Psychology Practicum Training Information

OCD, Tourette, and Anxiety Disorders CBT Program for Youth

Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
University of Minnesota - Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain

 

Tim, Brianna, and Christine standing together smiling

Supervisors:

Tim Moore, PhD, LP, BCBA-D, LBA [email protected]

Brianna Wellen, PhD, LP [email protected]

Christine Conelea, PhD, LP [email protected]

 

Location

Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain
2025 E. River Parkway
Minneapolis, MN 55414

 

Description of Practicum Experience

This outpatient clinic serves youth (~ 5-18) seeking therapy for OCD and tic disorders/Tourette Syndrome, often alongside commonly co-occurring psychiatric conditions (e.g., anxiety, depression, ADHD).

This is an advanced therapy practicum experience, for psychology PhD students who have completed other therapy practica and are comfortable as lead clinician in a therapy setting. This foundation makes it possible to acquire the specialty skills in assessment and treatment for OCD, tic disorders, and co-occurring conditions.

 

Assessment and Therapy Experiences to Expect

Test Batteries: Assessments focus on diagnostic clarity and symptom measurement to inform treatment planning and can include diagnostic interviews and symptom rating questionnaires. Practicum students will NOT produce comprehensive evaluation reports.

Psychotherapy Models: The guiding theoretical orientation is behavioral with an integration of family systems and person-centered approaches. CBT, Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Positive Behavior Support / Applied Behavior Analysis.

Commitment and Availability:
Required length of practicum

  • 6-12 months

Required hours per week

  • 8-10 hours/week, caseload of 5-6 patients
  • We may be able to accommodate more hours / patients if desired

Required days / times

  • Our full team meets on Wednesdays. Group supervision is from 1-2pm, and team members schedule patients between 2-5pm to allow for live supervision, shadowing other learners, co-therapy, and teaching. 
  • Other patient visits and supervision meetings can occur on other days, but patient visit slots must remain consistent throughout the experience. 
  • Assessment and psychotherapy sessions are in-person at MIDB. Decisions to use telehealth are made collaboratively between patients and providers, when this modality may be of therapeutic benefit to patients. Typically, clinicians are on site at MIDB for delivery of telehealth sessions.

 

Learning Goals

  1. Develop skills to conduct therapy intake/diagnostic assessments focused on presenting problems related to OCD, tic disorders, and anxiety disorders in youth. Training in differential diagnosis/complex comorbidities is a focus given our patient population.
  2. Develop skills to flexibly administer evidence-based treatments for OCD, tic disorders, and anxiety disorders with individuals and families in the outpatient setting.
  3. Gain exposure to interprofessional care settings, including sharing case responsibilities with psychiatry and neurology fellows who rotate through the clinic.
  4. Training components include group and individual supervision, live supervision, and didactic learning to provide understanding of behavioral theory underpinning intervention and to support principle-based delivery of the clinic’s treatment modalities.

 

Application Process & Important Dates

Contact Drs. Conelea, Moore, and Wellen with questions. Please email to indicate interest according to the timeline communicated by your training program.

 

Additional Training Opportunities

Opportunities for students seeking clinical training in the context of research are also available via Dr. Conelea and Dr. Wellen’s lab, where there are multiple ongoing clinical trials focused on youth ages 12-21 years with Tourette Syndrome and OCD. These trials involve opportunities for assessment, delivery of CBT (CBIT for TS, ERP for OCD), and exposure to clinical trials conduct, neuroimaging, and non-invasive neuromodulation. The specific research-related opportunities that can be offered depend on a combination of the student’s availability/schedule and study needs, and are arranged on an individual basis with the supervisors.