ucla phd in clinical psychology

Areas of Study

Area emphases include Behavioral Neuroscience, Clinical, Cognitive, Developmental, Health, Quantitative, and Social Psychology.

The department offers graduate Ph.D. training (there is no separate M.A. program) with area emphases in Behavioral Neuroscience, Clinical, Cognitive, Developmental, Health, Quantitative, and Social Psychology. The central objective in all these fields is to train researchers dedicated to increasing the body of scientific knowledge upon which the discipline of psychology rests. The program is designed to prepare psychologists to function effectively as researchers, college and university instructors, and professional research psychologists.

• Behavioral Neuroscience
• Clinical Psychology
• Cognitive Neuroscience  *
• Cognitive Psychology
• Computational Cognition  **
• Developmental Psychology
• Health Psychology
• Learning & Behavior  ***
• Quantitative Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Social and Affective Neuroscience  ****

* Open to students accepted into the Behavioral Neuroscience or Cognitive Areas. ** Open to students accepted into the Cognitive Area. *** Open to students accepted into the Behavioral Neuroscience Area. **** Open to students accepted into the Developmental or Social Areas.  

For a listing of the minors that are offered, please refer to the  Minor Area Course Requirements  in the current  Handbook .

Individualized Minors: Students may  petition  for individualized minors.

Centers & Programs

For a listing of Centers and Programs within the Department of Psychology, please refer to the  Centers and Programs  web page.

The TRUST Lab

Treatment and research for the underserved with stress and trauma.

(Updated July 2023)

Dr. Lauren Ng will not be accepting a graduate student for the 2024-2025 Academic Year

Unfortunately, due to time constraints and volume of applicants Dr. Ng and the current graduate students will not be able to respond if you send an email expressing interest in the lab.

We do not have enough time to set up individual phone or zoom calls with prospective students, and there is no need to email to introduce yourself or send your CV. However, we encourage you to view our recorded information sessions hosted by Dr. Ng and a graduate student panel. The recordings are posted here .

Please note, your decision to email Dr. Ng (or not) will have no impact on your odds of receiving an interview invitation or an offer of admission. Prospective students are instead encouraged to review our website which may answer many common questions about our research directions and our lab culture and values.  

** Please note that most of the information below comes directly from previously written lab FAQs, specifically from those by Dr. Craig Rodriguez-Seijas, PhD and Dr. Jessica Schleider . Thank you for sharing your guidance and knowledge! **

FAQs: Applying to join the TRUST lab (Treatment and Research for the Underserved with Stress and Trauma) as a PhD student

Lauren C. Ng, PhD Director, TRUST Lab Updated: 19 July 2023

Why did you make this document?

The clinical psychology PhD application process is an uneven playing field. Applicants without access to strong mentors, or without professional connections, may have less access to the information provided here. By sharing this FAQ document, I hope to help “level the playing field” across applicants to our lab.

Please note that all responses in this document reflect my personal opinions only. They may not reflect those of the University of California Los Angeles or other faculty members in our clinical science area.

Will you be accepting a new PhD student to begin in Fall 2024?

I am not accepting a new clinical psychology PhD student for Fall 2024 matriculation.

How do I know if I am a “good fit” for the TRUST lab?

When reviewing prospective students’ applications, I am most interested in the goodness of fit between (1) their interests, experiences, and goals, and (2) the lab’s mission, our research focus, and my own strengths (and lesser strengths!) as a mentor.

Overall, applicants who would likely be “good fits” would…

• Demonstrate commitment to the TRUST Lab Mission : Using research to improve access to, and quality of, care for diverse, low-resource, and underserved populations affected by traumatic and stressful events. Commitment to this mission may be demonstrated through your past experiences (both research and applied, including employment and volunteer experience), your personal statement, and your letters of recommendation.
• Want to pursue a career in research on trauma exposure (broadly defined), its effects, and ways to improve outcomes following trauma for underserved and under-researched populations.
• Have accrued independent research experience (e.g., by leading a senior thesis, research project, and/or first-authored posters, talks, or papers).
• Have accrued collaborative research experience (e.g. by working as an investigator or research assistant in a lab, collecting data, conducting quantitative or qualitative data analyses, co-authoring a poster, talk or paper). Often, but not always, successful applicants have had a few years of collaborative research experience when they apply. In addition, most of my graduate students have previous experience conducting research on trauma, often with underserved and underrepresented populations. If this is you, please highlight these experiences in your application!

Of note, having access to previous mentors who can facilitate such independent research experience is itself a form of privilege. The graduate school application process is very competitive. However, I aim to judge applications holistically. If you believe that your research experience does not reflect your potential as a future scientist, (1) ask one of your recommenders to share more about your circumstances to help me holistically assess your achievements, or (2) provide this information in your personal statement.

As a mentor, I feel best-prepared to support students who are interested in careers that involve applied, clinical, and/or intervention research. This includes a wide variety of career paths, including academic faculty positions (e.g. in departments of psychology, psychiatry, education, social work, or public health); combined clinical-research careers (e.g. in academic medical centers); and non-academic careers in applied research or health policy.

I believe that strong training in evidence-based practice is essential to becoming an effective, informed scientist. However, I may not be the most effective mentor for applicants who are interested entirely in clinical practice careers. There will be expectations of strong research productivity throughout graduate school as a member of the TRUST Lab. Therefore, if your interest is primarily in learning the skills to become an effective clinician (which is a lofty and admirable goal in itself), then my mentorship will not be the best for you.

What projects would I work on in the TRUST lab?

Please see my website and recent papers for examples of some of my current projects. In addition, my graduate students often develop and lead their own research projects. I encourage students to develop new and novel research that are feasible and further the mission of the lab and I am interested in learning about new ideas you may have.

What about the GRE? How important are my scores?

For the upcoming admission cycle (submitting an application in 2023 for entry in Fall 2024), the General GRE and the Psychology GRE will be optional. Applications with GRE and Psychology GRE scores will not be given greater weight by the UCLA admission’s committee than those without these scores.

(Regarding my view on the GRE more broadly: The GRE systematically disadvantages BIPOC and low-income applicants. No strong evidence suggests that specific GRE scores are necessary for success as a researcher, teacher, or clinician. I review all applications holistically, bearing these facts in mind.

My undergraduate GPA is below 3.5. Will this remove me from consideration?

No. Many factors can influence one’s GPA, including competing commitments (e.g., working part-time while in school), family obligations, and health challenges. Academic achievement is very important, but context is, too. If you believe your GPA does not reflect your potential as a future scientist, please (1) ask one of your recommenders to share more about your circumstances to help me holistically assess your achievements, and/or (2) provide this information in your personal statement.

Are there any other ‘screening criteria’ you use to review applications?

No. You work hard on your application materials. The least I can do is read them! (And I will review all applications from those who indicate that I am their preferred mentor).

How are students funded and does funding differ by citizenship status?

All admitted students are fully funded by the Department in the first year. Students who are US citizens, permanent residents, or DACA or AB540 holders are fully funded by the Department through fellowships or TA support for all six years of the PhD program.

For international graduate students (i.e., students who are not US citizens, permanent residents, or DACA or AB540 holders), starting in the second year until the student advances to Doctoral Candidacy (deadline by the end of 4 th  year), the faculty mentor(s) or another source of funding such as an external fellowship from the student’s home government will need to cover the UCLA Non-Resident Supplemental Tuition (NRST) (currently $15,102 per year; $45,306 in total if the student does not advance to candidacy until the end of their 4th year).  Potential mentors need to attest that they will cover the non-resident tuition in the event that the student maintains good academic standing but the fellowship does not provide the student with full support in years 2-4. After formally advancing to candidacy (ATC), international graduate students have 3 years/9 consecutive quarters (including Leaves of Absence and in-absentia registration quarters) without NRST.  Unfortunately, I do not have additional funding to cover the NRST for years 2-4 for an international student, so I will only be able to consider international students who have secured an external fellowship that will cover this portion of their tuition. Please note, that this is true only for my lab. Other UCLA faculty may have funding available to cover the NRST for international students.

Should I email you to express my interest in applying to your lab?

Unfortunately, I do not have enough time to set up individual phone or zoom calls with prospective students, and there is no need to email me to introduce yourself or send me your CV. I will not be able to respond if you send me an email expressing interest in my lab. However, I encourage you to review/watch my Zoom information session from 2021 here .

Please note, your decision to email me (or not) will have no impact on your odds of receiving an interview invitation or an offer of admission . Whether or not you contact me in advance, prospective students are encouraged to review our website which may answer many common questions about our research directions and our lab culture and values.  

What should I include in my personal statement?

I find it helpful when applicants include the following in their personal statements:

• A clear statement of your general research interests and how they relate to the TRUST lab’s mission and work
• A clear statement of why you are interested in the TRUST lab, in particular
• A statement about your career goals (even if they are approximate/might change, it is helpful to see your thinking!)
• Discussions of your independent and collaborative research experience(s) and what you learned from them. In these discussions, I suggest emphasizing (1) the skills you developed from working on each project (e.g., data collection; coding/running analyses; interviewing skills; partnering with community members; creating a protocol or IRB application; writing certain sections of a paper; submitting/presenting a poster), and (2) what your “takeaways” were from the project —e.g., new research ideas or questions your work inspired.
• For a few annotated examples of graduate school personal statements, with commentary see this resource .

Common Things to Avoid in Personal Statements

Personal statements, in my opinion, are a really great chance to let me get to know you virtually. Here are some common points for writing personal statements:

• You do not need to have a beautiful story about having always been interested in being a psychologist since childhood. You won’t be judged negatively for having this information, but it is not a necessity for me. I’m more interested in your research experience and critical thinking, and how my skills can serve to help develop these skills.
• It is most helpful if you convey the skills that you have learned. How can your skills be developed by my mentorship?
• The work that I do usually involves quite a bit of community partnerships and work with multiply marginalized populations. If you have experience working collaboratively with diverse communities, please let me know.
• Show, don’t tell! Don’t just tell me that I can mentor you, illustrate it with some examples of how you think my research and clinical skills can help you get where you want to be. In addition, don’t tell me you are passionate about the TRUST lab mission, show me that you have experiences that demonstrate your commitment to the lab mission.
• Get an outside eye. Having access to mentors who can help you craft personal statements is very helpful, but is also a privilege that might not be equally available to all. Get outside eyes on your essays. There might be resources at your own undergraduate institutions that can help with this, like writing centers, library personnel, graduate students, or faculty. Attached is a spreadsheet with various academics who may be willing to help field questions and look over application materials. My name is included on this spreadsheet. However, I will not be able to look over application essays for students who will be applying to work with me.

I am interested in becoming a therapist and/or incorporating clinical practice into my future career. I’ve heard that mentioning this in my application will hurt my admissions chances. Is this true?

I aim to recruit students seeking rigorous training in both intervention research and clinical practice. Both skill-sets inform each other necessarily. Our lab develops and tests interventions, so I view clinical training as especially important for trainees in our lab.

At the same time, UCLA’s clinical science program has a very strong clinical science orientation, and students who are happiest in our program tend to want careers that incorporate research in a significant way. Consistent with this orientation, I may not be the most effective mentor for applicants who are interested entirely in clinical practice careers.

My own experiences with mental health problems (e.g., my own, a friend’s, or a relative’s) shaped my current interests. I’ve been told not to mention this in my personal statement. Is this true?  

Speaking for only myself: No . Life experiences shape our career interests, trajectories, and goals in meaningful ways. There is nothing wrong with acknowledging intersections between our ‘human’ and ‘scientific’ selves. However, personal/lived experiences should not be the main focus of your personal statement. Your research interests, experiences, goals, and ‘fit’ to our lab are much more helpful to me when reviewing your application.

Is it advantageous to list multiple mentors of interest (or just one) on my application?

There is no inherent advantage to naming multiple mentors of interest on your application unless you sincerely want to work with either or multiple mentors. I closely review all applications on which I am listed as a first-choice mentor. In many cases, applicants to our lab do not list multiple mentors of interest. Listing multiple potential mentors may be appropriate if your interests and goals clearly bridge two faculty members’ research programs (as described in your personal statement)—and in rare cases, co-mentorship by two faculty members in the clinical area is possible.  Applicants whose interests and goals primarily match the TRUST lab do not gain an advantage by listing other faculty mentors on their application.

What is your mentorship style/what expectations do you have for PhD students?

I am passionate about teaching, supervising, and mentoring. My approach to teaching is applied. I want my students to view learning as relevant to their lives because I believe this fosters engagement and ownership of learning. I emphasize the “why should we care” aspects of new material by exploring how it directly relates to life satisfaction, functioning, and health, as well as the interests, passions and everyday experiences of my students. As an educator my primary goals are to (1) strengthen a love of learning, science, and critical thinking, (2) help students develop self-awareness and understanding of the role that context, environment, culture and history play in their clinical practice and research, and (3) provide developmentally appropriate guidance to help students achieve their goals.  

My mentees learn by doing. I encourage my students to select research questions that they are truly passionate about and to work collaboratively with me, their peers, faculty, participants, and other stakeholders to pursue those questions. Students enter the lab with their own interests and skills and I try to tailor their research experiences to allow them to develop their existing skills and to learn new ones in the context of projects that are meaningful to them. Ultimately, I want to help each student move further down the path towards being independent investigators, while scaffolding their efforts so they remain passionate and excited about research, even in the face of inevitable challenges.

I seek to offer students the opportunity to collect data and conduct field research and to simultaneously work on secondary data analysis. Because research takes a long time, I have found that students who focus primarily on data collection and field research may miss out on opportunities for data analysis and publication. Conversely, students who focus solely on secondary data analysis may not have the chance to learn and practice the invaluable field research skills of flexibility, humility, and building and maintaining mutual respectful relationships with collaborators.

I have never had to write a CV—just a regular resume. How should I organize this document?  

• “ How to Write a Strong CV ,” Association of Psychological Science
• Example CV for clinical psychology applicants , University of Nebraska—Lincoln

I want to apply, but the application fee would create real hardship for me. What should I do?

Waivers of the $135.00 application fee are available for applicants who a) participate(d) in one of these programs or b) demonstrate financial need as described below.

Program Participation

Participants in the following programs are eligible for fee waivers. In the application, on the Fee Waiver page, select one or more of the programs in which you participated and upload a letter verifying your program participation. You may also send the letter directly to  [email protected]  after you submit the application. You will be contacted if your fee is not waived with further instructions.

• American Political Science Association Ralph Bunche Summer Institute Scholars
• California Alliance for Minority Participation (CAMP) Applicants
• California State University (CSU) Sally Casanova Pre-Doctoral Scholars Program Applicants
• Florida A and M University Graduate Feeder Scholars Program (FMAU GFSP) Applicants
• Gates Millennium Scholar
• Guardian Scholars
• Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Applicants
• Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) Applicants
• McNair Scholars (McNair)
• Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program (MMUF)
• Minority Biomedical Research Support (MBRS) Applicants
• MSTP (UCLA) participants
• National GEM Consortium
• Research Initiative for Science Enhancement (MBRS RISE) Applicants
• STAR (UCLA) participants
• UC Leadership through Advanced Degrees (UC LEADS) Applicants
• UC Summer Programs for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) Applicants
• UC-HBCU Initiative

Or sponsored by one or more of these agencies:

• GEM Scholar
• Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship Program (PPIA)
• BNU-GSEIS Collaboration

Need-based Fee Waivers

Waivers of UCLA’s application fee are available for U.S. citizens, Permanent Residents and others who meet the following criteria:

Are currently enrolled  in a college or university         and Receive  need-based financial aid (if not a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident, this financial aid must come from the state of California)         and Submit a statement from their Financial Aid officer confirming all of the above and stating that payment of UCLA’s $120.00 application fee would be a financial hardship.

If you meet all of these criteria, select Fee Waiver in the application, upload the statement from your Financial Aid officer and submit the application.

Do not  submit income tax returns, unemployment documents, copies of your FAFSA Expected Family Contribution or other financial estimates;  these cannot be accepted as documentation of eligibility for a fee waiver.

Where else can I find information and guidance for my application process?

I recommend the following resources:

• Mitch’s Uncensored Advice for Applying to Graduate School in Clinical Psychology , provided by Dr. Mitch Prinstein, UNC Chapel Hill. A staple for those considering applying to graduate school in clinical psychology, from determining your best-fit career path to deciding between offers from Clinical PhD programs!
• Getting Into Psych Grad School , provided by the Council of University Directors in Clinical Psychology. Fantastic guide from Directors of Clinical Training at Clinical Psychology PhD programs across the country.
• Open Access Tips/Materials for Clinical Psych PhD Applicants , provided by Mallory Dobias, B.S. A collection of open-access pointers, timelines, and materials—from sample e-mails to prospective advisors to ‘before’ and ‘after’ personal statements—from a PhD student in Dr. Jessica Schlieder’s Lab!
• So You Want to Go to Clinical Psych Grad School? …Or Something? Slides from a lecture prepared by Dr. Jessica Schleider at Stony Brook University on considering careers in clinical psychology and allied disciplines. Includes info about different career options and degrees; preparing to apply for PhD programs; and how to obtain research and clinical experience.
• Deciding to apply to Clinical Psychology PhD programs A blog post written with particular focus on tailoring advice to BIPOC students/applicants, low income students/applicants, and first-generation students/applicants.

Current NIMH Trainees

Pre-doctoral trainees.

Praise Owoyemi

Doctoral Student, Clinical Psychology

[email protected]

Praise is a second-year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology program. Broadly, her research focuses on dispositional and sociocultural variables that impact coping and psychological adjustment to a chronic illness. In addition, she aims to better understand mental health outcomes in individuals from immigrant and racial minority groups who are facing health adversity. Praise is interested in using her research to develop culturally tailored and accessible interventions to improve physical and psychological health.

Julia Yarrington, M.A.

[email protected]

Jordan Thomas, M.A.

[email protected]

Jordan Thomas is a fourth-year PhD student in Clinical Psychology, with an emphasis in Health. Jordan’s research program investigates the ways in which trauma exposure and related psychopathology affects women’s physical, mental, and sexual health across the lifespan. She is interested in developing evidence-based initiatives that promote women’s health at both the individual (e.g., through clinical intervention) and population (e.g., through policy) level.

Gabrielle Rinne, M.A.

Doctoral Student, Health Psychology

[email protected]

Gabrielle is a third-year graduate student in Health Psychology with a minor in Quantitative Psychology. Her research program focuses on the biobehavioral mechanisms linking exposure to stress early in development to mental health, with a particular focus on exposures in the prenatal period through childhood. Her prior research has evaluated how maternal mood in pregnancy and postpartum with influences offspring physiological reactivity and self-regulation and has examined the associations between maternal childhood family experiences and mental health in pregnancy and postpartum. She plans to extend this research to elucidate biobehavioral pathways through which prenatal and postnatal stressors combined influence mental health in children.

Post-doctoral Trainees

Jennifer Somers, Ph.D.

Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, Arizona State University

[email protected]

Dr. Somers’ research interest is in biobehavioral processes through which close relationships support mental and physical wellbeing. By evaluating bidirectional influences between children and their caregivers across multiple timescales (e.g., second-by-second processes that occur during social interactions, longer-term adaptation that unfolds across development), this research provides a framework for characterizing the effects of early social experiences on children’s development, which bears implications for both children and their caregiver’s wellbeing. 

Yasmin Barrientos Kofman, Ph.D.

Ph.D. in Psychological Science, UC Irvine

[email protected]

Dr. Kofman’s research interest is in biobehavioral mechanisms linking trauma exposure and health. She is particularly interested in how exposure to gender-based forms of violence (e.g., intimate partner and sexual violence) can perpetuate mental and physical health problems in women during the perinatal period and across the lifespan more broadly. Dr. Kofman is also interested in factors of personal, cultural, and community resilience that may buffer the detrimental health effects of trauma and adversity.

UCLA College has nation’s top graduate program in clinical psychology, according to U.S. News and World Report

This story was adapted from its original version.

In its annual ranking of the top graduate schools, U.S News and World Report has listed 12 UCLA College and graduate programs among the top 20 in the country. Among them is the College’s clinical psychology program, which was named No. 1. Another 11 College graduate schools and programs are listed among the top 20, demonstrating the quality, reputation and breadth of graduate-level education at the UCLA College.

The U.S. News graduate program rankings are based on experts’ opinions about program excellence and on statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school’s faculty, research and students. The data for the rankings come from statistical surveys of more than 2,000 programs and from reputation surveys sent to more than 20,500 academics and professionals, conducted in fall 2017 and early 2018.

The full list of programs include:

Clinical psychology  (No. 1) Psychology  (No. 3, tied) English  (No. 6, tied) Math  (No. 7, tied) Sociology  (No. 8, tied) History  (No. 9, tied) Economics  (No. 12, tied) Political science  (No. 12, tied) Earth sciences  (No. 13, tied) Chemistry  (No. 15, tied) Physics  (No. 17, tied) ​ Biological sciences  (No. 18, tied)

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Doctoral Internship

APA Accreditation

The UCLA-CAPS doctoral internship in health service psychology is accredited by the American Psychological Association. Inquiries regarding the accreditation of our internship training program may be directed to:

APA Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation 750 First Street, NE • Washington, DC • 20002-4242 Phone: 202-336-5979

The Office of Accreditation’s web address may be accessed here: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation. You may also email the Accreditation Office at [email protected] .

The APA-accredited doctoral internship program in psychology at UCLA's Counseling and Psychological Services invites applications for the 2024-2025 training year.

The deadline for applications is: November 3, 2023

Interviewees will be notified on: December 15, 2023

Interviews will be conducted by video on: January 10 - 12, 2024

The training year duration is: August 1, 2024 – July 31, 2025

We welcome and encourage applications from diverse individuals. Our program is fully accredited by the American Psychological Association. For further information regarding APA accreditation, you may contact the APA Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation by phone at (202) 336-5979 or (202) 336-6123 TDD or at the following website: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation . You may also email the Accreditation Office at [email protected] . We are a member of APPIC, participate in the APPIC Match (Program Code 113511) and adhere to all APPIC Match policies regarding selection and notification.

Application Qualifications & Procedures

Qualifications.

By the start of internship, applicants must be advanced doctoral students who meet all of the following requirements:

Current enrollment in an American Psychological Association-or Canadian Psychological Association-accredited doctoral program in clinical or counseling psychology

• Successful completion of all required coursework and practica prior to start of internship
• Successful completion of doctoral comprehensive exams
• Completion of a minimum of 1000 supervised hours of practicum experience, of which 500 hours are face-to-face intervention hours, by application deadline.
• Verification by the director of training of readiness for internship
• Clearly identified experience conducting intakes, providing crisis assessment and intervention, and providing empirically supported brief therapy
• Three letters of recommendation, at least two from supervisors familiar with recent clinical work. one letter must be authored by a current supervisor.

The deadline for applications is November 3, 2023 at 11:59 pm.

To apply for our Doctoral Internship, applicants should apply via the AAPI Online site . From the APPIC homepage, click on "AAPI Online." Your online application must include the following:

• A completed APPIC Application for Psychology Internship (AAPI) form. The AAPI may be downloaded from http://www.appic.org .
• Submission of cover letter describing qualifications and professional experience compatible with training at UCLA CAPS. Applicants are asked to clearly identify experience conducting intakes, providing crisis assessment and intervention, conducting brief empirically-supported therapy, and to elaborate on training goals specific to CAPS.
• Current curriculum vita
• Official transcripts of all graduate work
• Three letters of recommendation, at least two from supervisors familiar with recent clinical work. One letter must be authored by a current supervisor.

Final acceptance to the UCLA-CAPS doctoral internship training program is contingent upon satisfactory completion of a background investigation (i.e. Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice fingerprint scans) and credentialing process prior to the commencement of the internship.

UCLA-CAPS adheres to all APPIC internship selection policies. In keeping with these policies, CAPS does not solicit, accept or use ranking-related information from any intern applicant.

Please refer to the APPIC website for the most recent copy of Internship Offers and Acceptances.

For correspondence and inquiries, please email [email protected]

Philosophy of Training

The CAPS training program adheres to a Scholar-Practitioner model. Focusing on the clinical application of scientific findings, a broad array of supervised clinical, outreach and prevention experiences and formal and informal didactic settings promote the acquisition of practice skills and the development of critical thinking.

We regard our doctoral interns as professionals in training, and accordingly the training program is developmental in its focus. We believe that professional development and competency as a newly-practicing psychologist results from cumulative and developmental immersion in broad clinical experience rooted in empirical evidence and supported by skilled professionals serving as supervisors, teachers, and role models. Recognizing that interns begin their internship year at varying developmental levels, an assessment is made of their training needs at the start of the year and expectations are individually tailored. After a year of close supervision, we expect each intern to have developed an increased level of clinical competence and autonomy, heightened professional identity and ethical awareness, and an enhanced understanding of self in preparation for independent functioning as a clinical psychologist.

We train our interns to be generalists, with particular expertise in working with a college population. Over the course of the year, interns provide individual, couple and group psychotherapy, emergency assessment and response, crisis intervention, psychological assessment, and outreach/prevention and consultation to the university community. Interns are encouraged to develop specific expertise with special populations and these interests are taken into account when making assignments; however, such interests are considered as secondary to generalist training.

An appreciation of human diversity is a cornerstone of our training program. Honoring these values, the training program seeks to recruit a range of candidates, including those from diverse backgrounds and with diverse interests. Our highly diverse clinical staff trains interns in the competent provision of services to UCLA's pluralistic student body. The diversity of our staff and our clientele provides interns with an unusual opportunity to gain specific clinical experience and expertise with a broad spectrum of individually and culturally diverse clients across a full range of health and psychopathology. A variety of training experiences complement these clinical experiences, and lead to the acquisition and development of knowledge, awareness and skills related to multiculturally-competent case conceptualization and care.

Over the course of the year, interns are expected to refine their sensitivity and competence in service delivery to students of varied racial, cultural, religious, gender, sexual orientation, physical and age groups. Professional diversity is also valued, as our staff consists of psychologists, clinical social workers and psychiatrists, and trainees from psychology, social work, and psychiatry residency programs.

Intensive supervision is a distinguishing feature of CAPS internship training and encompasses a variety of theoretical frameworks. Interns are frequently asked to reflect on personal issues potentially affecting their professional functioning as therapists, trainers, consultants and colleagues. While we strive to respect interns' privacy rights, the disclosure of personal information pertinent to interns' professional roles in the context of their supervision is routine and expected.

Finally, our training program operates in a context of ongoing reciprocal evaluation and feedback. Such periodic evaluation ensures that interns, as well as supervisory staff, are progressing in their individual and professional development goals.

Goals of the Training Program

The CAPS training program prepares psychology doctoral interns to function as multiculturally-competent and ethical professionals with specific expertise in addressing diverse college or university populations and a clear sense of their early professional identities.

Consistent with this aim, the internship has the following three objectives:

• Facilitation of interns' clinical competence across the full range of professional services for a diverse undergraduate and graduate student clientele
• Promoting interns' ethical behavior and sensitivity to ethical and legal issues
• Fostering interns' professional identity development as psychologists

These objectives are articulated in the program’s focus on the following competencies: research; ethical and legal standards; individual and cultural diversity; professional values, attitudes and behaviors; communication and interpersonal skills; assessment; intervention; supervision; consultation; and interprofessional/interdisciplinary skills.

The full-time, twelve-month Doctoral Internship in Psychology provides trainees with the opportunity to receive an intensively supervised experience in delivering a range of multiculturally-aware and competent mental health services to a large public university student body and in providing prevention, outreach and consultation to the campus community. Interns receive training in brief and intermittent individual therapy, group and couple therapy, emergency response, crisis intervention, psychological assessment and diagnosis, consultation, prevention and outreach, and ethical and legal regulations and practices. Training occurs experientially via clinical work, case consultation, and outreach to the campus community, and in a variety of formal and informal didactic settings.

CAPS provides interns with the opportunity to interact with colleagues in other disciplines without the artificial hierarchical constraints present in many other clinical settings. Observing and functioning within the CAPS community of psychologists, clinical social workers and psychiatrists is an invaluable experience in the development of interns' professional identity, integrity and independence. Routine interdisciplinary interaction is present throughout the department via clinical collaboration, case conferences, committees, staff development activities and training activities.

Description of Training Activities

Individual therapy.

Interns provide up to 16-19 service hours per week. CAPS provides empirically supported treatments within a brief treatment setting.

Group Therapy

UCLA-CAPS features one of the largest and most highly-utilized counseling center group programs in the nation. Opportunities include general psychotherapy groups, interpersonal process groups, empirically supported group treatments for a variety of mood and anxiety difficulties, groups for building and enhancing skills in emotional regulation (based on DBT), and several theme-oriented groups targeted to specific populations including eating disorders, bereavement, women, gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and trans-students, and writers of theses and dissertations. Our three- to five-session Wellness Skills Groups are structured interventions focusing on various stress management techniques and topics, including cognitive-behavioral approaches, biofeedback, procrastination and test-anxiety.

Interns co-lead therapy groups with licensed staff members, and may have the opportunity to create a group.

Triage Assessment, Emergency and Crisis Evaluation and Intervention

All interns participate in a rotation on the triage assessment team, in which they conduct triage assessments for incoming CAPS clients. As they gain familiarity with CAPS and University and community resources, interns join the staff Urgent Coverage rotation, responding to students presenting with urgent or emergency concerns.

Campus Prevention and Outreach

Serving as consultants, trainers and educators, the CAPS staff participates in many efforts to enhance the quality of student life, and offers services not only in our offices but throughout the campus. Members of the staff lead discussions and make presentations to such groups as residence hall advisors, peer counselors, faculty and academic support service staff. Interns are expected to participate in the department's ongoing projects and encouraged to initiate, design and implement others in which they have particular interest.

Supervision

Interns receive two hours weekly of one-to-one supervision and participate in a weekly two-hour supervision group. All supervision is provided by licensed staff members. Additional supervision is provided weekly for prevention/outreach activities, group psychotherapy and psychological assessment.

Supervision of Graduate Students in Clinical Psychology

All doctoral interns participate in a rotation in which they provide weekly supervision to UCLA Ph.D. students in Clinical Psychology, and are supervised on their supervision within a group format. Supervision sessions are videotaped and reviewed to enhance foundational learning of supervision practices.

Training Seminars

Interns attend a full time, 3 week Summer Orientation Seminar , led by various staff members and local mental health professionals. These seminars orient new interns to services at UCLA-CAPS, clinical procedures, and the campus community and focus on training Interns in the variety of activities they will engage in during the year. These include specialized treatment topics, risk assessment, legal and ethical requirements, emergency management and consultation, CAPS policies and procedures, and designing workshops.

The weekly Training Seminar addresses an array of clinical and professional issues, such as clinical proficiency in the treatment of ethnic minorities, specialized interventions and treatment topics, sport psychology, eating disorders, and mental health law and ethics.

The CBT and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Models seminars are conducted in the summer. Each of these two seminars provides roughly 12 hours of in-depth instruction in CBT and Dynamic theories and interventions including traditional CBT and third wave interventions such as mindfulness, ACT, and DBT, and psychodynamic and contemporary analytic psychotherapy. Additional brief seminars provide instruction in empirically-supported group treatments for anxiety and depression.

Multicultural Seminar. The seminar meetings are held weekly for 4-6 sessions during the summer, with a focus on setting the context, bolstering awareness of group members' identities and opportunities for participation, and collaborating on the syllabus schedule for the year. The seminar meets biweekly through the training year. It uses both a didactic and case consultation format, where topics/themes will be selected via consensus and cases will be presented based on the topics/themes, with a focus on understanding the ways in which culture, power, privilege, oppression, and intersectionality impact our clinical work.

Assessment Seminar . During the internship year, Interns conduct ADHD assessments. The weekly ADHD Psychological Assessment Seminar provides an overview of testing instruments and methods typically applied in these assessments. Interns receive group supervision of assessment cases throughout the year within this weekly seminar.

Staff Meetings and Staff Development. Interns attend bi-monthly staff meetings. Additional meetings are devoted to in-service training for the entire staff.

The stipend for a full-time twelve month appointment is $40,500. Benefits include generous vacation, sick leave, medical coverage and up to 80 professional development hours.

Licensure Hours

The doctoral internship in health service psychology at UCLA-CAPS is a full time (40 hours per week), 12-month internship, from August 1 to July 31 of a given year. Interns utilizing their full vacation and holiday leave and all sick time will have completed 1,768 hours. Successful completion of the internship requires a minimum of 1,768 hours.

UCLA CAPS Training Program Manual

CAPS Training Program Manual

Trainings and Seminar Schedule

Requirements for Satisfactory Progress and Program Completion

To progress satisfactorily, on the mid-year evaluation interns or fellows must receive 90% of scores at or above the level of "consistently demonstrated competency" (score of "3" or greater). Additional training competencies may be specifically identified by the Training Director and the Training Committee for development. A score of "1" on any competency will be a focus of the mid-year evaluation meeting with each intern or fellow and his/her/their supervisors and Training Director, and result in the implementation of a remediation plan developed collaboratively with the intern or fellow, the primary supervisor, and the Training Director.

Successful completion of the internship or fellowship requires a 100% rating of scores at or above the level of "Meets Competency Expectations" (score of "3" or greater) on the end-of-the-year evaluation. In addition to the above, to successfully complete the doctoral internship, interns must complete their 12 month full-year training totaling at least 1768 hours .

Internship Admissions, Support & Initial Placement Data

Internship program tables.

Date Program Tables are updated: 9/1/2023

Program Disclosures

Does the program or institution require students, trainees, and/or staff (faculty) to comply with specific policies or practices related to the institution's affiliation or purpose? Such policies or practices may include, but are not limited to, admissions, hiring, retention policies, and/or requirements for completion that express mission and values. No

Internship Program Admission

Data Program Tables are updated: Yearly

Briefly describe in narrative form important information to assist potential applicants in assessing their likely fit with your program. This description must be consistent with the program's policies on intern selection and practicum and academic preparation requirements.

A number of sources of information are used to assess candidates for the internship, including the written application, letters of recommendation, and a statement of professional goals. Video and in-person interviews are also a part of the application process, and are scheduled by invitation. Approximately one-quarter of applicants are invited to participate in the interview process. We welcome and encourage applications from diverse individuals. Selections are made without discrimination based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, age, ability, sexual/affectional orientation, or veteran status. At the beginning employment for the internship year, the interns who match with the UCLA CAPS internship must successfully complete a criminal background check, in accordance with UCLA University policy.

Does the program require that applicants have received a minimum number of hours of the following at time of application? If Yes, indicate how many:

Total Direct Contact Intervention Hours Yes Amount: 500

Total Direct Contact Assessment Hours Yes Amount: 40

Describe any other required minimum criteria used to screen applicants:

Applicants for the internship must be doctoral candidates from American Psychological Association-Accredited or Canadian Psychological Association Accredited Clinical Psychology or Counseling Psychology graduate programs. By the start of internship, applicants must be advanced doctoral students who meet all of the following requirements:

Final acceptance to the UCLA-CAPS doctoral internship training program is contingent upon satisfactory completion of a background investigation (i.e. Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice fingerprint scans) at the commencement of the internship.

Financial and Other Benefit Support for Upcoming Training Year (2024-2025)

Initial post-internship positions (2019-22) (provide an aggregated tally for the preceding 3 cohorts), quick links.

• Treatment Services at CAPS
• Concerned about a Bruin
• Resources regarding COVID-19

John Wooden Center West 221 Westwood Plaza Box 951556 Los Angeles, CA 90095-1556

Phone: (310) 825-0768 After-hours crisis counseling available by phone

More ways to Contact Us

Jennifer Sumner, PhD

Dr. Jennifer Sumner is a clinical psychologist and Associate Professor of Psychology at UCLA. Her program of research lies at the intersection of the psychological and physical health consequences of trauma exposure. Dr. Sumner received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Pomona College and her Masters and PhD in Clinical Psychology from Northwestern University. She completed her predoctoral internship program at the Charleston Consortium (Traumatic Stress Track) and received postdoctoral training as an Epidemiology Merit Fellow at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Prior to joining UCLA, Dr. Sumner was an Assistant Professor of Behavioral Medicine at the Center for Behavioral Cardiovascular Health at Columbia University Medical Center. When not in the lab, Dr. Sumner enjoys hiking in the Los Angeles mountains, practicing yoga, and playing tennis.

Yasmin Barrientos Kofman, PhD

Dr. Yasmin Barrientos Kofman is a Postdoctoral Fellow on UCLA‘s T32 Program on Biobehavioral Issues in Mental and Physical Health. Before starting at UCLA and joining the Sumner Stress Lab, Dr. Kofman completed her PhD in Psychological Science at UC Irvine with specializations in Health Psychology and Quantitative Methods. Dr. Kofman’s research focuses on biobehavioral mechanisms linking trauma exposure and health, especially in women exposed to gender-based forms of violence. She is also interested in factors of personal, cultural, and community resilience that may buffer the detrimental health effects of trauma and adversity. In her spare time, Dr. Kofman loves to social dance, play volleyball, and watch scary movies.

Jordan Thomas

Jordan is a doctoral student in UCLA‘s Clinical Psychology program, with research and clinical interests in clinical health psychology. Jordan is currently on internship at the VA Boston Healthcare System. Prior to UCLA, Jordan earned her BA from Connecticut College and worked as a Research Associate in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Yale School of Public Health. Jordan’s research focuses on the intersection of adversity and trauma exposure and sexual health among women and girls. She is interested in interventions that promote sexual and reproductive health at the individual (i.e., clinical) and population (i.e., policy) level. As a therapist, Jordan specializes in evidence-based approaches to trauma and PTSD treatment and in couples therapy. In her spare time, Jordan enjoys biking, playing tennis, and hiking with her dog June.

Corinne Meinhausen

Corinne is a doctoral student in the Health Psychology program. Her research focuses on the physiological impact of trauma exposure and the biological and behavioral forces related to healthy and pathological fear learning. She is particularly interested in the ways these mechanisms can be used to develop early interventions for post-traumatic stress disorder. Corinne graduated summa cum laude from the University of Arizona, with a BS in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science. She enjoys exploring Los Angeles with her dog, Ally.

Leah is a doctoral student in UCLA’s Health Psychology program. She graduated from the University of Georgia with a BS in Psychology and worked as a Research Assistant at the Center for Family Research. Leah’s research focuses on understanding the biological pathways of trauma and how environmental and societal factors affect PTSD risk. She is also interested in intergenerational transmissions of trauma. Outside of the lab, Leah enjoys crocheting and gardening.

Shiloh Cleveland

Shiloh is a doctoral student in UCLA‘s Clinical Psychology program. Shiloh graduated with a Neuroscience degree from Barnard College in 2019 and worked as a Research Coordinator in the Sumner Stress Lab for four years. Shiloh’s research interests include employing dimensional models of PTSD and early life adversity in relation to health outcomes and examining resilience factors that impact posttraumatic health outcomes. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors, trying new restaurants around LA, and spending time with her puppy, Lola.

Tiffany Chen, BA

Tiffany graduated from Pomona College in 2021 with a B.A. in Neuroscience. With the Sumner Stress Lab, she is excited to contribute to research delving into trauma as a multidimensional experience impacting physical and psychological outcomes. Having worked with her undergraduate campus community in the context of sexual trauma and survivorship, Tiffany hopes to bring together community and scientific knowledge surrounding what trauma-informed practices can look like. Outside of the lab, Tiffany enjoys creating art, dancing, trying new recipes, and taking the bus around LA.

Kimberly Brown, BA

Kimberly graduated from UCLA in 2023 with a B.A. in Psychology. Her research interests include understanding how early life adversity and traumatic experiences impact the development of adverse mental and physical health outcomes among underserved communities. Kimberly hopes to integrate her prior experience in adolescent trauma and psychosis research with the work being done at the Sumner Stress Lab. During her free time, Kimberly enjoys baking, going to Dodger games, and spending time with friends and family.

Lauren Perez, BA

Lauren “Lorena” is currently a master’s student at Cal State Los Angeles, recently graduating with a degree in psychology from Cal Poly Pomona in 2022. Her research interests involve exploring the intersection between the mind and the body, with her thesis focusing on biopsychosocial correlates of traumatic stress responses. Her current fellowships with the NIH Los Angeles Basin Bridges to the Ph.D. and Sally Casanova Pre-Doctoral programs have substantially contributed to her passion for clinical research. This fall, she will apply to clinical/health psychology Ph.D. programs to further examine the long-term physical impacts of trauma exposure. Outside of the lab, Lauren enjoys hiking with her dog, Chica, and exploring local coffee shops.

Katherine Fu

Katherine is an undergraduate student majoring in Psychobiology. Her research interests lie in understanding the relationship between psychological stress, the development of physical diseases, and aging. Furthermore, she is excited to explore the applications of research to disease prevention and treatment. After graduation, she seeks to pursue an MD and provide care to individuals with neurological disorders. In her free time, she enjoys thrift shopping, going to farmer’s markets, staying active, and exploring new cuisines.

Sarah is an undergraduate student at UCLA studying Psychobiology. Her research interests lie in how stress, trauma, and other psychological factors can influence ones’ physical health. She is very curious to explore the relationship between stress/trauma and the progression of aging and disease, specifically cardiovascular diseases. After graduation, she plans to attend dental school and pursue a DDS. In her free time, she enjoys watching Netflix shows, spending time with her friends and family, and snowboarding.

Tanisha Gunby

Tanisha is an undergraduate student at UCLA majoring in Psychology. Her research interests lie in how cardiovascular events are precipitated by stress and trauma. She is also interested in how expressing oneself through creative and meditative activities can lower stress and reduce cardiac symptoms. After graduation, she aspires to continue doing research and pursue a doctoral degree. Besides research, she enjoys visual arts and crafts, journaling, taking long walks, spending time with family, and volunteering for various organizations including the Los Angeles Public Library.

Shauna Wegher

Shauna graduated from UCLA in June of 2023 with her degree in Psychology. Her research interests lie in understanding how stress and exposure to adversity impact one’s physical and mental health. She is also interested in studying gender differences within trauma exposure and finding more effective treatment methods for women who have faced trauma and adversity. Shauna plans to gain more research experience and apply to graduate school so she can obtain her masters degree. In her free time, she loves to sing, go to the beach, and hang out with her friends and family.

Emily is an undergraduate student at UCLA majoring in Psychobiology. Her research interests lie in understanding the neurobiology of post-traumatic stress disorder and comorbid disorders, as well as how experiences of stress and trauma may impact mental and physical health across the lifespan. She is interested in how research findings may help inform approaches to treatment. After graduation, she hopes to gain more research experience before applying to graduate school. In her free time, she enjoys going to the beach, running, hiking, and playing the piano.

Bianca Lagman

Bianca is an undergraduate at UCLA majoring in Economics, pivoting into the field of psychology. Her research interests lie in understanding how early-life adversity and trauma impact one’s mental and physical health across the lifespan. She is also interested in studying the impacts of sexual abuse on individuals and finding more effective treatment methods for women who have faced trauma, especially those who experienced these events in adolescence. Bianca plans to gain more research experience and apply to graduate school to work towards a Ph.D. in clinical or developmental psychology. Outside of the lab, Bianca loves singing, listening to podcasts, working out, and cats.

Aarti Patel

Annie jeong, kristina reed, ba, jessica nguyen, sheila zhang, jaifreen bhangu, sameen mahmood, daija moorehead, anusha fatehpuria, segen araya, lauren perlmutter, destiny clark, akriti ratti, amanda gong, our collaborators.

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UCLA School of Medicine and VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA

Ramin Ebrahimi, Tzung Hsiai, Kate Wolitzky-Taylor, Olujimi Ajijola

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA

Karestan Koenen, Laura Kubzansky, Eric Rimm, Andrea Roberts

Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

Kate McLaughlin

National Center for PTSD, Boston, MA

Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY

Donald Edmondson, Ian Kronish, Daichi Shimbo, Joseph Schwartz

Wayne State University, Detroit, MI

Tanja Jovanovic

Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA

Vasiliki Michopoulos, Rebecca Hinrichs

Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA

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Katharine Sears Edwards

Alexandria, VA

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Mount Sinai

Neurology clinical research coordinator at icahn school of medicine.

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We are seeking a seeking a Clinical Research Coordinator to provide administrative and scientific support for a clinical research study of Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders. The study is a collaboration between the Department of Pathology (Neuropathology) at Mount Sinai and the Department of Neurology at the James J. Peters (Bronx) VA Medical Center, and includes regular on-site work at both locations.

This is a full-time position with a generous benefits package though Mount Sinai.

Major responsibilities include:

• Screening and recruitment of potential research participants, scheduling research appointments, and obtaining informed consent

• Checking vital signs and administering research questionnaires

• Collection and shipment of blood or other biological samples (training will be provided)

• Extraction of clinical data from the electronic medical record

• Entry of data into a research database (REDCap)

• Assisting with IRB and other regulatory paperwork and submissions

• Interfacing with clinicians and research scientists at VA sites and Mount Sinai Hospital

• Preparation of reports for statistical analysis and publication

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree

• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills

• Interest or experience in neurology/neuroscience, medicine, psychology, or clinical research

Highly desired but not required:

• Familiarity with electronic medical records or research databases such as REDCap

• Experience with IRB protocol submission and HIPAA regulations

• Prior experience with administration of research questionnaires

• Spanish language proficiency

Time commitment

• Full time, minimum of 2 years

To apply: Please send a resume and cover letter to [email protected], with subject line “Neurology Clinical Research Coordinator application”. Your cover letter should include your available start date and the number of years for which you are seeking employment.

Grad Development

Admissions Requirements for the Graduate Major in Psychology

After exploring options and choosing a specific program, follow the steps on our University’s graduate application process: