Psychology-Externship-Trauma

Michael Olivares, Registered Psych Associate
Catholic University, 2021-22

Trauma- and Multiculturally-Focused Clinical Psychology Externship for Advanced Doctoral Students 2025-2026

PsychCare Psychological Services offers five doctoral externship positions in the 2025-2026 academic year. Our training model focuses on a culturally responsive, trauma-informed approach in service delivery. Externs will have the opportunity to work with a highly diverse group of individuals of varying age, race, gender identity, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. Our externs will provide both short-term and long-term individual therapy for a wide range of presenting concerns and diagnoses

Trauma- and Multiculturally-Focused Clinical Psychology Externship for Advanced Doctoral Students 2024-2025

PsychCare Psychological Services offers five doctoral externship positions in the 2024-2025 academic year. Our training model focuses on a culturally responsive, trauma-informed approach in service delivery. Externs will have the opportunity to work with a highly diverse group of individuals of varying age, race, gender identity, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. Our externs will provide both short-term and long-term individual therapy for a wide range of presenting concerns and diagnoses

Michael Olivares, Registered Psych Associate
Catholic University, 2021-22

Externs will receive a stipend of $3000 per year. 

Our training model is grounded in multicultural theories with a trauma-informed perspective, as reflected in our monthly didactic seminars and weekly group supervision discussion. Additionally, externs will be working among experienced licensed psychologists with diverse cultural backgrounds and theoretical orientations, ranging from contemporary cognitive-behavioral approaches to psychodynamic psychotherapy.  Externs will be exposed to a wide range of clinical and training experiences at PsychCare, which aim to strengthen their foundational skills in case conceptualization and treatment planning, as well as deepen their cultural humility and knowledge of applied interventions. In addition to preparing externs for work in a variety of professional settings in the future, they will also learn the unique ins and outs of private practice.

The externship orientation  will start in July, 2025 and externs will begin accruing clinical hours from August, 2025 to June, 2026 (approximately 40 weeks). Externs are expected to be available two to three days per week (up to 18 hours per week). A key component of the program is the required on-site group supervision at our Columbia office every Wednesday morning (10:00am-12:00pm). Outside of the Wednesday group supervision sessions, externs have the flexibility to work remotely or at any of our office locations. This arrangement offers the freedom to choose their work location for the remaining hours, including the option to work remotely or in-person before and after the Wednesday group supervision, as well as select their second or third clinical day based on personal availability and preferences.

We are invested in our externs’ training experiences and professional development, as such, we provide a variety of training activities throughout the year, including: 

  • In-person group supervision three weeks out of the month at the Columbia office with the externship cohort and training directors
  • Monthly didactic seminars on culturally responsive care and trauma-informed treatment approaches (Wednesdays, 10am to 12 noon, virtual)
  • Weekly, one-hour of individual supervision with a licensed clinical psychologist
  • Monthly journal article/book chapter discussions on various clinical topics that will begin in the spring semester 

Clinical & Training Activities Hours
In-person/Virtual Therapy 10 (11-12 scheduled)/week
Individual Supervision 1/week
Group Supervision 2 (in-person)/week
Didactic Seminar 2/month (virtual)
Journal/Book Chapter Club 1-2h/month (virtual)
Documentation and tape review 2-3/week

All externs are required to become Registered Psychology Associates (RPA) in the state of Maryland with Maryland’s Board of Psychology prior to starting the externship (https://health.maryland.gov/psych/pages/generalinfopsychassociate.aspx). In order to become RPAs in the state, externs need to either have a master’s degree in clinical or counseling psychology from an APA-accredited doctoral program and/or a master’s degree from a program that is accredited through CHEA (https://www.chea.org/search-institutions). We will provide administrative support for credentialing and paneling with insurance and cover the costs for registration and jurisprudence exam with the state board. Priority consideration will be given to those applicants with at least two prior year-long practicum experience in therapy.

Application Deadline: All application materials must be received by February 7, 2025.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis starting in January. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible, and we understand that recommendation letters may be delayed. Offers for interviews will be granted on a rolling basis. 

How to Apply

Interested candidates may apply through our website: https://www.psychcaremd.com/careers/psychology-externship-trauma/ 

Questions about the externship and/or application process can be directed to the Co-Directors of Externship Training – Kayi Hui-Spears, Ph.D. and Kristen Izant, Ph.D. (externship@psychcaremd.com)

Externship Staff

Dr. Elizabeth Disney

Clinical Psychologist
Externship Supervisor

Dr. Kayi Hui-Spears

Clinical Psychologist
Externship Co-Director

Dr. Kristen Izant

Clinical Psychologist
Externship Co-Director

Dr. Victoria Lee

Clinical Psychologist
Externship Supervisor

Dr. Ariel Nickie

Clinical Psychologist
Externship Supervisor

Dr. Lateffa Robinson

Clinical Psychologist
Externship Supervisor

Dr. James Rutledge

Clinical Psychologist
Externship Supervisor

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