Clinical Training Program

Graduate level psychology and social work trainees and interns receive valuable training working with our highly diverse LGBT population. Our year long program meets all Board of Behavioral Health requirements for licensure. Interns are supervised by licensed mental health therapists who generously donate their time. For more information about the training program schedule, please click here or click here for our application.

The intern training program at the Pacific Center is a 12-month program, split into two cohorts with a start date of early summer and late summer. Interns and trainees are required to be on-site for a minimum of 20 hours per week for intensive training that is comprised of:

• One-on-one supervision
• Group supervision
• Professional Development
• 8 - 10 Client Hours
• Clinical Didactic Training

Training Topics

• Assessment and Diagnosis
• Attachment Theory
• Brief Dynamic Psychotherapy
• Clinical Issues with HIV+ Clients
• Counter-transference
• Couples Therapy
• Crisis Intervention
• Cultural Case Formulation
• Diversity Training
• Domestic Violence
• Erotic Transference
• Establishing the Therapeutic Alliance
• Harm Reduction
• LGBT Sexuality
• LGBT Youth
• Professional Identity Development
• Psychodynamic Issues
• Sexual Outsiders
• Socio-cultural Issues in Therapy
• Therapy with LGBT Clients

Clinical Staff and Faculty

Our clinical supervisors are Marriage & Family Therapists, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, and psychologists who bring with them a wealth of clinical training and experience. Primarily grounded in psychodynamic theory, these supervisors bring their special focus of Relational, Object Relations, Self Psychology, and/or Feminist perspectives to their work as supervisors and faculty at the Pacific Center.

Open House

Our Clinical Services/Mental Health Clinic Program hosts an annual open house for for trainees, interns, and field placement coordinators. Held in January this casual event is a great opportunity to learn more about our program, community work, and tour the facility. Email our Clinic Administrator, for more information.

Application Process

The Clinical Training Program is currently recruiting pre- and post-graduate interns and trainees in M.F.T., L.C.S.W., Ph.D. and Psy.D. programs. Priority deadline for all applications is February 12, 2010. However, the Pacific Center utilizes a rolling admission policy and applications will be accepted until all positions are filled. Please click here for our application.

For more information about our program, please contact our Direcor of Clinical Training, Louise Moncour, LMFT at (510) 548-8283 ext. 219 or via email at lmonsour@pacificcenter.org. Our Clinical Services Manager, Aaron Testard, LMFT can be reached at (510) 548-8283 ext. 240 or via email at atestard@pacificcenter.org.

About Our Clients

The Pacific Center's Mental Health Clinic provides a comprehensive range of services designed to address the needs and concerns of our growing East-bay LGBTQQI communities. Prioritizing services to disenfranchised, low-income and under-served youth and adults, typically 80% of our clients are LGBTQI indentified; 43% women; 35% male; 14% transgender/queer/intersex/questioning; 67% earn less than $30,000 per year; 40% are from communities of color; 26% are 24 years old and younger 30% are 45 years and older.

Our clients seek help for a full range of concerns, such as depression, relationship problems, self-esteem issues, addictive behaviors, AIDS-related issues, childhood trauma, life transition, as well as, issues more specifically related to sexual orientation.

Professional Development

The Professional Development Group is a unique opportunity for the intern or trainee to explore personal aspects of training as a psychotherapist. In this group participants will be asked to look at their own relationship to the profession, to their peers, to their work with clients, and to one’s growing identity as a professional in the field.

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