The Counseling & Testing Center is an advanced practicum site for doctoral students in Counseling and Clinical Psychology. Dr. Eric Hayden, Assistant Training Director, is responsible for the coordination of the practicum program.

Practicum counselors gain experience, training and knowledge in the various activities of a university counseling center, as well as further developing their ability to function as competent, effective and responsible therapists.

Training sessions and individual supervision are designed to be responsive to each trainee's individual developmental needs, as well as the needs of the clients.

The Counseling & Testing Center is also committed to issues of diversity and recognizes that each practicum counselor possesses unique qualities and strengths based on sociocultural issues as well as past training and counseling experiences.

Practicum counselors at the Center provide individual personal, career and educational counseling for the diverse student population of The University of Akron. They also gain training and experience in outreach/programming activities, biofeedback, and some career assessment. 

Practicum placement is for the academic year, during fall and spring semesters. Practicum counselors are not expected to work during finals week or during the break. However, they are expected to respond to the needs of their clients at the end of each semester in a professional manner.

Practicum counselors are required to spend 14 hours per week on site. These hours are divided as follows:

• Individual counseling and assessment: 10 hours per week
• Individual supervision: two hours per week
• Administration/Prep/Outreach Programming: two hours per week
• Additional hours and experience may be available.

Practicum counselors also spend two additional hours per week (approximately five to seven times a semester) in didactic training sessions provided by the center. Past topics for training sessions have included:

• Outreach/consultation
• Biofeedback
• Acceptance & commitment therapy
• Motivational interviewing
• Issues for GLBT students, and
• Diversity/Multicultural issues for the college student population

A mandatory orientation session is held the week before classes start.

Each practicum counselor will be supervised by a licensed staff psychologist for half of their caseload for an hour each week. They will receive an hour of supervision for the other half of their caseload by a doctoral psychology intern, who is being supervised regarding their supervision. Informal evaluations are conducted at each semester's midpoint, and formal written evaluations are conducted at each semester's end.

Instructors of the practicum class at The University of Akron, Dr. Eric Hayden (Assistant Training Director), and Dr. Donna McDonald (Training Director), meet regularly to monitor the progress of the practicum class.

A document specifying the roles of the site supervisor and the faculty supervisor can be found here.

Practicum counselors are expected to follow all policies and procedures of the Counseling & Testing Center and to act in accordance with the ethical standards of the profession.

Prospective students submit application materials and are interviewed during spring semester. The Center typically accepts three practicum counselors each year. However, this number is subject to change based on agency needs.

To apply: Submit a curriculum vita (including detailed information on all clinical practica [types of clients seen, numbers of sessions, presenting concerns, interventions used, psychological assessment used, etc], a full listing of courses taken at the graduate level, two letters of recommendation, and a cover letter discussing your relevant clinical training, interest in the practicum program, and academic/career goals by March 8. Applications and letters of recommendation should be sent either electronically or by mail to:

Eric W. Hayden, PhD
Assistant Director-Training
The Counseling and Testing Center
The University of Akron
Akron, OH 44325-4303
ehayden@uakron.edu (please put "Practicum" in the subject line) .