Psychology Internship (CAPS)

Introduction Letter

Dear Psychology Internship Applicants,

Welcome to Stanford University’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) Psychology Internship Program’s website!  I appreciate your interest in our training program and I hope that the information on this website will provide you with helpful information about the training opportunities in Health Service Psychology (HSP) that CAPS offers.

Stanford University is nestled among California’s rolling hills, just 30 miles south of San Francisco, a remarkably diverse and vibrant urban city.  This backdrop sets a larger context for the diversity of the Stanford community and CAPS commitment to social justice, diversity, equity and inclusion. CAPS resolutely believes that #BlackLivesMatter* and that racism, classism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, xenophobia, ableism and other systems of oppression are a threat to public health. Our guiding principles include cultural humility and solidarity with marginalized community members at an individual level—and striving toward equity, liberation and justice at a systemic level.

CAPS provides mental health services through Vaden Health Center and liaison relationships throughout the university. Consistent with the overall mission of the university, CAPS creates a caring, supportive, educational environment for trainees to support the acquisition of multiple competencies to practice independently and operate as professional and ethical early career psychologists (ECP) within an integrated university health center.  

CAPS provides training that supports an intern’s professional development through experience, supervision, and mentorship that is informed by the science of psychology. The training staff is committed to providing interns with quality supervision and training seminars that support their professional and personal development as future psychologists. Interns will learn from supervisors possessing a range of skills, experiences, theoretical perspectives, scholarship, and clinical expertise. We value not only the broadening of clinical competence and learning to manage the demands of working in a dynamic university counseling center, but the ability to work collaboratively with other mental health professionals. The multidisciplinary staff at CAPS values diversity, social justice, and inclusion and actively contributes to foster professional respect and cohesion within CAPS staff and across disciplines. Our training program provides many opportunities for interns to consult, learn, and work in partnership with the staff to build meaningful relationships and mentorship.

Our training program offers many exceptional opportunities throughout the year that are designed to prepare our interns to work in Health Service Psychology.  By the end of the training year, interns acquire essential Profession Wide Competencies (PWC) and knowledge in addressing the diverse range of issues that occur in a University Counseling Center.  They will have the confidence and ability to manage different levels of crisis working as an on-call clinician, learn the value of consultation both within and outside of CAPS and gain competency in working with specific issues that are especially pertinent to the student population.

We are continually inspired by the enthusiasm, passion, and dedication that our interns bring to CAPS.  The diversity represented in each of our interns including intersecting identities, cultural backgrounds, and personal and professional experience serve as the foundation for which mutual professional development occurs over the course of the training year. 

Please keep in mind that the details outlined on our website are our best effort to describe the internship program during a pandemic. In response COVID, we have adjusted our clinical services while adhering to public health guidelines and the university’s plans for students, staff, and faculty. These guidelines most likely will continue to evolve. Furthermore, we are consulting with training councils, adhering to state laws and regulations to uphold the quality and integrity of intern training.  Lastly, we are mindful of our own resources and limitations to facilitate staff and interns’ ability to manage the workload and optimize their well-being. Therefore, interns’ clinical activities and supervision described here are only an approximation of interns’ training experience based on what we know at the time of this update.

We hope that the information on our website will provide helpful information to guide your decision making. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any additional questions.

Best wishes for a successful completion to your internship search.