Students pursuing the counseling track will complete a practicum at a site approved by the graduate psychology program coordinator.
You will enroll in practicum during your last year of the program after you have completed the necessary prerequisite coursework. Although some practicum activities can be completed during the evening, successful completion of the practicum usually requires you to have some availability in your schedule during the normal work week. We will assist you in finding a practicum placement that is in line with your interests.
Students have pursued placements in a variety of settings which have included psychiatric hospitals, mental health centers, private practice, neuropsychological assessment, and others.
Student reflections about practicum:
• "Client contact is always an in-the-moment experience that forces me to summon all my cognitive and emotional reserves, to believe in the presence and practicality of creativity and the reliability of 'informed' intuitive process that has been enhanced by my graduate work at Saint Mary."
• "I have found that individuals with PTSD want to be heard without judgment or correction, and it is those who 'have been there and done that' who are the true experts at understanding and providing much needed supportive therapy."
• "I have found that working with people as they work through the loss of a loved one is a challenge and a privilege. What I have discovered is that most people have a resiliency and a strength that cannot be measured until faced with this major milestone in their lives."