University of Technology, Sydney

Staff directory | Campus maps | Newsroom | What's on

Counselling internships

UTS placement for psychologists in training

UTS provides the opportunity for clinical psychology interns (Masters and Doctoral students) to complete placements in the Counselling Service.

  • Interns not only rate the UTS training experience as highly positive, but report that they learn a great deal about working with the specific issues facing young adults from a variety of cultures and also about many aspects of mental health, assessment and treatment, to be found in a non-clinical population.  Even within a non-clinical population, the entire range of mental health problems is seen within the Counselling Service.
  • Interns gain exposure to a wide range of presentations;
  • In addition to learning about the various University Procedures and Rules, which is a requirement of much of the day-to-day work on the unit, the work involves a high degree of clinical skill and judgment in making mental health and risk assessments and case-management decisions.
  • Interns provide brief, and even very brief therapeutic interventions, as many students presenting to the service are seen only once. However, there is also the opportunity for longer-term therapeutic interventions where appropriate.
  • Our theoretical approach in the unit is flexible; staff members have a broad range of training and experience and work in a variety of different models.
  • Clinical Psychology Interns work with a great deal of independence and autonomy but are able to access practical and/or clinical help from their supervisor, or from other colleagues virtually at all times during the day.
  • Interns are also offered the opportunity to attend, and to contribute to counsellors' meetings, peer supervision, and professional development seminars within, and sometimes outside of the unit.
  • Interns are also invited to participate in the development and facilitation of workshops and groups, for example, the examination anxiety workshop.
  • While Interns are trained in and may use a specific model for their therapeutic work, they are encouraged to be aware of and to process difficult feelings and unconscious processes occurring in sessions if, and when, they present. A wide and diverse range of what are considered 'classic' clinical readings relevant to particular issues that may emerge in the course of their therapeutic work are provided. Examples are termination issues and transference and counter-transference issues.
  • The primary clinical supervisor is trained in both CBT and psychodynamic models; thus Interns are invited to extend their clinical skills in becoming aware of, and paying attention to some of the deeper therapeutic issues.

To enquire about availability of placements or for further information about the placement, please contact the Student Services Unit (SSU) on (02) 9514 1177 and ask for Dr Hugo Gonzales or you may email your questions to hugo.gonzales@uts.edu.au.

On-site interviews are held to ensure the placement is a good fit for the intern and the service.