Psychology internship program CPA accredited

May 09, 2023

 (UVic's Student Wellness Centre)

With mental health practitioners in our province in short supply, clinical training programs, like UVic’s Pre-doctoral Psychology Internship Program (PIP), are all the more important these days. And thanks to new accreditation from the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA), UVic’s program is set to go even further in shaping the next generation of psychologists in BC.

After undergoing a meticulous process, the pre-doctoral internship program at UVic’s Student Wellness Centre has met the high community standard of training required for CPA accreditation.

 “We’re thrilled to be accredited by the CPA,” says Leah Wilson, Director of Training for the PIP. “It speaks to the quality of training at our centre and the dedication of our staff; and it puts us in a stronger position to recruit highly-skilled trainees.”

As the final piece of training in a psychology doctoral program, the PIP opens many doors for its interns. The internship entails full-time clinical work and hands-on psychology practice, with the support of extensive supervision. Interns work at UVic’s Student Wellness Centre, supporting diverse young adults in a university environment.

“Personally, I was really looking forward to this part of my education,” says Shadi Shabih Khani. Khani is a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) student at the University of Prince Edward Island who joined UVic in August 2022 for a 12-month internship at the Student Wellness Centre.

“It’s great to learn about theories in the classroom, but to have the opportunity to use those theories in your work is incredible. In our field it’s really important to practice those skills and apply your knowledge—and to do so under the supervision of experienced registered psychologists, adds Khani.”

The PIP benefits from a meaningful partnership between UVic’s Department of Psychology and the Student Wellness Centre. As a CPA-accredited academic program, UVic’s Psychology program offers rigorous academic work alongside hands-on training in the field. Many UVic psychology students do some of their clinical training at the Student Wellness Centre, and students/interns in both programs engage in many of the same activities such as weekly case conferences, on-site training and professional development, alongside highly-skilled supervisors. It’s all part of UVic’s collaborative and collegial approach to training psychology graduate students to become specialists and leaders in their field.

 “It’s really special that we have a highly-sought after academic program and an internship training program both here at UVic,” adds Wilson. “The foundation of psychology training is this marriage between academic and internship. We’re very lucky to have the two components so closely linked on our campus.”