Boynton's Psychology Practicum

Structure

• This practicum integrates supervised counseling and assessment practice with readings and case conceptualization based on theory and empirical literature.
• The remainder of the hours is available for case review and supervision preparation, which includes writing case notes and documentation for students, coordinating care with other providers, preparing assessment results, and reviewing video recordings. Practicum trainees record all of their counseling sessions and their supervision sessions for their supervisor.

Supervision 

• Each practicum trainee has an individual supervisor who is the person primarily responsible for evaluation. Practicum trainees meet with their individual supervisors for an hour each week. Individual supervisors utilize supervision team input in evaluation. Others on the supervision team include the practicum coordinator, the seminar coordinator(s). Practicum trainees have a different individual supervisor each semester to expose them to different expertise.

Schedule 

• This 2-semester practicum consists of 17 hours of supervised practice and preparation, which includes two half days of counseling clients and a 2-hour seminar each week. Counseling is supervised using a live model of supervision. Supervision is provided by a psychologist and predoctoral interns.
• The practicum training year typically looks as follows:
  • Counseling Schedule (includes 3-4 client appointments, live observation, and group supervision):
    Mondays and Wednesdays, 12:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
  • Seminar:
    Fridays, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Practicum trainees must be enrolled in either the counseling psychology doctoral program or the Educational Psychology-Counseling and Student Personnel Psychology Program at the University of Minnesota. At this time, students from other graduate programs will not be considered. Ideal candidates have little to no counseling experience, but have some experience working with people. Experience providing learning assistance or experience working in a higher education setting is valuable.

Practicum placements are decided during spring semester and trainees then complete their practicum during the following fall and spring semesters.  All trainees accepted for the practicum must commit to participating in the practicum for both semesters.

Prospective applicants should submit the following via e-mail or regular mail:

• Cover letter
• Curriculum vita
• Two letters of recommendation, with at least one of the letters from someone familiar with the applicant's counseling skills
• Graduate-level academic transcripts (unofficial transcripts are acceptable) indicating completion of a basic counseling course

Applications will be reviewed by the practicum coordinator and should be sent to:

Ian K. Evans, Psy. D.
Student Counseling Services
340 Appleby Hall
128 Pleasant St. S.E.
Minneapolis, MN 55455-0213
e-mail: [email protected] 

Timeline:

• February 1, 2026: Deadline for students to submit application materials for interview consideration
• February 2, 2026: Interview scheduling begins
• February 9 - 13, 2026: Interviews conducted
• February 16, 2026: Initial offers for placement made

Practicum trainees who are enrolled in graduate programs requiring practica to fulfill LPC requirements can complete a 700-hour practicum at Boynton Mental Health and Counseling, with at least 125 of those hours providing direct service to students. Spread over the Spring and Fall semesters, the practicum consists of 23 hours of weekly supervised practice and preparation, which includes the following:

• Core Practicum
• Learning Assistance: Practicum trainees provide learning assistance to students who are seeking these services through the Tutoring and Academic Success Centers (TASC) at Boynton Mental Health and Counseling. Weekly group supervision is provided by an experienced TASC instructor.
• OUE 1101 instruction: Practicum trainees provide instruction in this study skills course designed for students who are either on, or at risk for being on, academic probation. Weekly group supervision will be provided by an experienced TASC instructor.

Other learning opportunities are also available, including providing outreach to the University community and participating in an Academic Assessment Package that is offered to students by Boynton Mental Health and Counseling.  These activities are also supervised.