Clinicians-in-Training at Mandala House
Why do we engage in training?
Training the next generation of mental health practitioners is essential to the vision and mission of Mandala House. We believe that the mental health field, our current providers, and our community benefit when we invest in the growth and development of clinicians-in-training. Training new clinicians helps us to keep our skills current and provides additional opportunities to think about the ways in which we work with clients and why. Articulating this helps us to be ever more thoughtful about our work. We believe that our values of diversity, collaboration, accessibility, and honoring complexity are important for the future of mental health, and we are pleased to participate in shaping future clinicians and the broader field of mental health care in our community. We interview multiple candidates each year and select well prepared individuals who share our values and commitment to care.
What does “Clinician-in-Training” mean?
A “Clinician-in-Training” at Mandala House is defined as a graduate student in a masters or doctoral training program who is working toward a mental health care degree including psychology, clinical social work, professional counseling, or marriage and family therapist. All Clinicians-in-Training have previously earned a bachelor’s degree. Becoming an independent clinician in the mental health field requires rigorous academic learning, exams, and licensing, as well as hundreds of hours of supervised work with real clients. Clinicians-in-Training at Mandala House are in the process of accruing those hours of supervised work. Mandala House offers training experiences to individuals from a variety of fields and at a variety of levels. Regardless of level of training or professional field within mental health, Clinicians-in-Training at Mandala House share the following elements:
Concurrent enrollment in an academic course.
University-based group supervision of their work.
Weekly supervision meetings and oversight of the clinician’s work by a supervisor at Mandala House includes discussion, reviewing session recordings, and participation by the supervisor, as needed.
Participation in weekly treatment team meetings with all clinical staff.
Participation in weekly group supervision with all supervised clinical staff and facilitated by one or more doctoral-level licensed clinician.
Participation in monthly professional development sessions.
Confidentiality and HIPAA compliance training.
Benefits of therapy with a Clinician-in-Training
There are many benefits of working with a Clinician-in-Training. Most notably, you will gain the benefit of multiple perspectives throughout your treatment, as seasoned Mandala House clinicians are guiding, overseeing, and sharing their experience and wisdom with your therapist. Clinicians-in-Training have access to the latest science, theory, and knowledge about mental health care. They have been preparing for a full year or more for this experience and are supported by multiple systems to provide you the best care possible. Clinicians-in-Training help us to honor our value of accessibility by affording us the opportunity to offer services at a reduced cost.
Finally, when you work with a Clinician-in-Training, you are contributing to meaningful experiences the therapist may hold over the course of their professional life. Feedback about your experience is welcomed and is a valued element of the process.