Team Members & Structure

About the Clinical Extern Relationship

Our treating staff are doctoral-level graduate student clinicians. They are supervised by licensed mental health professionals who base their professional practice in ongoing critical consumption of relevant research. 

Clinicians and patients work collaboratively in psychotherapy and explore core issues. This process has been shown to promote positive changes that can last long after the treatment ends, including: the expression of emotion, the exploration of interpersonal relations, an emphasis on the therapy relationship, the exploration of attempts to avoid distressing thoughts and feelings, the relevance of past experiences and the identification of recurring themes and patterns.

Clinicians are assigned based on their availability. All of our clinicians are qualified to work with sensitivity to diverse factors such as race, gender, sexual orientation and social status. While we are open to hearing your preferences for therapists, we may not be able to meet your request.

As an assurance of quality care for you, our clinicians receive supervision and case consultation on a weekly basis. Supervision and consultation involves confidential discussion of cases with licensed professionals and other externs. All Center Clinic affiliates adhere to HIPAA guidelines and the laws of the District of Columbia.

Clinicians typically work in the clinic for one or two years. The Center Clinic is dedicated to your treatment, and your clinician will discuss treatment options in advance of his or her departure from the clinic so as to minimize any disruption in your treatment. If your treatment goals have not yet been met and you are interested in continuing, your clinician may arrange for a transfer to a new therapist in the clinic or, occasionally, to providers outside the clinic. 

This is also an important time to reevaluate your treatment needs and determine if the Center Clinic remains the most appropriate treatment option. If you decide to end therapy, prepare for the termination process with these tips.

Clinic Staff Roles

Director: Oversees the policies and procedures of the Center Clinic. Also communicates any issues, updates, concerns or needs to the program’s faculty.

Associate Director: Oversees the day-to-day administration of the clinic to ensure effective operation.

Postdoctoral Fellows: Help manage the clinic. They are responsible for case assignments, psychiatric referrals and being the primary points of contact for clinic externs. The chief postdoctoral fellow oversees all scheduling and works with the associate director in facilitating clinic operations. 

Clinical Externs: Doctoral-level graduate student clinicians in training in the Professional Psychology Program who treat patients.

Clinic Assistant: Typically a student who provides administrative support.

Clinic Executive Committee: Consists of the director, associate director, postdoctoral fellows, team leaders and one student representative from each class year. This committee monitors the functioning of the clinic and seeks to improve its efficiency of operation, quality of training and integration with academic components.