI’s residential level of care.

Each student is assigned to a behavioral therapists for weekly, individual supervision throughout the year to foster the student’s personal and professional growth. Students also attend weekly clinical group supervision meetings with Nathaniel Van Kirk, PhD, who directs the clinical practicum. Assessment track students attend weekly assessment group supervision and have the option to attend the clinical group supervision.

How to Apply

Applications for may be submitted beginning November 1. Application deadline is January 10.

Interested applicants should send a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, three letters of recommendation, and a graduate transcript via email to Nathaniel Van Kirk, PhD.

In the email, applicants should indicate: track preference (intervention or assessment track), interest in the other track should the preferred track positions become filled, and available days per week for practicum attendance.

Interviews will be offered in mid to late January. Students are responsible for communicating with Dr. Van Kirk about unique licensure requirements to ensure that the program is able to meet their needs and match them with supervisors who possess the qualifications required by the student’s state licensing board.

The OCDI participates in the Massachusetts Psychological Association Practicum Training Collaborative. Learn more about the uniform process on their website.

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Child/Adolescent Psychology Practicum

3East Outpatient and Partial Hospital DBT Programs

McLean’s 3East continuum offers three advanced practicum placements focused on adolescent dialectical behavior therapy (DBT).

Practicum students have the opportunity to join the 3East Outpatient DBT Program, a comprehensive, insurance-based outpatient program for suicidal and self-harming children, adolescents, and their families, and the 3East Partial Hospital Program, a premier, highly specialized 4-6 week treatment program for adolescents and young adults with varying diagnoses.

The practicum is 12-month opportunity, with a weekly commitment of 20 hours, 3-4 days per week.

Students’ responsibilities include:

• Skills group treatment: Students are assigned to co-lead a multifamily DBT skills group at the outpatient program, where they are responsible for co-teaching the core skills of DBT for multi-problem adolescents. Students are also offered the opportunity to lead 4-6 DBT groups following orientation and training at the partial hospital program.
• Individual parent sessions: Students have the opportunity to work one-on-one with parents in the outpatient program to enhance parents’ skill acquisition and generalization.
• Individual skills sessions: Students offer skills tutoring to patients at the partial hospital program in small groups or individually, teaching, rehearsing, and practicing skills that are harder to integrate. Students may also work with adolescents who require skills coaching.
• Family therapy: Students are assigned family therapy cases in the outpatient program, each requiring weekly family therapy sessions. Note: the individual therapist assigned to the case is also present in these sessions. Students in the partial hospital program are invited to attend weekly parent skills training sessions.

Students receive weekly supervision from licensed psychologists who are members of our treatment teams. Students participate in at least one DBT consultation team, as well as McLean training seminars.

How to Apply

Applicants should submit a letter of interest, a current CV or resume, and three letters of recommendation, which may be emailed as part of the application or directly from the recommender.

The application deadline is January 9.

With questions or to submit an application, please email us.

Belmont Adolescent Partial Hospital Program

The Belmont Adolescent Partial Hospital Program offers a ten-month child and adolescent clinical training opportunity for third- and fourth-year psychology doctoral students. Students must be able to commit to three to four days and at least 24 hours per week from September through June.

Students can choose their three days based on their academic schedule and on the different opportunities and responsibilities available at the program.

The primary goal of the partial hospital program is to help teens recognize and become experts at understanding their emotional experience so that they have a better chance of managing emotionally overwhelming circumstances, interpersonal conflicts, and self-destructive urges.

The program relies on a combination of therapeutic interventions based on dialectical behavior therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy, among others.

Patients come to us from different levels of care, therefore we prepare teens who have been in inpatient or residential care to transition back to school and everyday activities.

Practicum students work closely with a therapist during their entire academic training year giving the opportunity to see an experienced clinician providing therapy, and the opportunity to do supervised therapy and receive in-the-moment feedback.

Although practicum students start co-leading treatment with their assigned therapist, they eventually are responsible for carrying their own cases and providing individual therapy, family therapy, and case management (i.e., outpatient referrals, communication with schools). They also get ample experience leading and co-leading groups.

In addition to patient care, practicum students attend clinical rounds once per week and have the opportunity to attend seminars and McLean’s Grand Rounds lectures.

Training goals for the practicum include gaining proficiency in mental status exams and risk assessments. Given the short-term nature of the partial hospital program, trainees become proficient at identifying patient goals that are manageable in that timeframe and sharing these goals with the treatment team.

Trainees become quite skillful at managing difficult patient interactions in the context of a group, and balancing individual patient needs with group needs and goals.

How To Apply

Interested applicants should submit a current curriculum vitae, letter of interest, and one letter of recommendation from a faculty member. Applications are due by January 9.

Note: Interviews will be conducted remotely.

For additional information, or to submit application materials, please contact Fairlee C. Fabrett, PhD.

Child and Adolescent OCD Institute

The Child and Adolescent OCD Institute (OCDI Jr.) offers a clinical training opportunity psychology doctoral students in at least their third year at an accredited and affiliated graduate school of clinical or counseling psychology.

Students participate 16-24 hours over 3 days per week. Previous experience with children/adolescents or anxiety disorder and related disorders is preferred, but not required.

OCDI Jr. is a state-of-the art residential treatment program for children ages 12-18 with OCD and related disorders. At OCDI Jr., we value a collaborative approach, with children and families taking an active role as members of the treatment team.

Our residential program allows children to live on the premises and receive intensive treatment in both individual and group settings. This program is ideal for children with moderate to severe OCD and coexisting conditions who may not have had access to evidence-based care for OCD, and who have had limited success with past treatment.

During this volunteer practicum experience, students can expect to utilize evidence-based treatments, including exposure response prevention (ERP) therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), as part of a multimodal program in combination with medication therapy.

As needed, we also employ behavioral activation, dialectical behavior therapy, and habit reversal training. Additionally, students can expect to work with patients presenting with a variety of OCD, anxiety, and co-occurring presentations.

OCDI Jr. provides an individualized training approach based on each student’s learning goals and objectives for the year. Practicum students’ roles typically consist of leading individual ERP sessions and clinical groups, and co-carrying individual cases with supervisors.

Practicum students also learn how to collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of prescribers, psychologists, social workers, nurses, and support staff.

How to Apply

Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae, cover letter, and 3 letters of reference by January 10.

With questions or to submit applications, please email Alyssa L. Faro, PhD.

McLean Anxiety Mastery Program

As part of the McLean Anxiety Mastery Program (MAMP), practicum students lead cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) skills-based groups and exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy group sessions. Students have the opportunity to co-lead clinical evaluations and family meetings.

Practicum students are also able to engage in collaborative work with schools and school- and community-based exposures. MAMP will be offering a hybrid of in-person and telehealth sessions.

Over the summer, students attend an intensive series of didactics on implementing CBT with children. An ongoing social justice seminar is offered as well as individual supervision throughout the training year. There are weekly didactics provided by McLean’s Grand Rounds lecture series.

For this position, we seek advanced practicum students who have had prior graduate-level experience delivering CBT (with or without ERP) and/or working with children/adolescents.

Students participate 16-24 hours per week, beginning July 1.

How to Apply

Applications may be submitted beginning November 1. Application deadline is January 10.

Interested applicants should send a letter of interest, CV, two letters of recommendation, and a graduate transcript via email to Jacqueline Sperling, PhD. If applicants do not have two letters of recommendation on file, recommenders may send letters directly to Dr. Sperling.

The McLean Anxiety Mastery Program participates in the Massachusetts Psychological Association Practicum Training Collaborative. Learn more about the uniform process on their website.

Please note: MAMP adheres to the universal position offer date.

McLean-Franciscan Community Based Acute Treatment Program

This advanced practicum position is designed for a minimum of 20 hours per week, spread across three days on-site (between the hours of 9am to 5pm), for the full academic year, and requires a clinical, school, counseling, expressive therapy, or related behavioral sciences background.

The McLean-Franciscan Community Based Acute Treatment (CBAT) program is a short-term residential program for children and adolescents ages 4-14.

Typically, patients are referred as either a step down from a more intensive inpatient hospitalization or from the community as an alternative to a hospitalization stay. Diagnoses include mood disorders, attention deficit disorder, depression, psychosis, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder. We serve a diverse group of children and families.

Children receive group therapy, individual therapy, family sessions, and psychiatry medication services. The average length of stay for a patient is 2-3 weeks, but this varies due to the individual child’s needs and aftercare placement planning.

Services are provided through a multidisciplinary team, including a medical personnel, clinicians, and support staff.

The practicum opportunities include carrying an individual therapy caseload of 2-3 cases, running 2-4 therapy groups, consultation and collaboration as part of the multidisciplinary team, family work, and the opportunity to participate in system meetings.

Treatment methodologies include cognitive behavior therapy, dialectical behavior skills, and acceptance and commitment therapy. Our individual and group therapy programs are rooted in evidence-based practices and a strength-based model of care.

In addition to direct clinical care, practicum students receive weekly individual and group supervision. They are also required to attend one of the two clinical rounds.

Weekly didactics occur in conjunction with the McLean-Franciscan programs and the Franciscan Children’s APA Internship Program, which provides our students with the opportunity to learn about multiple topics from diverse presenters.

How to Apply

See below for joint application process to both McLean-Franciscan practica.

McLean-Franciscan Child and Adolescent Inpatient Program

The McLean-Franciscan Child and Adolescent Inpatient Program offers a practicum placement to graduate students seeking a scientist-practitioner model of psychology training. The practicum operates alongside the Mass General child psychiatry fellowship training program and McLean social work training program.

The advanced practicum position is designed for a minimum of 20 hours per week, spread across three days on-site (between the hours of 9am to 5pm), for the full academic year, and requires a clinical, school, counseling, expressive therapy, or related behavioral sciences background.

The inpatient program is a short-term, acute treatment program, serving complex cases in severe psychiatric crisis. The program has 32 beds for children and adolescents ages 3-19 (though primarily serving adolescents). Multidisciplinary assessment and crisis intervention consists of expert diagnostic assessment, medication treatment, and mobilization of the child’s family and support system.

The team includes psychiatrists, social workers, psychologists, nurses, educators, child life specialists, and mental health specialists. Program goals include restoring safety, targeting high-risk behaviors, reducing suicidal behaviors, and successful continuation of treatment and recovery outside of the hospital setting.

Treatment occurs within the context of a structured therapeutic program, utilizing a strength-based model of care and activities and supports that promote a sense of belong and decrease perceived burdensomeness.

Training opportunities include leading or co-leading group therapy with 5-6 groups per week, individual therapy in the context of a short-term, acute setting utilizing evidence-based interventions (caseload of 2-3), consultation and collaboration as part of the multidisciplinary team, family work, participation in clinical rounds, individual and group supervision, and weekly didactic trainings.

Weekly didactics occur in conjunction with the McLean-Franciscan programs and the Franciscan Children’s APA Internship Program, which provides our students with the opportunity to learn about multiple topics from diverse presenters.

Standardized assessment is not a focus of the training program, however, there may be a possibility for students with prior psychological assessment experience to have an opportunity to administer brief personality and/or cognitive assessments.

How to Apply

Applicants may apply to the CBAT and inpatient programs simultaneously. They can also indicate if they have a preference for one program within the letter of interest and/or during the interview process.

Send a letter of interest, current CV, and 2-3 letters of recommendation (may be emailed as part of application or from recommenders directly) to Ralph Buonopane, PhD. Applications are due by January 9.

The McLean-Franciscan programs participate in the Massachusetts Psychological Association Practicum Training Collaborative. Learn more about the uniform process on their website.

McLean SouthEast Adolescent Acute Residential Treatment and Partial Hospital Programs

The McLean SouthEast Adolescent Acute Residential Treatment (ART) Program and partial hospital programs offer an advanced practicum placement for psychology doctoral students in their third or fourth year of training.

The McLean SouthEast ART and PHP are located at the Isaac Street campus in Middleborough, Massachusetts. Trainees are required to be on-site to deliver in person services for the duration of their academic year. Practicum students distribute their field education hours across 4 days per week.

The ART is a 22-bed, short-term residential treatment program. The partial hospital program enrolls about 12 patients at a time.

Both programs use dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) as the primary treatment modality to serve patients experiencing a variety of psychiatric and psychosocial challenges, including suicidal and non-suicidal self-injurious behaviors, mood and anxiety disorders, substance misuse, psychosis, and trauma reactivity.

Every patient is assigned a DBT educator, a psychiatrist or nurse practitioner, and a primary clinician who provides individual therapy, family therapy, and case management.

The practicum student joins our collaborative multidisciplinary team, working across both residential and partial levels of care. They lead therapeutic groups and work closely with a licensed psychologist to provide individual therapy, family therapy, and case management.

A developmental approach to supervision involves shadowing, engaging in co-therapy, direct observation, and ultimately being assigned as the primary clinician for patients.

Opportunities to complete psychological testing and join existing research endeavors are also available.

The advanced practicum student participates in individual supervision, group supervision, and clinical rounds. DBT trainings are also offered throughout the year, as well as learning opportunities through McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

How to Apply

Interested applicants should email a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and three letters of recommendation by January 10.

For additional information, or to submit application materials, please contact Denice Cronin, PsyD.

The McLean SouthEast ART and PHP participate in the Massachusetts Psychological Association Practicum Training Collaborative. Learn more about the uniform process and universal position offer date on their website.

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Irene Pierce Stiver Psychology Alumni Association

Named in honor of the founder of the McLean Psychology Department, the Irene Pierce Stiver Psychology Alumni Association strives to bring together former psychology interns and post-doctoral fellows as a professional community. The association also works to introduce alumni to current interns and post-doctoral fellows.

The Irene Pierce Stiver Psychology Alumni Association includes approximately 530 graduates. The association hosts an evening social for alumni and friends at the annual convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT). This event provides an opportunity to reconnect and network with fellow graduates and senior training faculty.

To simplify communication across our growing membership, we ask one person from each graduating class to serve as class representative. Class representatives play an important role in maintaining communication with their fellow graduates.

Leadership

• Randy P. Auerbach, PhD, ABPP – 2009-2010
• Thröstur Björgvinsson, PhD, ABPP – 1996-1997

Contact

To update your personal information on file, to become a class representative, or to participate in the planning of events or newsletters, please email @email.