J o h n F K e n n e d y U n i v e r s i t y

Supervised Field ExperienceThe 21–24 units of supervised field experience completedin Phases II and III are the clinical core of the CounselingPsychology Program. Students usually do the first threeacademic quarters of their field experience in a placementat one of the school’s Community Counseling Centers, eitherin Pleasant Hill, Pittsburg, or Sunnyvale. The Pleasant HillCommunity Counseling Center was originally established inConcord in 1974 as a public service and training facility. Anew center was opened in 2006 in Pittsburg. The counselingcenter in Sunnyvale was established in 1994 to provideservice to the South Bay community and it serves as the hubof school-based counseling services to the Cupertino UnionSchool District. All counseling centers draw upon the teachingand supervisory skills of psychologists, marriage and familytherapists, and clinical social workers, all licensed in theirrespective disciplines.At the community counseling centers, students counselindividuals (adults and children), couples and families, andgroups. Relationship difficulties, parent-child conflicts, andadjustment problems of adolescents and children are amongthe many family issues encountered at the counseling centers.Various teaching tools, including one-way mirrors and audioand video aids, provide direct feedback and help studentsdevelop their therapeutic skills. Students are also responsiblefor the intake procedure with new clients and participate inthe administrative operations of the center.During the first three quarters of placement, studentsparticipate in weekly clinical group supervision in whicheach student makes one comprehensive case presentation.The instructor facilitates discussion of the theory and practicerelevant to the issues at hand. The seminar also serves as asupport group for students as they meet the challenges ofproviding therapy to clients from the surrounding community.Concurrent with these first quarters of fieldwork, studentscomplete theory and practice integration courses in whichthey directly relate a specific theory to their clinical case.After completing the first three quarters of the fieldplacement, students either remain at one of the university’sCommunity Counseling Centers to complete an advancedprogram or begin an external field placement. To select anexternal placement, students meet with the external fieldplacement coordinator at least one academic quarter beforethe start-up date. The Graduate School of ProfessionalPsychology maintains ongoing relationships with a rangeof agencies throughout the greater San Francisco BayArea. These include community mental health programs,private nonprofit outpatient clinics, residential treatmentprograms, and inpatient and outpatient hospital settings.Other placements include those appropriate for studentspursuing specializations, including substance abuse treatmentcenters, which serve diverse populations, and settings thatuse specialized approaches, such as sport psychology orexpressive arts therapy.Students are required to have 150 hours of direct clientcontact within their graduate studies in order to pursue MFTlicensure. Typically, students satisfy this requirement duringtheir field placement. Occasionally, students who are unableto achieve these minimum hours of direct contact mustenroll in PSY/PSJ 5238 Supplemental Fieldwork ExperienceMonitoring for an additional quarter of fieldwork. Unitsearned in PSY/PSJ 5238 do not apply toward the 79 graduateunits required for the degree.Comprehensive Master’s ExaminationAll counseling psychology students must demonstrate anunderstanding of the theoretical material and their capacityto function effectively and ethically as professional clinicians.As part of the assessment of these competencies, studentscomplete a two-part comprehensive master’s examinationsimilar in format to that of the California MFT Examination.Students must register through the Registrar’s Office for theMaster’s Examination and pay the appropriate non-refundablefee one quarter prior to taking the first component, thewritten examination (PSY 9090).Students must take the written exam, which is based onPhase I coursework, during the first or second quarter ofPhase II (i.e., approximately midway through the CounselingPsychology Program). This exam is offered twice a year.It is preceded by an orientation meeting and optionalpractice session to be attended one quarter before the exam.Students must successfully complete the written exam beforeproceeding to Phase III, which includes the second threequartersequence of the field experience component andthe oral examination. Students who are required to retakethe written exam must re-register and pay the appropriatenon-refundable fee. Students have three chances to pass thewritten exam.During the final quarter of the program, students completethe oral component of the Comprehensive Master’sExamination. (Students must register through the Registrar’sOffice for the oral comprehensive examination [PSY/PSJ 9091]and pay the appropriate non-refundable fee.) This includesa clinical vignette presented by the faculty examiners.This experience provides students with the opportunityto demonstrate competence and the breadth and depthof knowledge necessary to become an effective therapist.Students have three chances to pass the oral exam.Students who are required to retake the oral exam must reregisterand pay the appropriate non-refundable fee.168 GRADUATE SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGYJOHN F. KENNEDY UNIVERSITY