Training Opportunities

The University of Northern Colorado Counseling Center is a training site for Master’s level Counseling interns from CACREP-accredited programs and an APA-accredited training program for doctoral level practicum students and interns.  We are a small, fast-paced center with approximately 10 full-time senior staff, all of whom contribute to training through their various roles.  We offer a variety of training experiences, including triage and crisis services, individual therapy, group therapy, special interest clinical experiences, consultation, outreach, supervision, and assessment.

Our staff is committed to providing well-rounded and diverse training experiences.  Interns can expect to gain experience in most-to-all of the areas listed above.  While trainees are expected to address a wide range of presenting concerns and provide services to diverse populations, they are also encouraged and supported in gaining clinical experiences in special interest areas of their choice including working with specific populations, specific presenting concerns, or specific modalities .  The training director will work with interns to determine special interest foci based on availability of supervisors and needs of the center.

Many of our students have experienced significant life trauma and stressors associated with intersecting marginalized identities.  Because students are at varying points in the process of recovery and healing, interns have numerous opportunities to work with clients who are able to function well while they work on fairly serious therapy issues within a brief therapy model.  Other concerns that are common among our students include stress/anxiety, mood disorders, relationship issues, eating disorders, sexual concerns, substance use, family issues, multicultural identity development, grief and loss, sexual assault or abuse, and personality-related issues.

One of our strengths as a center is that several of our staff members serve as embedded liaisons to various departments on campus. These liaisonships provide support, consultation, and clinical services to the staff and students of these centers/programs.  Through these partnerships, we offer qualified doctoral interns a unique opportunity to dedicate several hours a week at one of these sites under the supervision from the liaison of that center.  Interns will gain experience providing the following on site:

• Individual therapy, crisis services, and co-facilitating groups.
• Support, consultation, and training to student and professional staff.
• Developing and implementing outreach presentations and events regarding salient topics to these communities.
• Proposing projects, services, or interventions based on the need of communities and interest of the intern.

The Counseling Center bases all its programs and services, including training, on a philosophy that affirms the dignity of all people. The Center values pluralism and the opportunity for cross-cultural interactions within the campus community in order to enhance the educational environment for all students, staff, and faculty.

We recognize that no individual is free from all forms of bias and prejudice. We expect staff and trainees to be committed to the social values of respect for diversity, inclusion and equity. Both trainers and trainees should demonstrate a willingness to examine their own assumptions, behaviors, and values so that they may work effectively with “cultural, individual, and role differences, including those based on age, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, language, and socioeconomic status” (APA Ethics Code, 2002, Principle E).

Our center has a small-center feel and you will likely get to know all of us.  The atmosphere is open, warm, supportive, and you will always find an open door when you need it.  As a staff, we are team-oriented and value collaboration—we strive to have each other’s back.  As a team, when one of us is out, we will step in to make sure nothing falls through the cracks.  The team is supportive of one another when personal and professional challenges occur.

Staff and trainees alike are given the opportunity to pursue their strengths through clinical work, special projects, administrative tasks, and our training program.  Each of our roles within the center is unique—they highlight and make the most of our individual strengths.  As a team, we are all tremendously dedicated and committed to the students, our clients, training, and our work.  Not only are we hard-working, but we also like to enjoy engaging in laughter with one another.  The collective spirit is jovial and we often connect through common interests and shared experiences.  We also enjoy a good potluck from time to time!

Below are some excerpts from the feedback provided by our trainees that illustrate the culture of our training program and the center as a whole:

• “Perfect balance between autonomy and support.”
• “I really appreciate that when staff recognized I needed additional support, they collaborated with me and we mutually created goals to improve my skills.”
• “I really felt like a part of the team.  The training staff honors and models self-care and encourages aspiring clinicians to take time off when needed.”
• “It’s a fun group of people and I love coming to work every day!”
• “The freedom to manage my own caseload/schedule, provide supervision, co-lead skills groups, develop liaison relationships, etc. has increased my confidence significantly and has greatly encouraged my professional development.”

The University of Northern Colorado is located in Greeley, Colorado.  UNC’s roots are in the field of education, training educators for Colorado schools since 1890. Students can also choose from more than 200 degree programs across various colleges. The university offers the education of a large university with small class sizes and the convenience of a walking campus.

Greeley is located in northern Colorado, about 49 miles northeast of Denver and 25 miles east of the Rocky Mountains.  It is a quiet yet thriving city with about 93,000 residents and on average, there are 244 sunny days a year here.  Greeley offers easy access to outdoor recreational activities year-round, including winter sports, hiking, kayaking, rafting, biking, paddle boarding, and camping.  Skiers can enjoy the winter season at any of the 26 ski resorts in the state.  Don’t have the equipment for these activities?  One perk of UNC is Outdoor Pursuits, which offers free gear and equipment rental, as well as discounted lift tickets, to those who are affiliated with the university.

The training year requires a great deal of self-reflection, vulnerability, flexibility, and openness to learning and new experiences, and it is essential that our trainees embody these qualities.  Trainees who thrive here are deeply committed to continuing their multicultural training and building awareness of their social identities, and are committed to practices of equity and inclusion.

You might fit our program if you are:

• a team player
• a self-starter
• responsive to the needs of clients, the team, and the broader UNC community
• lean into their growth areas
• able to take in direct, constructive feedback
• are open to learning and challenging themselves to grow beyond what is familiar or comfortable.

Those who have had practicum experiences at university counseling centers or experience working with college populations and have transferable skills and experiences (e.g. crisis intervention, brief therapy, outreach, supervision, group therapy, trauma care, working with underserved populations, working with emerging adults) are more likely to be successful and adapt more seamlessly to the training experience.

Please note that students who have received counseling services through the UNC Counseling Center will not be eligible for training positions at our center.