Practicum Information

At TMU, our psychology placement is dedicated to providing a dynamic and practical learning environment. Practicum students receive in depth intervention training in one of three rotations: EFT, Psychodynamic or CBT.  Unique to the TMU placement is our 24 week microskills curriculum offering breadth of training, a sense of community and a shared learning environment for all of our trainees. With a diverse, multidisciplinary team and a carefully structured onboarding process, interns enjoy collaborative support and consultation opportunities. Our program offers flexibility in caseload selection, encouraging interns to follow their interests and training goals, whether in brief therapy, ongoing therapy, or group therapy. This placement is ideal for those looking to tackle anything from mild/moderate to complex client presentations, and focuses exclusively on intervention. Many of our staff are former trainees and serve as a valuable resource for our students as mentors for their professional development path.

At TMU, our social work placement works within a person-centered, anti-oppressive and trauma-informed lens, and emphasizes the social determinants of health in our conceptualization of clinical practice. Interns are invited to explore the intersection of individual, community and systemic factors that contribute to mental health concerns. In addition to managing an individual counselling caseload and case management, we offer a didactic and experiential weekly training series as part of this practicum. During this series, interns will learn and practice skills from various therapeutic modalities. We are currently offering hybrid placements where interns will meet with clients both in-person and virtually. This program only accepts placements beginning in September.

Set in the heart of downtown Toronto, Toronto Metropolitan University is home to 48,000 full-time undergraduate students and 2,500 graduate students, with a culturally diverse student population from 146 countries. The Centre for Student Development and Counselling provides direct service to over 2,500 students annually through individual therapy, group therapy, and psycho-educational workshops. Practicing from an anti-oppressive framework and a culturally sensitive/intersectional identity lens is one of our guiding principles and we work proactively to make our services accessible and equitable to students. 

The CSDC is unique from many post-secondary counseling services in that we operate from an equitable care model and utilize a rich network of resources and referral pathways both on and off campus to best match student needs.  We provide service to clients with a range of diagnoses/presenting issues and levels of complexity from mild/moderate to more severe. Clients range in age from 17 - 45 years old with a median age of 20. We are fortunate to see clients from a range of diverse backgrounds and  intersecting identities (culture, race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, (dis)ability, spirituality, immigration, socioeconomic status). 

The CSDC believes in cultivating and retaining talent whenever possible. Many of our clinic staff are former trainees. 

Training Institute Week: In the first week of placement, all practicum students participate in a series of training seminars.  The goal is to provide a warm, welcoming and informative environment for you to obtain the necessary onboarding tools to feel confident and equipped to start seeing clients. Workshops and seminars on suicide risk assessment, brief therapy and case management, multicultural counselling and trauma informed-care, in addition to training on our EMR, and the opportunity to connect with other trainees are among the highlights of this orientation week.

Microskills in 5 Evidence-based modalities (24-week curriculum): For 8 months, the cohort of CSDC practicum students (approx 4-7 students/year) attends a weekly 2-hour workshop. Our evolving microskills seminars have been one of the CSDC’s most commended aspects of the training experience. We are committed to providing not only clear opportunities for direct client contact, but also a set of practical and experiential tools trainees can use to enhance client outcomes. Some examples of the previously taught modalities include Brief/Narrative Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Emotion Focused Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Psychodynamic (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy). Generally, the first hour of these workshops is dedicated to theory and essential skills, and the second hour is dedicated to practicing what is learned through student role plays with optional facilitator input.

Direct Client Contact: Practicum students will be provided with a caseload of single session, brief therapy, and ongoing therapy clients. Students may also be able to co-facilitate group therapy. The CSDC has a rich history of providing psycho-educational and process-experiential groups addressing topics such as coping with grief, managing family dynamics, dealing with inner critics, healing from trauma and managing anxiety/depression.

Individual: Our supervisors offer one hour of supervision weekly. Students will have an opportunity to practice in-depth ongoing therapy utilizing theory and practical tools unique to their therapeutic modality stream. Supervision includes opportunities for observation (supervisor observing student and vice versa), case reviews, and reviews of recorded sessions. In addition to access to their primary supervisor, students will also have access to a back-up supervisor (CSDC Coordinators) during their placement. As a multidisciplinary team, we welcome consultation with other clinicians on the team for specific areas of concern in coordination with your primary supervisor. 

Group: Practicum students will have the opportunity to engage in group supervision as well via bi-weekly “Question & Consultation'' meetings. These meetings will include case presentations and practice at both receiving and providing clinical feedback. Group supervision meetings are facilitated by the CSDC Clinical Leads and Internship Coordinators.