Adult Externships

Fabiana S. Araujo, Ph.D.
4 positions

Overview: This advanced psychotherapy externship is designed to provide training in Integrated Primary Care and Clinical Health Psychology. Externs will join the Behavioral Medicine Service (BMed), a multidisciplinary team embedded at UCMedicine DCAM Primary Care Group (PCG). BMed provides psychiatric and/or behavioral medicine diagnostic assessments, warm handoff evaluations, psychiatric medication management, and short- and long-term evidence-based treatment for patients with comorbid medical and mental health issues. In addition, BMed providers are available to curb side consultations for all UCMedicine DCAM Internal Medicine providers.  Patients will be drawn from the adult psychiatry clinic, primary care, and other medical departments and sections. Externs will spend two half days within the primary care clinic, carry a caseload of outpatients for psychotherapy, and have the opportunity to co-facilitate a psychotherapy group (specific opportunities for group vary from year to year depending on current clinic offerings). As most of this experience occurs within UC primary care clinic, trainees learn to work within the interdisciplinary environment of an academic medical center. Externs also have the opportunity to see outpatients for longer-term psychotherapy in Adult Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic. All externs will receive at least one hour of individual supervision provided by Dr. Araújo. Additional individual or group supervision may be provided by an advanced trainee, staff licensed clinical social worker, and/or another faculty member. Advanced trainees might also have an opportunity to do peer supervision, including providing one-one training on basic principles of mental health assessment and interventions to 1st year internal medicine residents.

BMed was recently awarded a grant that will fund the implementation and evaluation of positive psychology interventions (PPIs) in conjunction with CBT and/or ACT in brief therapy. At the beginning of the academic year, externs are trained in PPIs, observe their live implementation, and receive weekly supervision as they start to implement PPIs into their clinical practices. All BMed externs are welcome to join the scholarly presentations and publications we aim to produce with this project.

During the academic 2024-2025 year, besides expanding the implementation of the PPIs project, evidence-based brief trauma interventions will be added to BMed’s clinical services, allowing the team to better serve the community living in the surrounding neighborhoods that are exposed to high levels of violence and chronic trauma.

Didactics: Didactic training includes assigned readings and discussion of relevant health psychology materials. Externs are able to attend other didactic opportunities depending on which days they are on site. Tuesdays are required for all externs. Required didactics include the Adult CBT Seminar and the Primary Care Team Meeting. Other offerings include the ACT Seminar, Health Psychology Seminar, Grand Rounds, Morbidity & Mortality Case Conference, and Consultation-Liaison Case Conference.

Requirements: Please read the following list of requirements carefully to determine whether you are eligible for this externship:

1. Able to devote 20 hours per week (at least 2 full days on-site). One day must be Tuesday.
2. At least 2 previous practicum experiences, with one of them involving provision of psychotherapy
3. Completion of Master’s degree, ideally by the time of application.

Applications for the Integrated Primary Care Externship Program should be directed to:

Fabiana S. Araujo, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience
5841 S. Maryland Ave., MC 3077
Chicago, IL 60637

Dr. Araujo may also be contacted via email for questions or concerns: Faraujo1@bsd.uchicago.edu

 

Nancy Beckman, Ph.D.
2 positions

Overview: This advanced psychotherapy externship is designed to provide training in Chronic Pain and Health Psychology within an integrated setting. Externs will provide evaluation, consultation, and short- and long-term evidence-based treatment for patients (CBT, ACT, MI) with comorbid chronic pain, other medical conditions, and mental health issues. Externs will spend one half day within the Pain Management Clinic, carry a caseload of 4-6 outpatients for psychotherapy (either virtual or in-person depending on patient preference and insurance requirements), and lead virtual pain management groups. Externs learn to work within the interdisciplinary environment of an academic medical center, communicate with referring providers, and participate in interdisciplinary meetings. Externs will receive at least one hour of individual supervision provided by Dr. Beckman. Additional individual or group supervision may be provided by an advanced trainee and/or another faculty member. Opportunities for research are also available.

Didactics: Didactic training includes a weekly Pain and Health Psychology team meeting in which we review cases, clinical operations, and discuss assigned readings. Externs are able to attend other didactic opportunities depending on which days they are on site. Didactics offerings include Adult CBT Seminar ACT Seminar, Health Psychology Seminar, Grand Rounds, Morbidity & Mortality Case Conference, and Consultation-Liaison Case Conference.

Requirements: Please read the following list of requirements carefully to determine whether you are eligible for this externship:

1. Able to devote 16-20 hours per week (at least 2 full days on-site). One day must be Tuesday.
2. At least 2 previous practicum experiences, with one of them involving provision of psychotherapy
3. Completion of Master’s degree, ideally by the time of application.

Applications for the Chronic Pain and Health Psychology Externship Program should be directed to:

Nancy Beckman, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience
5841 S. Maryland Ave., MC 3077
Chicago, IL 60637

Dr. Beckman may also be contacted via email for questions or concerns: Nbeckman1@bsd.uchicago.edu

 

Alyse Bedell, Ph.D.
1 position

Overview: The University of Chicago Psychogastroenterology Program provides evidence-based assessment and treatment to adults with gastrointestinal (GI) conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel diseases, and esophageal disorders. Primary treatment modalities include cognitive behavioral therapy for GI disorders and gut-directed hypnotherapy. Goals of GI-focused psychotherapy vary, but typically include GI symptom reduction and improved coping with GI symptoms/illness.  Externs will be able to observe gut-directed hypnotherapy, but direct provision of these services will only be possible for externs who have completed an externally- offered clinical hypnotherapy basic training. In order to provide breadth of training, externs will see approximately 50% GI cases while the other 50% will be comprised of general mental health (primarily MDD and GAD) and other health psychology presentations. This may vary based on referrals. Externs will receive one hour of individual supervision with Dr. Bedell.

Didactics: Didactic training will include assigned readings and discussion of psychogastroenterology materials. Externs are expected to attend at least one relevant didactic seminar per week, which will be determined by interest and availability.  Didactic offerings include the Adult CBT Seminar, ACT Seminar, Health Psychology Seminar, Grand Rounds, Morbidity & Mortality Case Conference, and Consultation-Liaison Case Conference.

Requirements: Please read the following list of requirements carefully to determine whether you are eligible for this externship:

1. Able to commit to 16-20 hours per week including two full days on site. One day must be Tuesday or Wednesday. Additional day will be determined based on mutual availability and office space.
2. At least 2 previous practicum experiences, with one of them involving provision of psychotherapy
3. Completion of Master’s degree, ideally by the time of application.

Applications for the Integrated Psychogastroenterology Externship Program should be directed to:

Alyse Bedell, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience
5841 S. Maryland Ave., MC 3077
Chicago, IL 60637

Dr. Bedell may also be contacted via email for questions or concerns: Abedell1@bsd.uchicago.edu

 

Greg Chasson, Ph.D.
1 position

Overview: Externs will work within an interdisciplinary clinic (e.g., psychiatrists, psychiatry residents, medical students, clinical psychology interns) to develop skills for providing evaluations of, and delivering cognitive-behavioral therapy to, adults with Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders (OCRDs). This includes obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD); body dysmorphic disorder; hoarding; hair pulling, skin picking, and other body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs); tics/Tourette’s; and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. The majority of cases will present with OCD and/or BFRBs, as well as common comorbidities (e.g., depression, anxiety) and clinical correlates (e.g., perfectionism, intolerance of uncertainty). CBT is provided mainly in individual sessions, although there may be a possibility of facilitating group therapy. Treatment intensity varies based on the needs of the patient and can range from weekly treatment to daily treatment. The extern will participate as a member of the treatment team as intensive (i.e., daily treatment) cases present. Opportunities for working with postoperative patients (e.g., cingulotomy) may be available to externs on this rotation.

Externs carry a caseload of 8-10 patients per week. All trainees receive at least one hour of individual supervision provided by Dr. Chasson. Additional supervision in individual or group formats may be provided by an advanced trainee and/or another staff member.

Externs are REQUIRED to be on site on Tuesdays as most didactics are conducted on this day. In addition to supervision, one hour per week with Dr. Chasson and any others in the clinic will be devoted to OCRD-specific didactics. Other required didactic training includes a CBT seminar and an ACT seminar. Externs may access other didactic experiences depending on which day they are on site. These offerings include Psychiatry Grand Rounds, Health Psychology, Morbidity and Mortality Case Conference, and Consultation-Liaison Case Conference.

Requirements: Please read the following list of requirements carefully to determine whether you are eligible for this externship and have an interest:

1. Two full days on site (some virtual work may be possible); 16-20 hours per week.
2. Tuesday is a required practicum day
3. At least 2 previous practicum experiences, with one of them involving provision of psychotherapy
4. Completion (or current enrollment at the time of application) of graduate program coursework in Psychopathology, Clinical Assessment, Psychotherapy, and Ethics (preferably with coursework on cognitive-behavioral theory, case conceptualization, and application)

Applications for the Integrated OCRD Externship Program should be directed to:

Greg Chasson Ph.D.
Associate Professor & Director of Behavioral Interventions
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience
5841 S. Maryland Ave., MC 3077
Chicago, IL 60637

Dr. Chasson may also be contacted via email for questions or concerns: Gchasson@bsd.uchicago.edu

 

Supervisor: Daniel J. Fridberg, Ph.D.

Up to 2 Positions

Overview: No prior experience with addiction or transplant psychology is required for this externship. The purpose of this advanced externship is to provide training in the fields of addiction and transplant psychology. As many patients in these clinics also experience significant health-related challenges, this rotation is a good experience for applicants interested in careers in health psychology as well. Externs spend most (~75%) of their time working with patients with addictions and related disorders, such as impulse control disorders (i.e., “behavioral addictions”). Most patients in this clinic meet criteria for a comorbid mood or anxiety disorder. Externs conduct semi- structured diagnostic evaluations for patients referred to the clinic and will receive training in empirically supported psychotherapeutic interventions including motivational enhancement therapy/motivational interviewing (MET/MI) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). In addition, externs will gain experience in providing CBT for smoking cessation through participation in our weekly Courage to QuitTM smoking cessation group. Depending upon interest and availability, trainees may also have opportunities to receive training in brief intervention for alcohol use as part of a clinical research trial led by Dr. Fridberg and Dr. Andrea King.

 

Externs also spend ~25% of their time in the transplant psychology clinic. Patients are typically referred to the clinic as part of their pre-transplant evaluation process. Externs assist with psychological evaluations for patients being considered for liver or kidney transplantation, many of whom have comorbid substance-related, mood, or anxiety disorders. Trainees will learn how behavioral and psychological interventions can improve outcomes in patients being considered for kidney or liver transplant. There are opportunities to provide psychotherapy to pre- and post-transplant patients, depending on patient and extern interest and availability. Many patients seen in the transplant psychology clinic have comorbid medical conditions that are meet criteria for substance use disorders and/or other comorbid psychiatric disorders. Externs participate actively in assessment and treatment planning for these patients and present their findings to a multidisciplinary team of other providers from throughout the University of Chicago Medical Center.

 

Externs will carry a caseload of approximately 5 individual therapy patients per week and will receive at least one hour of individual supervision with Dr. Fridberg, with the possibility of additional supervision in individual or group formats by another faculty member or psychology intern. Interested trainees will also have the opportunity to collaborate with Drs. Fridberg and King on ongoing research projects.

 

Didactics: Externs will be REQUIRED to be on site on Thursdays to participate in didactics. Didactic opportunities include Health Psychology Seminar, supervision, Psychiatry Grand Rounds, Professional Issues, CBT and Multidisciplinary Case Conferences, and the Liver Transplant Service Multidisciplinary Meeting.

Requirements: Please read the following list of requirements carefully to determine whether you are eligible for this externship:

1. 16-20 hours per week including two full days on site.
2. Attendance on Mondays and Thursdays each week
3. Completion of Master’s degree, ideally by the time of application.
4. Completion of graduate coursework is preferred
5. At least 2 previous practicum experiences, with one of them involving provision of cognitive-behavioral therapy

Applications for the Integrated Addictions/Transplant Externship Program should be directed to:

Daniel Fridberg, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience
5841 S. Maryland Ave., MC 3077
Chicago, IL 60637

Dr. Fridberg may also be contacted via email for questions or concerns: dfridberg@bsd.uchicago.edu

 

Sarah Keedy, Ph.D.
1 position

This advanced practicum is offered for a student wanting to gain experience working with individuals from both the traditional psychotic disorder spectrum (schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder), and the less traditional psychotic disorder spectrum but with known genetic and/or symptom-based overlap and comorbidity with psychotic disorders (ADHD, autism spectrum, recurrent major depressive disorder, personality disorder, PTSD). This practicum design reflects the work of the supervisor, Dr. Sarah Keedy, who is a clinical psychologist, trained heavily in neuropsychology, and is actively engaged in working on addressing questions around the dimensional and cross-diagnostic nature of psychosis as well as the phenomenology and neurocognitive underpinnings of hallucinations. Cases externs see will be characterized by combinations of hallucinations, delusions, thought disorder, cognitive impairments, mood dysregulation, dissociation, trauma-based and medical comorbidities. Externs will learn to work with a spectrum of functionality, symptom presentation, insight levels, and self-identified goals for therapy that this range of referrals presents in our major academic medical center psychiatry department setting.

The practicum centers on applying evidence-based treatments with 6-8 individual psychotherapy cases. The practicum also includes interacting with psychiatrists, psychiatry residents, or other medical center providers to coordinate care as needed. The practicum can also include psychotic disorder assessment in the context of clinical research where, approximately once per month, externs will observe or participate (depending on skill level) in diagnostic interviewing (SCID) and symptom assessment of psychotic disorders as part of ongoing clinical research in Dr. Keedy’s laboratory. Externs may also attend consensus diagnosis meetings where the information from these interviews is reviewed for the purposes of clinicians coming to agreement on diagnosis. Such experiences are encouraged and broaden the trainee’s insight into the range of symptoms and life history of those diagnosed with psychotic disorders.

Individual supervision will be provided on a weekly basis by Dr. Keedy. One didactic seminar specific to the externship will be held August-November and February-May. Days for supervision and didactics are flexible and can be planned to mutually fit Dr. Keedy’s and the extern’s scheduling needs.  The majority of psychotherapy is conducted remotely, but being onsite at the medical center at least ½ day per week should be feasible for the extern most weeks in order to see some cases in person and have some in person supervision at times.  Supervision and the didactic can be remote at times, too.  Flexibility is a key construct for working with this patient population and this is reflected in the flexible management of the supervisor-supervisee meeting times and method.  Externs will also have the option to attend other didactics amongst the many ongoing training activities in our department, which are a mix of on and offsite formats. Offerings include Psychiatry Grand Rounds, CBT Seminar, ACT Seminar, Neurology Grand Rounds, Neuroscience speaker series, Child Psychiatry Colloquium, and interdisciplinary case conferences.  

Requirements: Please read the following list of requirements carefully to determine whether you are eligible for this externship:

1. Available for 12-20 hours per week
2. Completion of Master’s degree, ideally by the time of application.
3. At least 1 previous practicum experience providing psychotherapy

Applications for the Psychotic Disorder Spectrum Externship Program should be directed to:

Sarah  Keedy, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience
5841 S. Maryland Ave., MC 3077
Chicago, IL 60637

Dr. Keedy may also be contacted via email for questions or concerns: skeedy@bsd.uchicago.edu.

 

Maureen Lacy, Ph.D. & Joseph Fink, Ph.D., ABPP
Number of positions: Open

The Adult Neuropsychology Program is designed to provide an advanced training experience in neuropsychological assessment for individuals interested in pursuing or exploring a career in clinical neuropsychology. This experience is designed to prepare you for an internship that adheres to the APA Division 40 and Houston Conference guidelines for training in clinical neuropsychology.

The Adult Neuropsychology program at UCM receives inpatient and outpatient requests for assessment and treatment from several departments and clinics within UCM, as well as from private referral sources and school settings. These referrals span the entire list of adult neuropathological entities such as aphasia, epilepsy, degenerative disorders (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia), tumors, stroke and other cerebrovascular diseases, learning disabilities, and traumatic brain injury.  This rotation also allows for training in medical neuropsychology addressing the neurobehavioral aspects of diabetes, eating disorders, organ failure, substance abuse, hypertension, autoimmune diseases,  cancer, etc. Finally, there are also opportunities to conduct assessments as part of presurgical planning and post- surgical outcome investigations for patients with epilepsy, hydrocephalus,  organ transplantation and psychiatric disorders. The experience focuses on the selection, administration, and scoring of neuropsychological tests, as well as in formulating test interpretations and communicating test results through written reports and oral presentations. The majority of cases are outpatient evaluations, which consist of a clinical interview and typically 2-5 hours of testing. Externs typically see one new patient each week on their clinic day.  The intensive nature of these assessment sessions provides an opportunity to learn in a more in-depth fashion about different types of neuropsychological syndromes as well as to participate in case formulation and plan test selection. We follow a developmental model of training, meeting the trainee at their own initial levels of skill and knowledge, and then fostering a competency-based progression of professional development.  We focus on developing excellent report-writing skills, which are transferable to a range of other clinical pursuits.  Emphasis is also placed on developing sophisticated clinical interview and feedback skills, which likewise carry over into trainees’ competencies in other clinical realms.

Adult neuropsychology externs typically devote 16-20 hours per week for a full year, starting on July 1st and ending June 30th.   The extern is required to spend one day per week (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday) in clinic interviewing patients, and administrating, scoring, and interpreting neuropsychological test instruments, along with writing reports. All externs must also attend the didactic series which meets on Fridays and include educational conferences, seminars, and group supervision.  The Friday didactic activities typically are conducted from 10:30am-12:00 and from 1:00-2:30pm.  Topics covered include:

Neuroanatomy Series: an 8-10 week seminar series focused on offering a review (or introduction) of neuroanatomy principles and brain behavior relationships.

Clinical Neuroscience Series: is a weekly meeting devoted to special topics and clinical case presentations in neuropsychology and neuropsychiatry

Case Conferences: in the second half of the year, each extern will formally present a case, in the context of relevant literature. They will foster discussion of the data, summary and recommendations.

Neuropsychology Group Supervision: is a meeting which provides the extern with the opportunity to examine data and discuss cases seen in various clinics by other faculty, interns, and postdoctoral fellows. The extern will also have an opportunity to informally present cases to the group for discussion.

In addition to the required Neuropsychology didactics described above, trainees have the opportunity for guest attendance at the Neuropathology Department’s weekly rounds, known as Brain Cutting, which is devoted to the examination of gross brain anatomy, and is geared towards understanding the neuropathology of neurological diseases.

Applications for the Adult Neuropsychology Externship Program should be directed to:

Maureen Lacy, Ph.D. & Joseph Fink, Ph.D., ABPP
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience
5841 S. Maryland Ave., MC 3077
Chicago, IL 60637

Questions via email may be directed to Dr Lacy (mlacy@bsd.uchicago.edu), Dr. Fink (jfink@bsd.uchicago.edu) and/or Todd Nader, Clinic Coordinator (tnader@bsd.uchicago.edu).

 

Candice Norcott, Ph.D.
1 position

Overview:  This advanced psychotherapy externship is designed to provide training in Clinical Health Psychology with a specialization in reproductive health. Externs will provide evaluation, consultation, and brief targeted evidence-based treatments for patients referred from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Patients are referred from Maternal Fetal Medicine, General Gynecology, Complex Family Planning & Contraceptive Research, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, and General Obstetrics. Externs will carry a caseload of outpatients for psychotherapy, and learn to work within the interdisciplinary environment of an academic medical center. Externs will see approximately 3-6 patients per week and will receive at least one hour of individual supervision provided by Dr. Norcott. Additional individual supervision may be provided by another staff member or an advanced trainee.

Didactics: Didactic training includes assigned readings and discussion of relevant reproductive, perinatal, and gender related health psychology materials. Externs are able to attend other didactics depending on which day they are on site. These offerings include Grand Rounds, the Health Psychology Seminar, the CBT Seminar, interdisciplinary Case Conferences, and Consultation-Liaison Case Conference.

Requirements:  Please read the following list carefully to determine whether you are eligible to apply for this externship.

• Able to devote 16-20 hours per week (2 full days).
• At least 2 previous practicum experiences, with one of them involving provision of psychotherapy
• Completion of Master’s degree, ideally by the time of application

Applications for the Reproductive Behavioral Health Externship Program should be directed to:

Candice Norcott, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience
5841 S. Maryland Ave., MC 3077
Chicago, IL 60637

Dr. Norcott may also be contacted via email for questions or concerns: cnorcott@bsd.uchicago.edu.

 

Amy Siston, Ph.D., CST
1 position

Overview: UChicago Medicine’s Psycho-Oncology-Sexual Health Externship program provides training in assessment, consultation and evidence-based treatment for patients with comorbid medical, mental health and/or sexual health issues. Referral questions are varied and may include adjustment to new diagnosis or transition to cancer survivorship, depression, anxiety, behavioral symptom management and sexual rehabilitation. Therapeutic modalities emphasized include CBT, ACT, MI, relaxation, mindfulness, and sensate focus therapy. There are also opportunities to practice Emotion Focused Therapy with couples. Externs will have the opportunity to work with a multidisciplinary team including oncologists, licensed clinical psychologist, psychiatrists, advanced practice nurse, social workers and other clinical staff to provide comprehensive, individualized care. Externs will see approximately 5-7 patients per week and will receive one hour of individual supervision by Dr. Siston. An intern and/or other clinical staff member may provide additional individual or group supervision.

Didactics: Weekly team didactics training include assigned readings and discussion of relevant psychosexual-oncology and sexual health related topics. Externs are able to attend other didactics depending on which day they are on site and are expected to attend at least one didactic per week.

Clinical Case Discussion: Weekly team case discussion related to psycho-oncology, sexual health, trauma informed care, culturally informed care and health psychology informed care.

Clinical Shadowing: This training poses unique shadowing opportunities with interdisciplinary providers to include Pelvic Floor Therapy, Cancer Risk Clinic, Transplant Optimization, Radiation Therapy/Interstitial Brachytherapy, Chemotherapy, Program for Integrative Sexual Medicine for Women and Girls with Cancer (PRISM) and Men’s Wellness Clinic.

Requirements:

• Able to devote 16-20 hours per week, including 2 full days (at least one full day must be on site on Tuesday). An additional day will be decided based on mutual availability and office space.
• Completion of Master’s degree, ideally at the time of application
• At least 2 previous practicum experiences, with preference for previous experience in health psychology

Applications for the Psycho-Oncology Sexual Health Externship Program should be directed to:

Amy Siston, Ph.D., CST
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience
5841 S. Maryland Ave., MC 3077
Chicago, IL 60637

Dr. Siston may also be contacted via email for questions or concerns: asiston@bsd.uchicago.edu.

 

Amy Siston, Ph.D., CST & Alyse Bedell, Ph.D.
1 position

Overview: The University of Chicago Sex Therapy Program provides training in biopsychosocial assessment, consultation and evidence-based treatment for patients with sexual health issues. Common presenting issues include disorders of sexual desire, arousal, orgasm and pain. Therapeutic modalities emphasized include CBT, ACT, MI, relaxation, mindfulness, and sensate focus therapy. Treatment is typically individual though there may be some opportunities for couples therapy. Externs will have the opportunity to observe relevant medical clinics that address biomedical factors impacting sexual function. The majority of cases will be for sex therapy but caseloads will be supplemented with general mental health referrals in order to achieve breadth of training. Externs will receive one hour of individual supervision with either supervisor per week.

Didactics: Didactic training will include assigned readings and discussion of sexual health materials. Externs are to attend at least one relevant didactic seminar per week, which will be determined by interest and availability.

Requirements:

• Able to devote 16-20 hours per week, including at least one day on site. One day must be Tuesday or Wednesday. An additional day will be decided based on mutual availability and office space.
• Completion of Master’s degree, ideally at the time of application
• At least one year of previous externship training focused on providing psychotherapy.

Applications for the Sex Therapy Externship Program should be directed to:

Amy Siston, Ph.D., CST & Alyse Bedell, Ph.D.
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience
5841 S. Maryland Ave., MC 3077
Chicago, IL 60637

Drs. Siston and Bedell may also be contacted via email for questions or concerns: asiston@bsd.uchicago.edu and abedell1@bsd.uchicago.edu.

 

Shona Vas, Ph.D., ABPP
4 positions

Overview:  This advanced psychotherapy externship is designed to provide training in evidence-based cognitive-behavioral assessment and psychotherapy in our Adult Outpatient Clinic.  Externs will conduct semi-structured diagnostic evaluations for patients presenting with a range of psychopathology across various DSM-5 disorders and provide empirically-supported treatment using individual and group therapy.  Externs are an integral part of the clinical team and will learn to function within the interdisciplinary environment of a large academic medical center.  Externs carry a caseload of approximately 8-10 patients per week. Opportunities for co-facilitating group therapy with other trainees, staff social workers and faculty members are also available. All externs receive at least one hour of individual supervision provided by Dr. Vas.  Additional supervision in individual or group formats may be provided by an advanced trainee and/or another staff member.

Didactics:  Tuesdays are a required practicum day which involves several hours of didactics. Didactic training includes CBT seminar (2 hours per week for 6 months) and the CBT Team Lab Meeting. Externs are also required to attend an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) seminar from September through May. Externs may access other didactic experiences depending on which day they are on site.  These offerings include Psychiatry Grand Rounds, Health Psychology, Diversity, Interdisciplinary Case Conference, and Consultation-Liaison Case Conference. 

Requirements:  Please read the following list carefully to determine whether you are eligible to apply for this externship.

1. 16-20 hours per week (2 full days on-site). 
2. Attendance on Tuesdays is mandatory for a team meeting and CBT seminar
3. Completion of a Master’s degree, ideally at the time of application
4. Completion of graduate coursework is preferred
5. At least 2 previous practicum experiences, with one of them involving provision of psychotherapy

Applications for the Adult Cognitive Behavior Therapy Externship Program should be directed to:

Shona N. Vas, Ph.D., ABPP
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience
5841 S. Maryland Ave., MC 3077
Chicago, IL 60637

Dr. Vas may also be contacted via email for questions or concerns at svas@bsd.uchicago.edu.

 

Jennifer Wildes, Ph.D.
1-2 positions

Overview: The University of Chicago Eating Disorders Program provides evidence-based assessment and treatment services to adolescents and adults with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), and related feeding and eating problems. Treatment modalities include cognitive behavioral and family-based interventions.

Externs will join a multidisciplinary team comprised of psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers with extensive expertise in eating and weight disorders. Extern responsibilities include: 1) conducting diagnostic assessments to guide treatment recommendations; 2) providing evidence-based outpatient psychotherapy to adults, as well as adolescents and their families; and 3) participating in multidisciplinary team rounds (Mondays from 12-1). Attendance on Mondays is mandatory, but other days are negotiable. All trainees receive at least one hour of individual supervision per week provided by Dr. Wildes. Additional supervision in individual and group formats may be provided by a psychology intern, postdoctoral fellow, or another Eating Disorders Program staff member.

Didactics: Externs are expected to participate in a weekly Eating Disorders Program didactics meeting that includes assigned readings and discussion of relevant clinical materials (e.g., treatment manuals). Externs also will have the opportunity to attend Eating Disorders Program research meetings, as well as a variety of didactics offered through the Department of Psychiatry, depending on the days they are on site.

Requirements: Please read the following list carefully to determine whether you are eligible to apply for this externship.

• Able to devote 15-20 hours per week to the externship. Must be on-site on Mondays.
• Completion of Master’s degree, ideally at the time of application.
• Completion of graduate coursework preferred.
• At least 2 previous practicum experiences, with one of them involving provision of psychotherapy.

Applications for the Eating Disorders Externship Program should be directed to:

Jennifer Wildes, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience
5841 S. Maryland Ave., MC 3077
Chicago, IL 60637

Dr. Wildes may also be contacted via email for questions or concerns at jwildes1@bsd.uchicago.edu.

 

Abraham Eastman, Ph.D.
1 position

Overview: This training experience is designed for externs who are interested in gaining clinical experience evaluating and treating adults with obesity. For patients who are seeking weight loss surgery, assessment activities occur in consultation with the University of Chicago's Center for Surgical Treatment of Obesity (CSTO), which has been designated as an American Society for Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence. The CSTO is comprised of a multidisciplinary team of surgeons, nurses, dietitians, and mental health experts who work together to evaluate and follow up with bariatric surgery patients. The psychology team has an integral role in making recommendations to surgery candidates and to the CSTO team regarding patient readiness for surgery. Further externs in this clinic will see patients who are interested in weight management referred through the Department of Medicine’s Section of Endocrinology.

Practicum days are negotiable, but attendance on Mondays is strongly encouraged. Part-time placements (10 hours/week) may be allowed for exceptional candidates. The extern's primary responsibilities include: 1) conducting psychosocial assessments of bariatric surgery candidates (i.e., evaluating appraisal and motivation for surgery; past and present eating-related and general psychopathology; coping skills; and social support); and 2) following up with patients who already have undergone surgery to assess ongoing psychosocial functioning and assist with goal-setting, behavior change, and motivation. 3) evaluating and treating patients who are seeking medically supervised weight management treatment. Other responsibilities may include managing the clinic database; preparing materials for surgery support groups; and attending CSTO team rounds (held the 3rd Monday of the month from 3:30-4pm) and “Endorama,” the Section of Endocrinology’s weekly (4 to 5 pm on Thursdays).

All trainees receive at least one hour of individual supervision per week provided by Dr. Eastman. Additional supervision in individual and group formats may be provided by an advanced psychology trainee or staff member.

Didactics: Externs are expected to participate in a weekly didactics and team meetings that include assigned readings and discussion of relevant clinical materials (e.g., treatment manuals). Externs also will have the opportunity to attend Eating Disorders Program rounds and research meetings, as well as a variety of didactics offered through the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, depending on the days they are on site.

Requirements: Please read the following list carefully to determine whether you are eligible to apply for this externship.

• Able to devote 16-20 hours per week (2 days)
• Completion of master’s degree, ideally at the time of application.
• Completion of graduate coursework preferred.
• At least 2 previous practicum experiences, with one of them involving diagnostic assessment.

Applications for the Bariatric Surgery and Weight Management Externship Program should be directed to:

 

Abraham Eastman, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience
5841 S. Maryland Ave., MC 3077
Chicago, IL 60637

Dr. Eastman may also be contacted via email for questions or concerns at Abraham.eastman@bsd.uchicago.edu.