Psychology Internship

The Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences has housed an internship training program for graduate students in clinical psychology since 1955. The program was first accredited by the American Psychological Association in 1957 and received its most recent seven-year re-accreditation in 2014 by the APA Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation.

Our program offers doctoral students in clinical psychology a one-year, full-time clinical internship emphasizing advanced training in the practice of medicine and provision of psychological services.

The internship program through the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Baylor provides broad-based training within a scientist-practitioner model. It has a substantial clinical emphasis and yet incorporates the scholarly and scientific background of psychology. Interns are encouraged to adopt a curious, research-minded, and evidence-based approach to clinical problems. Further, many faculty members are involved in research, and exposure to research is provided by a variety of research-oriented didactics. Interns also participate in ongoing research activities throughout the year.

The major teaching modality used in the program is supervision, in both individual and group formats. Interns are exposed to many facets of clinical practice, including assessment, intervention and consultation. The program is dedicated to responsible patient care and professionalism and provides clinical experiences designed to complement and advance students' academic backgrounds. The Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences is committed to multidisciplinary training, and our interns have many opportunities to interact professionally and socially with a variety of medical colleagues. The program's goal is to provide a broad training experience that prepares students clinically for subsequent certification and/or licensure as psychologists. The program also strives to engender a sense of professional confidence and pride in clinical psychology, as well as respect for those who struggle with mental and emotional disorders.

The training program is busy from the standpoint of scheduling, the number of hours devoted to clinical work, and the time spent in supervision, didactics, and research activities. Supervisors strive to provide a supportive and collegial atmosphere for the interns, who are regarded as emerging colleagues.

Interns in our program are matched to a primary training track, differentiated on the basis of the population served and the location of the primary training experience. All interns devote approximately 32 hours a week to their primary track. See Tracks for Information about training experiences in each of the tracks.

While primary training tracks vary in clinical emphasis, all interns have core training experiences in common. These core activities include approximately four to five hours per week of outpatient psychotherapy predominantly with adults, four to five hours per week engaged in a secondary rotation (typically research-based activities), and approximately four hours per week of core didactics. For more information about these opportunities view Core Training.

Our internship program has defined five core training goals, which are met through the unique training experiences offered by our primary training tracks, as well as through our program’s core training activities:

• Competence in Assessment/Diagnosis/Consultation
• Competence in Psychological Intervention
• Competence in Scholarly Inquiry
• Awareness of and Sensitivity to Cultural Diversity and Individual Differences
• Professional and Ethical Conduct

The internship begins the first week of July and extends for a full 12 months. The stipend is $30,450. Please reference the Staff Benefits guide for more comprehensive insurance, time off, and benefits details.