Clinical Experience
Integral to LSU’s Clinical Psychology programs’ training program is didactic and experiential, supervised training in evidence-based assessment and intervention approaches. Training occurs at onsite and at external training facilities affiliated with our program. Both internal and external practicum settings employ evidence-based practice. Clinical training is sequential, cumulative, and graded in complexity: To illustrate -- to prepare for beginning to provide clinical services in their 2nd year, 1st year students: (1) complete coursework in psychopathology, evidenced-based intervention, and professional considerations (including ethics), (2) attend practicum supervision meetings to become familiar with clinic policies and procedures, (3) enroll in a one hour practicum that focuses on introductory therapy skills, and (4) shadow senior graduate student therapists. Once they have attained basic skills and information, they gain direct supervised clinical experience through their practica.
Clinical Practicum
Students in LSU’s clinical psychology graduate program are required to complete a minimum of 24 credit hours of practicum prior to leaving for internship. Most students complete many more hours than this minimum. Students begin seeing clients in the context of practicum beginning in their 2nd year in the program. Practicum experiences are vital in helping students acquire knowledge and competence in psychological assessment, measurement, intervention, and issues related to cultural and individual diversity.
Students are required to conduct clinical services under the direct clinical supervisor of at least two different core clinical faculty. Most students complete at least one year of PSYC7688/9 with their major professor and one year with a different core clinical faculty member. Given that not all major professors provide clinical supervision in the context of PSYC7688/9, some students will gain experience conducting clinical work under the direct supervision of two core clinical faculty other than their major professor.
Students receive weekly supervision from a licensed clinical psychologist and receive feedback on their clinical performance throughout the year from their practicum supervisor during individualized supervision and/or team practicum meetings. In addition, students receive written feedback on their performance in these areas on the Practicum Evaluation Form.
The on-campus community outpatient clinic is the Psychological Services Center (PSC). The PSC is a community-based outpatient training clinic that serves children and adults from the greater Baton Rouge area with a variety of presenting problems. Graduate students gain valuable experience conducting evidence-based assessments and implementing interventions under the close supervision of their major professor or other practicum supervisor.
See our current list of program approved practicum training sites.
Assessment Practicum
A practicum experience linked to the assessment course sequence (Psychological Assessment I and II) is required of students in the clinical program. There is an experiential component required in these classes.
Internship
All Clinical students are required to complete a formal, one year, full-time pre-doctoral internship at an APA-accredited internship program. The internship is generally completed in the 5th year. A decision to delay the internship beyond the 5th year is made in consultation with the student’s major professor. This timeline allows students time to complete all coursework, defend their general examination, and propose their dissertation project prior to internship. We require that the dissertation proposal be successfully defended before applying for internship to help ensure that students can successfully complete all requirements of the Ph.D. by the time they complete their internships. Also, students must be in good standing with the program prior to applying for internship. Students are required to have completed a minimum of 24 credit hours of practicum prior to leaving for internship. Most students complete many more hours than this minimum. While on internship, students must enroll in at least 1 hour of PSYC 7997 Clinical Psychology Internship during every semester they are on internship.
Licensure
As an APA Accredited Clinical Training Program, our program prepares students for careers in health service psychology, such that they are equipped to be both excellent scientists and excellent clinicians. The vast majority of our graduates obtain professional licensure as clinical psychologists. However, given that licensure is controlled by individual governmental bodies in each state/territory and that every jurisdiction may impose their own unique requirements, we cannot guarantee that the specific training we provide will meet the criteria for licensure in any individual state. Students are encouraged to become familiar with state licensing laws and discuss your curricular plan with your major professor and DCT.
For information on psychology licensure in the state of Louisiana, please visit the Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists.
For information on psychology licensure in the United States and Canada, please visit the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards.
Over 85% of graduates over the last 5 years have obtained licensure.
Placement of LSU Clinical Students for Internships in Last Five Years
2023-2024
- Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
Bethesda, MD - Charleston Consortium Internship
Charleston, SC - University of Arizona College of Medicine
Tucson, AZ - University of Mississippi Medical Center
Jackson, MS - Cincinnati VA Medical Center
Cincinnati, OH - University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, IL - University of Texas Health Sciences Center
Tyler, TX - University of Texas Health Sciences Center
Houston, TX
2022-2023
- Fraser Clinical Psychology Internship
Bloomington, Minnesota - Harvard Medical School/McClean Hospital
Belmont, Massachusetts - Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts - Indiana School of Medicine
Indianapolis, Indiana - National Psychology Training Consortium – Central Region (NPTC - Central)
Springfield, Missouri - Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System
New Orleans, Louisiana - University of Texas Health Science Center-Houston
Houston, Texas - VA Maryland Health Care System/University of Maryland
Baltimore, Maryland
2021-2022
- Alexandria Orlando VA Medical Center
Orlando, Florida - Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Columbus, Ohio - National Psychology Training Consortium – Great Lakes Indiana
- MEDVAMC-Houston
Houston, Texas - University of Florida Health Science Center
Gainesville, Florida - University of Tennessee Health Science Center – Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee - VA Western New York Healthcare System
Buffalo, New York
2020-2021
- Indiana University School of Medicine
Indianapolis, IN - Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Providence, RI - OUHSC-OKCVA Consortium Internship
Oklahoma City, OK - Indiana University School of Medicine
Indianapolis, IN - UCLA - Semel Institute
Los Angeles, CA - Federal Correctional Complex - Butner
Butner, NC - Mailman Center for Child Development/Univ Miami
Miami, FL - Durham VA Health Care System
Durham, NC - University of Washington-Psychiatry
Seattle, WA
2019-2020
- VA Medical Center - Minneapolis
Minneapolis, MN - Nationwide Children's Hospital
Columbus, OH - Pennsylvania State Univ/Hershey Medical Center
Hershey, P - Washburn Center for Children
Minneapolis, MN - Rush University Medical Center
Chicago, IL - Mailman Center for Child Development/Univ Miami
Miami, FL - Patton State Hospital
Patton, C - VA Maryland HCS/Univ Maryland School of Medicine
Baltimore, MD - University of Tennessee Health Sci Ctr - Memphis
Memphis, TN - VA Western New York Healthcare System
Buffalo, NY