Student & Graduate Training
Department of Psychology Clinical Training Opportunities

The Institute on Aging (IOA) Department of Psychology has expanded in recent years to become the largest and most comprehensive training site in the Bay Area for those interested in developing clinical skills tailored to the needs of seniors and their caregivers. We offer a variety of training opportunities for doctoral level psychology students and M.F.T.-Track trainees.

Our training emphasizes psychodynamic, humanistic, and existential models of evaluation, case formulation, psychotherapy and care planning, with a strong focus on the developmental challenges of late life. Additionally, we train clinicians to become familiar with the neurophysiology and treatment of cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease and other types of Dementia. Our patient population, consisting predominately of older adults over age 65, is highly diverse across race and ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, and psychiatric diagnosis. We offer specialized training in elder abuse issues as well as problems related to traumatic loss and bereavement. Beginning in the Spring of 2008, we will be broadening our mental health service provision to include work with a younger disabled, chronically ill client population. Approximately 85% of our services are home-based, and psychotherapy is often conducted in non-traditional settings such as client's homes, assisted living facilities, and skilled nursing facilities. This unique and exciting aspect of our program allows us to work with many clients who would otherwise not have access to mental health services and support.

We have a multidisciplinary onsite staff across various agency programs, and our clinical work often involves consultation with a variety of other helping professionals such as psychiatrists, primary care physicians, social workers, conservators, attorneys, nursing home administrators, and homecare specialists. Consequently, the training program at IOA provides unique opportunities to learn important skills in the area of multidisciplinary teamwork.

Our primary agency mission is to offer vulnerable and isolated clients a wide range of services that will help them live as independently as possible for as long as possible. Because many of our clients have difficulties with mobility and transportation, we offer clinical services outside of our clinic in private residences, doctor's offices, and nursing homes--providing a unique training experience in the provision of clinical services in non-traditional settings.

Please select one of the clinical training tracks below to learn more about the specific components of each program.

• Practicum Traineeships in Clinical Psychology
• APPIC & CAPIC Internships
• Postdoctoral Fellowship in Geropsychology

For more information, contact Tom Cicciarelli, Psy.D., Director, Department of Psychology, at tcicciarelli@ioaging.org, or call (415) 750-4180, ext. 209.