Brief Therapy Training for Doctoral Interns at University Counseling Centers

The aim of this study was to provide an updated understanding of brief therapy training for doctoral interns at university counseling centers (UCCs). It examined the characteristics of received and ideal brief therapy seminars (BTSs) in the context of individual and systemic factors. Results from a sample of 68 clinicians (59 staff psychologists and 9 doctoral interns) at UCCs indicated that a majority of their current work was brief in nature and that the proportion of brief therapy cases was significantly associated with an absorption clinical model. Brief therapy training was endorsed as extremely important, regardless of participants' training status, theoretical orientation, or preferred modality. Only about half of the participants with doctoral degrees reported that they received BTSs during internships, which were typically facilitated by a single staff member and presented at the beginning of or throughout the internship, with a mean of 6 seminars. Participants who were doctoral interns reported a lower level of skillfulness in brief therapy, recommended higher total hours of ideal BTSs, and prioritized theories and applications over universal therapy skills compared with participants with doctorate degrees. Implications for training, strategies for training directors, and limitations are discussed.