Practicum Trainings

Individual & Family Therapy

Doctoral Practicum Students will have opportunities to engage in both individual and family therapy throughout the training year. At Momentous, we often work from a conjoint individual and family therapy framework to address the unique needs of the system. This approach allows interns to be flexible in treatment and address underlying needs of a family through work with the identified client, the whole family, or various family subsystems (siblings, parent-child, caregivers).

Typical client concerns include emotional/behavioral dysregulation, acute or complex trauma, school issues, and ruptured family attachment systems. Momentous Institute does not impose session limits with length of treatment being collaboratively identified based on client needs. Our therapy services are trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and rooted in family systems, experiential, and process-oriented theories. 

Group Therapy

Doctoral Practicum Students may have opportunities to participate in one of our group therapy programs. 

1)       Launch – a child and family oriented group for children aged 3-6. Launch focuses on strengthening attachment systems and supporting both caregiver’s ability to co-regulate and child’s ability to self-regulate.

2)       Forward Thinkers – a child-oriented group for children aged 7-10. Forward Thinkers is an experiential group that utilizes an ACT framework to develop psychological flexibility, self-regulation, and social skills.

3)       Huddle Up – an adolescent and family-oriented group for teens aged 11-15. Huddle Up also utilizes experiential and process-based interventions to strengthen communication, support social skills, and enhance self-awareness.

There are often additional group therapies offered throughout the year that trainees may participate in. 

Throughout the training year, trainees will also have several opportunities to engage in our nature-based group therapy programs at our Piney Woods Campus located in East Texas.

Doctoral Practicum Students may have opportunities to conduct comprehensive assessments during their training year. The majority of assessment cases are with students (grade Kindergarten through 5th) at the Momentous School. Referral questions typically involve concerns about academics, neurodevelopment, and/or socioemotional functioning. However, students at the Momentous School commonly present with dynamic histories, which may include complex traumas, grief and loss, and family stressors. Further, the majority of students that we assess are dual-language learners with rich, cultural backgrounds.

At Momentous Institute we strive to provide a collaborative, therapeutic, and culturally-informed assessment experience to children and their families. This approach will develop trainees skills with regards to differential diagnosing, examining the role of contextual factors, and using the assessment findings as a therapeutic intervention.

We welcome doctoral-level psychology students seeking in-depth, trauma-informed, and developmentally grounded training.

Training features include:

• Experience in a variety of direct service opportunities, including individual and family therapy, assessment, and group programs
• 1 hour of weekly supervision with a licensed psychologist
• 1 hour of weekly supervision with a postdoctoral fellow
• 1 hour of seminar/didactic related to clinical skills, professional development, etc.
• Live, videotaped, and co-therapy supervision opportunities
• Collaboration with a multidisciplinary team of clinicians including Licensed Psychologists, RPTs, LMFTs, LCSWs, and LPCs

Preferred Qualifications

• Will be in at least their 3rd year of an APA-accredited doctoral program in Clinical, Counseling, or School Psychology while on practicum at Momentous
• Have completed at least 1 year of practicum experience working directly with clients
• Have practical experience administering assessments, especially cognitive and achievement measures
• Received formal education on child assessment measures, with preference for applicants who have experience administering assessments with children
• Applicants bilingual in English and Spanish are encouraged to apply given the high proportion of Spanish speaking clients we serve.

Momentous Practicum Requirements

• 1-year practicum, usually starting in July/August and ending no earlier than May
• On-site a minimum of 20 hours per week, generally split between 2-3 days
• Available to provide clinical services two evenings/week as this is when the majority of our clients are able to attend sessions

Application Procedures

• The Doctoral Practicum Position will remain open until filled. Typically, we begin reviewing applications in early Spring and conduct interviews from February - April.
• Email the following materials to Dr. Ashley Geerts-Perry at [email protected]
  • Letter of Interest
  • CV
  • Names and Contact Info for 3 references, preferably individuals who have supervised clinical practicum
  • Optional: deidentified assessment report
• Applicants must pass a criminal background check to train at Momentous Institute