Practicum Training Program

The Doctoral Practicum Training Program is an integral part of the mission of Counseling and Psychological Services at Florida State University. The entire clinical staff is involved in the supervision and training of our practicum counselors. The practicum experience is a time to develop one’s professional skills, prepare to engage competently, and identify as a counselor in training. The program attempts to provide an atmosphere that is conducive to learning by providing practicum counselors with an appropriate blend of support and challenge. The practicum counselors are seen as emerging professionals and are treated accordingly, giving them a balance of autonomy and structure. The practicum counselor’s growth areas are focused on in an attempt to facilitate their growth throughout the practicum experience.

The goal of the Doctoral Practicum Training Program is to provide doctoral students with a focused and intensive experience in providing counseling to Counseling and Psychological Services clients and to provide the practicum counselor supervision and clinical training in the following areas:

• Clinical skills and competency in providing individual counseling as a practicum counselor
• Understanding of and competence in the process dimension of counseling as well as use of the counselor’s self and the counseling relationship as agents of change.
• Working competently and compassionately with clients from diverse life backgrounds and with wide-ranging presenting concerns.
• Developing skills for working with a multidisciplinary professional staff in a large university counseling center.
• Utilizing a developmental mentoring model, which is sensitive to the developmental needs of practicum counselors throughout the practicum experience, providing them with necessary supervision and support.
• Providing training and experience in planning and delivering high quality direct clinical services to the center clients.
• Establishing and developing a professional identity as knowledgeable, skilled, and ethical clinicians in training.
• Infusing sensitivity to issues of diversity throughout the program.
• Allowing for an unfolding of exploration of clinical and professional identities and how our various identities and experiences interplay with professional activities.

Practicum counselors are expected to follow ethical guidelines and principles as established by the American Psychological Association (APA) and the International Association of Counseling Services (IACS). They are expected to be aware of and adhere to pertinent Florida laws governing professional practice. All practicum counselors must maintain ALL client information confidential as required by law and the APA and IACS ethics codes. Ethical issues are integrated into all discussions regarding service delivery and the overall practicum experience in Counseling and Psychological Services at Florida State University.

The clinical staff of Counseling and Psychological Services is multi-disciplinary and culturally diverse. It includes licensed psychologists, licensed mental health counselors, licensed clinical social workers, registered art therapists, master’s interns, and doctoral interns. All of the clinical staff are generalists and see students presenting with a variety of mental health concerns.

The practicum experience requires 20 hours per week of on-site commitment, in Counseling and Psychological Services, from the practicum counselor. While there is some flexibility in adapting the practicum requirements to the criteria set by the practicum counselor’s department, it is the practicum counselor’s responsibility to negotiate and adjust their time management style to meet these requirements. Please note that the Doctoral Practicum Training Program undergoes periodic revision and therefore changes to some aspects of the specific program details may be made prior to the beginning of the training period.

Practicum counselors are required to participate in a scheduled orientation during their first week in Counseling and Psychological Services. Please note that the orientation occurs the week prior to the start of the Fall academic semester. The purpose of the orientation is to introduce the practicum counselors to the structure and mission of the training program, organization structure, and clinical services provided, along with policies and procedures of the program. The orientation will include, but is not limited to, a brief overview of working with diverse populations, therapeutic modalities, common clinical areas of interest (i.e., belief systems in counseling and integrating identities). Orientation will be led by center staff.

Individual Counseling

Clients generally walk-in as a first contact and clinical needs are assessed. Some clients may only attend an initial contact, some may continue in therapy and some may be referred to the community. Counseling and Psychological Services has a brief treatment model with most clients typically receiving between four and eight sessions. When clinically appropriate and with authorization from our Utilization Review Committee, it is possible to see some clients beyond the brief model.

Each practicum counselor is expected to provide a minimum of 8 hours per week of individual counseling sessions.  Given the variability in attendance rates and the fact that some clients may be seen less frequently than weekly, practicum counselors will carry an ongoing caseload of greater than eight clients in order to meet this requirement.  Practicum counselors will be trained to conduct biopsychosocial assessments at Counseling and Psychological Services.  The biopsychosocial assessment is the client's first extensive experience with a clinician, in this case the practicum counselor. 

Group Counseling

Group treatment is offered with some groups structured with educational objectives; others are unstructured and rely primarily on interpersonal interaction. The practicum counselor will have the opportunity to process observe a group during the Fall and/or Spring semesters. If the practicum counselor has been a process observer during the Fall semester, there is a potential for them to transition to co-facilitating a group during the Spring semester.  The group counseling option is available to practicum students who express an interest in group counseling. 

Crisis Intervention

The practicum counselor will have the opportunity to participate in the initial contact system through observations and receive training in crisis intervention through didactic trainings and supervised experience.

Psychological Assessment

Counseling and Psychological Services has assessment screening inventories and assessment instruments that are available for use by the practicum counselors. The screening inventories and instruments may assist the practicum counselor in gaining exposure to and experience with unfamiliar assessment measures. Practicum counselors will be introduced to the assessments that we have to offer and required to utilize them during the practicum experience.

Outreach

Staff and interns regularly provide outreach presentations to the university community. Interns are often involved in participating in campus-wide events and outreaches to various campus organizations.

Treatment Coordination Services

When client issues necessitate longer or more intensive care, it may be necessary or best practice to refer a student to a community provider for ongoing mental health treatment. Our clinical case managers serve to coordinate, facilitate, and monitor the interchange between Counseling and Psychological Services clients and treatment providers in the Tallahassee community. This service includes referrals out to higher levels of care, as well as supporting students as they re-enter the university setting, following inpatient treatment.

Each practicum counselor will receive 1.0 hour per week of one-to-one individual counseling supervision, and more if determined necessary by the supervisor(s) of record. Supervisory pairings and group assignments will be made at the beginning of the practicum experience by the Program Coordinator. Practicum counselor’s supervision schedules will be set by the supervisor of record based on the practicum counselor’s schedule.

Practicum counselors are required to attend group supervision weekly throughout the Fall and Spring semesters. The group supervision schedule will be set prior to start of the practicum experience based on the practicum counselors and licensed group supervisor(s) schedules. Practicum counselors will need to arrange their schedule in order to participate in group supervision.

Group supervision provides an opportunity for practicum counselors to process, learn, share, and teach each other about doing individual counseling with Counseling and Psychological Services clients. Group supervision will cover a range of clinical and professional development topics, and utilize case presentations of the practicum counselor’s counseling sessions with center clients. Various collaborative learning methods may be used in the group supervision to foster cohesiveness, mutual learning, and respect for differing theoretical orientations and worldviews

The Florida State Counseling and Psychological Services Doctoral Practicum Training Program reaffirms its commitment to a policy of equal opportunity and pluralism, thus enhancing diversity and assuring a campus climate that values and respects the worth and dignity of all persons. Therefore, we ascribe to APA’s position statement “Preparing Professional Psychologists to Serve a Diverse Public: A Core Requirement in Doctoral Education and Training” which can be found at this APA link.

It is expected that practicum counselors will practice ethical behavior as defined in the APA Code of Ethics and observe all Counseling and Psychological Services and Practicum Training Program policies and procedures. Practicum counselors are viewed as emerging professionals and are respected for the services and skills that they provide. Therefore, it is assumed that they will behave in a professional manner.

• Physically be in Counseling and Psychological Services for a minimum of 20 hours each week. During these hours, it is required that practicum counselors will be present in Counseling and Psychological Services, even when no clients are scheduled.
• Be punctual, consistently attend, and actively participate in the Doctoral Practicum Training Program. Practicum counselors are expected to openly discuss their clinical caseloads, prepare for supervision, and engage fully in the training experience.
• Video recording of client sessions. Practicum counselors will record all clinical sessions and review videos with supervisors and during group supervision. Digital recordings must remain secured inside Counseling and Psychological Services at all times.
• Maintain timely and accurate client records and protect ALL CONFIDENTIAL client records and information. Specific procedures for protecting client information will be explained during orientation.
• Dress in a professional manner. Clothing must be appropriate for working with clients (no shorts, tank tops, revealing clothing, or inappropriate footwear).

Evaluation and feedback is an ongoing process that occurs throughout the practicum experience. Evaluation is an important component of training with the goal of providing timely and relevant feedback to trainees in order to facilitate their professional growth and performance, as well as provide feedback to their home program regarding their progress.

In a complementary fashion, the practicum training program seeks feedback on supervisory performance, as well as the value and effectiveness of the overall training experience. Practicum counselors receive feedback on their performance on an ongoing basis and at the conclusion of each semester, the formal written Counseling and Psychological Services evaluation is completed.

Application deadline is Monday, February 23rd, 2026.

Minimum Criteria for Eligibility

• Fall and Spring semester commitment to the Doctoral Practicum Training Program in Counseling and Psychological Services at Florida State University.
• Available to engage in practicum-related activities for a minimum of 20 hours per week throughout the practicum experience.
• Currently enrolled in the Combined Doctoral Program in Counseling Psychology & School Psychology or the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program at Florida State University.
• Successfully completed at least one clinical practicum within your current program.

Guidelines for Practicum Applicants who are former clients of Counseling and Psychological Services

Former clients are eligible to apply for practicum positions. However, there must be a minimum of one semester between receiving clinical services at Counseling and Psychological Services and starting a practicum at Counseling and Psychological Services. A former client’s file will be sealed upon receipt of an application.

If you meet the minimum criteria for eligibility and are interested in applying to the Doctoral Practicum Training Program in Counseling and Psychological Services at Florida State University, please submit the following completed application materials via email to the program Coordinator at tduck@fsu.edu:

• Practicum Training Program Application Form
• Supervisor Reference Form (please submit one reference)
• Verification of Practicum Eligibility Form
• An unofficial transcript of your graduate course work.
• Current Curriculum Vita.
• Statement of Interest (500–1000 words) explaining how a training experience at Counseling and Psychological Services will benefit your professional and academic goals/plans and what you would bring to the center as a trainee.

Selected candidates will be offered on-site interviews between March 9th and 13th 2026.

*** Please note that if accepted into the Practicum Training Program, students must provide proof of their Student Liability Insurance at the start of the practicum experience. Students must also register for the 2-hour credit of Field Practicum for both Fall and Spring semesters. In addition, students must complete the Field Practicum Information and the Field Practicum Placement Forms which will document their supervisors and contact information. ***

Please email all completed application materials by Monday, February 23rd, 2026  to:

Attention: Practicum Selection Committee
Terri K. Duck, Ph.D.
Doctoral Practicum Training Coordinator
E-mail: tduck@fsu.edu

Thank you for your interest in applying to our program.

Dr. Terri K. Duck
Licensed Psychologist
Doctoral Practicum Training Coordinator
Reuben O’D Askew Student Life Center
942 Learning Way, Suite 250
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL 32306-4175
Phone: (850) 644-TALK (8255)
Fax: (850) 644-3150