Internships

This program is offered to master's, doctoral level students and professional orders (OPQ, OTSTCFQ, etc) equivalencies candidates who wish to complete an internship in psychodynamic psychotherapy.

Training Program Philosophy

This program gives the student a solid theoretical and clinical base in the practice of long term psychotherapy with a psychoanalytic orientation. It has 3 main components: personal therapy, supervision, and seminar participation. Each plays its own essential role in acquainting the student with the complex practice of psychodynamic psychotherapy. This program requires a high degree of personal commitment.

Admission Criteria

• Masters or doctorate in psychology or counselling psychology—in progress
• Personal integrity: recent letters of reference
• Readiness as evidenced by: Experience in dealing with individuals in distress and motivation, interest, and dedication to work psychodynamically with individuals.

Theoretical formation

The theoretical formation encompasses 2 semesters (100 hours) and is a mixture of lectures and discussions, based on recommended readings.

Seminars are an opportunity to become acquainted with the language specific to this field and the theoretical notions essential to practice. Seminars are an introduction to what is to become a career-long pursuit of understanding of others at the deepest level and a gradual process of integrating knowledge that can be leverage to help people cope with their lives on many different levels.

Classes are held on Wednesdays evenings.

Specific Themes

• Introduction to Psychoanalytic Concepts
• Interview Techniques and Assessments in Psychoanalytic Therapy
• The Therapeutic Alliance, the Frame and the Holding Environment
• Psychoanalytic understanding of Psychopathological Configurations
• Suicidality
• Attempts at Integration

Clinical Formation

Group and individual supervision: supervised practice provides the opportunity to develop psychodynamic techniques and understandings in vivo. Through weekly group and one-on-one case discussions with a supervisor, students will gradually learn to tackle the complex task of reconciling theoretical notions with the immediacy of the therapeutic encounter, while benefiting from the experience of experienced & accredited clinicians.

• Clinical component: 250 client hours  for a Master's degree intern and 285 client hours for a Doctoral intern between September and April.
• Group supervision for two hours per week, 60 hours for the academic year.
• Individual supervision for 50 hours
• Personal therapy: personal therapy is crucial for the integration of a personal experience of unconscious mechanisms with knowledge acquired through the other two facets of the program. It is also essential in helping the student tap resources and elaborate areas of conflict activated by experiences with clients or fellow students. Personal therapy with an assigned Argyle-approved therapist is required for 20 hours during the internship.

 Systemic Psychotherapy Internship

This program is offered to master's, doctoral level students and professional orders (OPQ, OTSTCFQ, etc) equivalencies candidates who wish to complete an internship in systemic psychotherapy.

Introduction

Systemic psychotherapy understands human problems and behaviour in a contextual framework and seeks to shift the current dynamics of individual, couple and family relationships. The program focuses on the basic concepts and techniques of systemic therapy through theoretical seminars, clinical work, and supervision.

Admission Criteria

• A Master’s or Doctorate degree students in the mental health field (social work, psychology, counselling psychology,  education, nursing, or medicine) and OPQ equivalencies candidates.
• Personal psychotherapy—past or on-going—oriented to explore family of origin issues.
• Personal integrity: recent professional letters of reference.

Readiness as evidenced by:

• Experience in dealing with individuals, couples, or families in distress.
• Motivation, interest, and dedication to work with a systemic approach.

Theoretical Formation:

The theoretical formation encompasses a total of 2 semesters. The format of the didactic seminars (45 hours) is a mixture of lectures and discussions, based on recommended texts.

Clinical Formation:

250 client hours  for a Master's degree intern and 285 client hours for a Doctoral intern between September and April, with individuals, couples and families.

• Group supervision for two hours per week, 60 hours for the academic year.
• Individual supervision for 50 hours

Clinical Referrals:

Clinical cases will come from referrals from the Argyle Department of Counselling Services.

 Responsibility and Liability:

All candidates will be covered by their supervisors liability insurance.

Social work

This program is open to social work students at a post-graduate level, seeking to improve their counseling skills. We offer interns:

• experience in intake; assessment; and counselling individuals, couples, and families
• basic theoretical training in psychodynamic psychotherapy
• experience in program evaluation
• supervision by a therapist qualified with a PhD in social work and who is an approved supervisor with the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy.

If necessary, applicants must be prepared to work evenings and a half-day on Fridays to meet the counselling needs of clients. Personal psychotherapy is a prerequisite