Clinical Services Training Program

Graduate level psychology and social work trainees and interns receive valuable training working with our highly diverse LGBTQI2-S 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.

The training program is a 12 month commitment with two start dates: June OR September.

Interns and trainees are required to be on-site for a minimum of 20 hours per week and must be willing to complete 8-10 client hours between Monday and Friday each week, with one evening required.

Our culturally competent training program is comprised of weekly mandatory meetings:

• Clinical Didactic Trainings
• Group Supervision
• Professional Development Group
• Clinical Program Meetings

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

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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Open House

Our Clinical Services and Mental Health Clinic Program hosts an annual open house for trainees, interns, and field placement coordinators.

This years Open House will be held on Friday January 27, 2012 from 5 - 7:30PM is a great opportunity to learn more about our program, community work, and tour the facility. Download the flyer or email us for more information.

Application Process

The Clinical Services 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 18.

Download the application FAQ sheet and 2012-13 Trainee & Intern Application.

Questions about the program, training, or Pacific Center may be addressed to the Director of Clinical Training, Louise Monsour, LMFT, at 510-548-8283, x 219, or Clinical Services Manager, Aaron Testard, LMFT, at x 240.

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 queer communities. Prioritizing services to disenfranchised, low-income and under-served youth, adults and seniors.

Typically, 80% of our clients are LGBTQI2-S indentified; 49% women; 35% male; 14% transgender, genderqueer, and/or questioning.

Aproximately 23% of our clients are either under the age of 24 years or over the age of 45 years.

Of those reporting in 2010, 82% earned under the median income with 72% under $30,000. Over 45% were from communities of color.

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.

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.