Master's and Doctoral Training

Dear Applicant,

We are thrilled you are here and considering training with us here at UR CAPS.  We are a passionate training site, with opportunities for doctoral practicum, master’s practicum and internships, LPC residency, and our newly developed doctoral internship.  For the doctoral practicum and master’s level experiences, we invite applications from students enrolled in Master of Counseling (or equivalent) programs or Ph.D. or Psy.D. in Clinical or Counseling Psychology degree programs who have or will have already completed one practicum experience. Our training site focuses on the development of the APA core competencies consistent with a trainee’s experience. Our program is committed to incorporating multicultural and diversity perspectives throughout all aspects of training. We are looking for trainees who demonstrate a commitment to antiracism and racial justice and are eager to further develop their actions and skills in these areas.

Staff at UR CAPS include clinicians with backgrounds in clinical and counseling psychology, (licensed clinical psychologists in VA), counselor education and masters in counseling (licensed professional counselors).  CAPS staff deeply value diversity and integrate a multicultural lens across all aspects of training. The training experience offers experience with diverse students in terms of gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, socio-economic class, physical ability, and religious affiliations, who are dealing with various presenting concerns on different levels of severity. The staff represents diversity along many of the same characteristics.

The selection committee seeks applicants who are a) looking for clinical experience in a fast-paced, dynamic setting, b) interested in intense training in brief consultation, individual counseling, skill-building programs, and c) learning and growing through support and challenge in a context that is committed to diversity and inclusion.

Please thoroughly review our website and view the training experiences that align with your developmental level.  We know the application and decision-making process can be challenging. Providing you with information to make a well-informed choice is important to us. We are glad to answer your questions about our training program. Please feel free to contact us by email at caps@richmond.edu.

We appreciate your interest in our graduate training program!

Rachel L. Koch, Psy.D.
Assistant Director for Training

While the primary focus of UR CAPS training is clinical work with traditionally aged college students, the experience also provides broader training in college student development in a multicultural context. CAPS, as part of the Health and Well-Being Unit, is at the forefront of providing proactive programming and wellness-based outreach to the campus community. CAPS staff facilitate programs and seminars on such topics as stress management, mindfulness, emotional regulation, effective communication, self-care, and self/time management. CAPS also partners with other campus departments to provide additional offerings related to affinity groups, sexual assault advocacy, career exploration, and other foci. Trainees are given the opportunity to co-facilitate these workshops as well as lead them independently in some cases. 

An important value held by our staff is that the implementation of therapeutic skills must be adapted within different groups to meet unique needs. Students at University of Richmond have diverse identities and experiences. We recognize and appreciate the potential impact of diversity in terms of culture, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, level of ability, and other factors. We believe that effectiveness in our profession is not simply the result of skill acquisition but, rather, is the successful synthesis of competence and personal maturity, which results in self-awareness and ethical behavior. UR CAPS strives to develop its staff and trainees to this end. Opportunities in the training program reflect these values.

The training staff believes that psychological theory and research provide a foundation for conceptualization and intervention. Counselors and psychologists should strive to understand major counseling and psychotherapeutic theoretical models and their research base and utilize evidence-based practice in their clinical work. Members of the staff represent and draw on many different theoretical orientations in their approaches to therapy, supervision, and consultation. The Center staff welcomes discussions of professional issues with trainees.

While the Center’s staff utilizes different theoretical frameworks, there is a shared commitment to create an atmosphere conducive to professional and personal growth. The staff strives to provide practice and training experiences that create a challenging, intellectually stimulating, and open environment in which new ideas can be explored and nurtured. The staff encourages trainees to assess their professional strengths and weaknesses. The training committee makes every effort to honor requests to develop individual learning experiences in areas of desired professional growth.