Counseling
Psychology, MA

• Applicants should hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or the equivalent from a recognized foreign institution (outside the United State), and provide official transcripts.
• All applicants will need to submit a Statement of Purpose (SOP) and a resume.
  • For applicants with a GPA under 3.0, the Statement of Purpose should address the circumstances that led to the applicant’s academic performance, what has changed, and why they think they’ll be more successful now.
• Applicants whose native language is not English must meet the English Language Proficiency Admission Requirements.

Required Documents

• MA Counseling Psychology Informed Consent
• Disclosure Notice and Attestation

Traineeship placement is a foundational aspect of your education here at Golden Gate University. In traineeship, you begin to apply the didactic knowledge you have gained in your courses to the broad range of tasks that confront professional psychotherapists, under the guidance of a licensed supervisor and with the support of an on-campus clinical case conference led by one of our professors. If you intend to pursue licensure outside the state of California or to complete your traineeship in another state, please speak with a faculty member in the Department of Psychology prior to beginning the program.

Traineeship Readiness Requirement

Before applying for a traineeship, a student must advance to Traineeship Candidate status. A student must apply for Candidacy before the end of their second trimester of enrollment. To apply for Candidacy, a student must complete the Traineeship Candidacy form, which must be submitted to the Department Chair. This form, in addition to feedback from faculty and any atypical reports that have been submitted by professors due to academic or behavioral issues in the classroom, will be reviewed by the Program Director to assess the student’s academic and emotional preparedness to begin traineeship and continue on the path to pursue licensure as a psychotherapist. In addition, the student must have completed or plan to have completed by the time their traineeship will begin at least PSYCH 320, PSYCH 321, and PSYCH 326 and have made substantial progress toward completing their courses on psychotherapy theory (PSYCH 323, PSYCH 324, PSYCH 325, and PSYCH 339). Candidacy also requires that students verify that they have started the process of accruing personal psychotherapy hours or have applied for a waiver or modification of the personal psychotherapy requirement, as required by the program, and have confirmed a path to completion of their remaining courses through meeting with their academic advisor. Upon receiving Traineeship Candidate status, the student may begin working with the Department’s faculty and staff to apply for traineeships. International students in F-1 or J-1 visa status must also have their employment authorization eligibility confirmed by their academic advisor/DSO. In the event that a student is not advanced to Candidacy status, the student will be notified in writing.

If there are concerns about a student’s academic or emotional readiness for traineeship or psychotherapeutic practice, a Traineeship Candidacy Committee of at least two faculty members will be convened and, whenever possible, a plan will be developed with the student to address gaps in academic performance or emotional readiness. Similarly, if a student’s traineeship placement is terminated for any reason, their readiness to participate in another traineeship will be evaluated by the Candidacy Committee according to Candidacy guidelines. If reports are submitted regarding academic or behavioral issues in the classroom after Candidacy has been approved, the Committee may reconvene to review those reports and require an in-person meeting with the student. In rare cases, the Committee may decide that the student has failed to demonstrate professional and personal responsibility (as evidenced by violations of professional conduct, interpersonal trust, or ethical practice) and require students to leave the program.

Traineeship Placements

Golden Gate University has an outstanding reputation with a wide range of traineeship placements in San Francisco, in the wider Bay Area, and in many other states. Our Traineeship Coordinator and Career Services Staff work with students to develop a compelling traineeship application, including a professional curriculum vitae, and also provide guidance with professional interviewing. We maintain relationships with traineeship placements and their directors throughout the Bay Area and beyond and consistently places students at top traineeship sites.

Traineeship sites vary depending on the population that they serve and by the treatment modalities and clinical specialties implemented at their site. These sites include state, county, and community mental health facilities as well as outpatient clinics, psychiatric hospitals, schools, residential treatment programs, chemical dependency treatment programs, and other settings.

We help students to select traineeship sites that are consistent with philosophy of our training program. We believe that psychotherapy must acknowledge the complexity of the individual and the uniqueness of individual suffering, rather than the identification and resolution of discrete symptoms. Psychotherapy is envisioned as a complex process of individual growth and change, and the psychotherapeutic relationship is seen as a key element in successful treatment. The student’s relationship with his or her clinical supervisor, similarly, is seen as an integral aspect of professional development. Based on these criteria, we approve each site and have a written agreement with each site that details each party’s responsibilities. The agreement provides for regular progress reports and evaluations of the student’s performance.