Program Philosophy and Objectives
The Allendale internship program is dedicated to the thorough training of interns in the areas of diagnosis, intervention, consultation, psychological testing, and supervision opportunities. It offers intensive training and experience with diverse treatment populations and exposes the interns to a variety of treatment modalities, including individual, group, and family therapy, as well as clinical consultation to families in the Stepping Stone program. The internship is predicated on the belief that a competent psychologist must have a knowledge and understanding of clinical psychology that is grounded in theory and research and the ability to apply that knowledge and understanding to a variety of clinical situations.
The program has a psychodynamic influence that focuses on the process between client and therapist, regardless of the specific theoretical orientation implemented. The emphasis of the training program is to provide training in core therapeutic skills essential to the practice of clinical psychology; to teach intervention strategies/skills grounded in theory and research; to promote
self-examination as a way to understand one’s impact on the therapeutic process and the alliance; and to foster the ability to critically examine the efficacy of interventions. The program encourages interns to continually reflect upon the complex relationship among psychological theory, practice, and individual differences, while paying close attention to their own reactions to the client in order to be a self-reflective clinician.
Training Model
Our theorist-practitioner model involves a balance between understanding and change. The theorist-practitioner uses their knowledge about theory and the current research to form a hypothesis about the meaning of a client’s behavior based on the tracking of moment-to-moment session material. This tracking allows the theorist-practitioner to assess the alliance they have with the client and to use feedback from the client to create an agreement on how to work together. This is the “understanding” part of the theorist-practitioner model. Once the alliance and therapeutic relationship is established, the theorist-practitioner can use their understanding of the client’s behavior to determine which interventions can support change in the client. The theorist-practitioner then tests out their theory by implementing these interventions in session. They would then use moment-to-moment tracking of session material to determine if the client’s responses to those interventions support or disproves their hypothesis. This is the “change” part of the model. A key part of this model is the theorist-practitioner using the “person of the therapist” which is being aware of and managing their own responses to the process. This allows the clinician to create a balance between both understanding and promoting change in the client.
Trauma Informed Training
The Attachment, Regulation, Competency (ARC) Framework:
Attachment, Regulation, Competency (ARC) framework (Blaustein & Kinniburgh, 2019) is used throughout the agency to provide foundational knowledge about trauma and its impact on client behavior. ARC is a flexible, component-based intervention developed for children and adolescents who have experienced trauma. Its foundation is based on four key areas of study: normative childhood development, traumatic stress, attachment, and risk and resilience. ARC identifies important childhood skills and competencies that are often impacted by trauma to inform treatment goals and promote resiliency. Interns will receive training on the ARC Overview and the first module of ARC during their orientation training. Interns will be expected to review the rest of the materials on their own and discuss its use during the monthly Professional Issues Group during the first 6 months of training.
The Relational Re-Enactment Systems Approach to Treatment (REStArTSM) Model:
Interns are trained in the Relational Re-Enactment Systems Approach to Treatment (REStArTSM) model during the seminar and with the Stepping Stone Program. Through the orientation and seminar, interns receive didactic training regarding the model. Portions of the model are also utilized in Stepping Stone, where interns will learn through meetings, dialogues, and consultations. The model integrates psychodynamic/object relations, systems, neurobiology, trauma and attachment theories (McConnell & Taglione, 2012 and 2016). For further information on this model, please see our website (https://allendale4kids.org/for-professionals/restart/).
