Clinical Training Opportunities
Student Counseling Services at Northeastern Illinois University provides training opportunities for those pursuing careers in counseling or clinical psychology. We offer both a Postdoctoral Fellowship and Pre-doctoral Psychotherapy Practicum opportunities.
Mission and Philosophy of Training
Northeastern Illinois University is dedicated to access and excellence in higher education. The most important facets of the University's mission are to offer high-quality graduate and undergraduate programs to a broad spectrum of students and to foster student growth and development. Student Counseling and Career Services further these goals by providing psychological services that promote the psychological, academic, and career development of Northeastern students. Trainees including psychotherapy practicum students and postdoctoral fellows are an important part of the Counseling Services’ professional team in these efforts.
In the context of the larger University, Counseling Services provides an environment rich in opportunities for learning and deepening skills. Our office provides services for a community that is broadly diverse across all dimensions and that presents an equally broad range of clinical issues. The postdoctoral fellow and pre-doctoral psychotherapy practicum students participate in many aspects of Counseling Services’ activities. We view clinical training as an apprenticeship experience in an environment committed to service, ongoing learning, professional development, collaborative teamwork.
Characteristics of the student body and our clients
Northeastern Illinois University is regarded as the most diverse comprehensive public university in the Midwest, and it is designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution. Diversity is an important factor in the character of Northeastern and in the social fabric of its student body. The student population represents a wide range of ages, ethnic backgrounds, socio-economic statuses, sexual orientations, gender identities, and cultural and religious groups. More than 60 percent of our students are the first in their families to pursue a college education, and many are "non-traditional" returning adult students. Because many of our students are in the process of major life transitions, they experience high levels of stress as they balance the often competing worlds of school, work, and home.
The table below lists demographic characteristics of NEIU's Counseling Services population, based on the most recent data from Fall 2016. Client utilization data over the past several years indicate that Counseling Services clientele closely follows the pattern of NEIU's overall population, including both ethnic background and age. Approximately 86 percent of the treatment provided last year took the form of individual sessions, with remaining being group therapy or couples therapy.
| Age | Average | 27.9 yrs |
|---|---|---|
| Gender |
Female Male |
56.1% 41.6% |
| Ethnicity |
African American Asian American Caucasian Hispanic Multiracial Other, Unknown |
11.4% 8.2% 32.9% 33.4% 1.7% 8.4% |
About STUDENT Counseling Services
Student Counseling and Career Services is a service unit within the Division of Student Affairs, the area responsible for the many non-academic and co-curricular support needs of our students. Some of the other service units within the Division of Student Affairs include
- Dean of Students
- Student Disability Services
- Angelina Pedroso Center for Diversity and Intercultural Affairs
- Student Health Services
Within this milieu, Counseling Services provides counseling, referral services, outreach efforts and crisis intervention to Northeastern students, along with consultation services for university faculty and administrative staff.
Services Provided
Counseling Services provides a range of outpatient clinical services to NEIU students. Primary clinical activities include individual, couples, and group psychotherapy, as well as outreach. We also provide consultation to staff and faculty regarding their concerns about students.
Individual and Couples Psychotherapy
Individual psychotherapy is the most common service provided by trainees, although we also see couples in treatment. What characterizes treatment at Northeastern is the very diverse client population, representing a wide variety of background characteristics and clinical presentations. Counseling services include intake assessments, crisis intervention, and both brief and longer-term treatment.
Group Psychotherapy
Group therapy is the best treatment option for a number of students. We offer interpersonal process groups as well as psychoeducational groups including stress management and meditation. Psychotherapy practicum students might have an opportunity to facilitate psychoeducational groups. The postdoctoral fellow might have an opportunity to facilitate psychoeducational and/or process-oriented therapy groups.
Outreach and Consultation
We provide outreach services including workshops, tabling events, and presentations on various topics to students, faculty, and staff at NEIU. Trainees are expected to offer some outreach services. We also provide consultation for staff and faculty to address their concerns about students. Most advanced trainees might have an opportunity to offer consultation services to staff and faculty.
Timelines, Application Processes and Specific Details
For specific information related to the Postdoctoral Fellowship or Psychotherapy Practicum, please visit the appropriate page:
If you have other questions about our clinical training program, contact Dr. Jennifer Knuepfer at (773) 442-4650 or j-knuepfer@neiu.edu .
