<p>Supervised grad. students, of course. Good? Bad?</p>
<p>35 years ago, I was a pateint of a post-grad student during his supervised – uh, internship? (Is that the right word?) I know that what I discussed with him he later discussed with his supervisor. It was weird, but it was also cheap. (It was through a center that was a pay-what-you-can-afford place.) I think the therapy was pretty good.</p>
<p>But again, that was a lifetime ago.</p>
<p>I think it really depends on the person, and the quality of the supervision.</p>
<p>Reminds me of medical school, residency for physicians. Pros and cons- the key is the supervision. I presume it is through the accredited grad school program. We all have to get practice, and with good mentors it could be better than with some in private practice.</p>
<p>I am a clinical psychologist who’s been in practice for many years now. While there is much to be said for the experience that comes with being a seasoned professional, there’s also a case to be made for the heightened conscientiousness and eagerness to do things “right” that most graduate students just starting out possess. In most instances, those destined to become great therapists as they acquire more experience are excellent therapists from the outset; however, those whom no amount of experience will make into great therapists are even lousier therapists earlier in their training.</p>
<p>Supervision ensures at least a minimal level of quality, and gives you the advantage of two minds engaged in figuring out how best to help you. As is true with therapists of all levels of experience, what you will be able to derive from therapy will depend on a combination of your motivation, the therapist’s knowledge and skillfulness, and the way you “click” with the particular therapist. The latter factor is critical, but can’t be predicted based on the therapist’s level of training.</p>
<p>Good luck whatever you decide!</p>
<p>clinical psychology phd students are required a certain amount of hours (lots) working in a clinic, usually starting in their second year they are extremely supervised by their professors and advisors. if there was major psychological distress i wouldn’t recommend going to one, similar to a situation that if you were very ill you would want to see an actual MD instead of a PA or APRN. for adjustment issues, mild depression or anxiety, the student clinicans are quite capable. (there is intense scrutiny by the supervisors)</p>
<p>IMHO, unless you’re talking about cognitive-behavior therapy or some other kind of highly process-driven, goal-oriented therapy, great therapists are born, not trained or credentialed. All the experience in the world can’t teach the skills that some gifted people know instinctively. So I’d go by the individual. Does s/he make you feel secure? Listened to? Understood? Empowered? Don’t be shy about turning down therapists who don’t make you feel that way, no matter how eminent they may be, and don’t be shy about keeping one who does.</p>
<p>I spent a couple hours a week with an intern therapist during my thesis semester of undergrad, and found it extremely helpful. It worked out particularly well for me because I went in there saying “I will not be drugged,” and an intern doesn’t have the ability to do that anyway. I feel like she explored what talk therapy and homeopathic remedies could do for me more because she was unable to prescribe medication, which I had been terrified that would be pushed on me (the psychs at my school had a reputation for handing out Prozac like it was aspirin).</p>
<p>The supervision was also nice because for mine it included a group session where all the intern therapists talked together with their supervisor about common problems with their clients, and it was refreshing to hear the report back that “There are a loooot of architecture students coming in here with the same problems, so I’m inclined to think this is a situational thing.”</p>
<p>I’ve supervised graduate students providing psychotherapy in a community clinic for many years now. More often than not, they are excellent therapists and their lack of experience is compensated by their motivation, attention to detail and to you, and by the background advice they get in supervision. As others have said here, if the “fit” feels way off or there are medical risks or acute problems-then look for an alternative. But if it feels good-enough–trust the process and the relationship. As someone said in another context today: “Remember that volunteers build the Ark–and professionals built the Titanic…” Sometimes amateurs bring talent that is exactly what is needed. good luck…</p>
<p>As huskem said, we are all required to get a certain amout of supervised training experience during our graduate years. This included practicums as well as internship and post-doc experience. Part of my graduate training experience included a rotation in the student counseling center. I think it went well,and the clients seemed to benefit from our sessions. If some student was having severe problems we could have a more seasoned person step in , if necessary. So all in all, I think you will be fine.</p>