Students are introduced to practica in their first year, and are required to successfully complete three full years of practicum in a community setting in their 2nd, 3rd and 4th years. During the practicum sequence, students are introduced to supervision, consultation, and clinical organizational management (See courses for more information).

The PGSP-Stanford Consortium seeks to provide extensive supervised practicum experience (i.e., approximately 2000 hours prior to internship) in diverse settings. Practicum placements give students the opportunity to apply, integrate, and expand skills learned didactically. The PGSP-Stanford Consortium draws upon a diverse number of practicum sites to provide applied experience for students. The PGSP-Stanford Consortium is primarily generalist in approach, with a greater emphasis on the treatment of adult disorders, but students have the opportunity to work in settings that provide care to adults, adolescents, children and families. Other community sites allow our students the opportunity to work extensively with LGBT populations (UCSF AIDS Health Project), Multicultural populations (Richmond Area Multi Service Agency), adolescents and young adults (San Jose Job Corps, San Jose State Counseling Center), individuals with serious mental health issues (Stanford Hospital Inpatient) and with a variety of community individuals, couples, and families (Youth and Family Enrichment Services, Community Counseling and Education Agency).

The community-based practicum sites give students exposure to a range of theoretical orientations, including CBT, DBT, brief dynamic, family systems, and a more eclectic, multi-systemic approach. We also have the opportunity to utilize the PGSP Gronowski Clinic as an excellent training site for students. In addition, we place many students in the Palo Alto VA Health Care System (VAPAHCS). Presently, our students are training in the Palo Alto VA Mental Health Clinic and other mental health clinics, such as the San Jose Outpatient VA Clinic and the Monterey VA Outpatient Clinic. The training model involves intensive supervision of each student, including weekly observed live, videotaped or audio taped observation and discussion with a senior psychologist. Thus, each student placed at a VA site is observed so that the supervisory feedback closely fits his/her developmental level.