The IPFW Counselor Education program’s practicum (G524 and G525) is a clinical experience in our on-campus, community mental health center, the IPFW Counseling Center. Students in the school counseling track take two semesters of practicum (August to May) and the marriage and family therapy students take one full calendar year of practicum (August to August). Both practica occur in the second year of the program. The client pool is quite diverse; we receive referrals from schools, juvenile probation, and word-of-mouth.

Six students and a faculty supervisor meet with clients from the Greater Fort Wayne community once a week. The first hour of practicum is used for individual and group supervision. Following the supervision, there are three timeslots for working with clients. Time is provided with your supervisor and/or peers before the session to discuss your plan for counseling and after the session to discuss how the session went. Students begin with one client and eventually build up to two or three clients. When not in session, students observe a peer’s session and work collaboratively in planning and reviewing the session.

Technology greatly enhances the learning experience in practicum. Each counseling room is equipped to videotape the sessions for students to review. Supervisors may observe a session over the closed-circuit television system and provide immediate feedback and support via a “bug-in-the-ear,” a small earpiece similar to what newscasters wear. This process allows the student-clinician and supervisor to work as a team, benefiting both the student and the clients.

Practicum provides students with the opportunity to integrate theories and techniques into action under the guidance of a seasoned supervisor. In addition, applying cutting-edge research and clinical methods are a regular part of the learning process. This clinical experience also facilitates the movement of ethical and diagnostic knowledge into therapeutic practice through the real-life issues our clients are facing.