Electives & Seminars

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Group (adult-focused)

The ACT Group involves assessment and treatment of anxiety and depression using ACT-based principles for adults. Specific clinical activities include evaluating appropriateness for group, coordinating care with referring providers, leading group sessions, and providing individualized skills coaching. Interns will have the opportunity to learn functional-based assessments and case conceptualization from the ACT framework. Previous experience with ACT is not required. Supervisors: Daniel Dickson, PhD, and Binoy Shah, PhD. Location: WisPIC.

Behavioral Sleep Medicine (adult-focused)

Interns have the opportunity to assess and treat adults with sleep disorders who are appropriate for cognitive-behavioral interventions. Depending on the interest and experience level of the intern, the rotation includes opportunities for behavior sleep medicine consultation and cognitive-behavior therapy for insomnia, light therapy for delayed sleep phase disorder, and other evidence-based cognitive-behavioral interventions for sleep disorders. Prior experience in sleep disorders is not needed. Supervisors: Meredith Rumble, PhD, and Daniel Dickson, PhD. Location: WisPIC.

Child/Adolescent Psychological Testing Clinic (child-focused)

The Child/Adolescent Psychological Testing Clinic offers interns the opportunity to complete ongoing psychological assessments for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Intellectual Disability (ID), and/or co-morbid anxiety, mood, or trauma in ages 3-18. Each assessment includes chart review, a thorough clinical interview, administration of assessments based on the referral question (including cognitive (WPPSI-IV, WISC-V, WAIS-IV), attention (TOVA), and autism-specific (ADOS-2) assessments), rating scales, and feedback sessions. For less familiar assessments, interns will have opportunities for didactics and shadowing until demonstrating competence for test administration. Supervisor: Hannah Koerten, PhD. Location: WisPIC.

Child Therapy Training Clinic (child-focused)

This is an elective opportunity for interns on the pediatric track. Led by child psychologists, this opportunity also includes child psychology post-doctoral fellows and child psychiatry fellows. Therapy demonstrations are presented behind a one-way mirror by child therapists in the department, and group supervision of cases is conducted. The group has diverse training backgrounds and expertise. Supervisors: Jason Horowitz, PhD, and Aisha Rosh, PhD, NCSP. Location: WisPIC.

FND Clinic (child-focused).

The outpatient Pediatric Functional Neurological Disorders (FND) clinic is a half- or full-day rotation wherein trainees learn how to provide psychoeducation to families and use evidence-based treatment (CBT, ACT, and ReACT) for children and adolescents who are experiencing Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures (PNES) and/or functional movement and weakness under the FND The trainee will learn to collaborate and educate school staff and other treatment providers in the community to support a broad-reaching intervention at both the individual and community levels. Trainees will also participate in a monthly cross-discipline Clinical Care Group involving psychology, psychiatry, inpatient rehab, and PT/OT. Previous work with patients with FND is not required. Supervisor: Aisha Rosh, PhD, NCSP.  Location:  WisPIC.

Health Psychology (adult-focused)

Interns will assess and treat adults with a variety of medical conditions. Interns will practice biopsychosocial evaluations focusing on intersection of medical / health conditions and psychological function to improve health and medical treatment outcomes. Interns will also gain experience treating a range of patient concerns, including adjustment to health condition / disability, anxiety and depression related to medical conditions, difficulty with treatment adherence or health practice changes, and will learn and practice behavioral interventions for fatigue, pain, and sleep disturbance. Previous health psychology experience is not required. Supervisor: Erin Costanzo, PhD.  Location: WisPIC.

Inpatient Adult Medical/Surgical Consultation Liaison (adult-focused)

Interns provide psychological assessment, intervention and consultation to adult patients hospitalized at University of Wisconsin Hospital. Patients are seen to address adjustment to hospitalization, coping with new medical diagnoses, processing poor prognosis, non-pharmacological pain management, grief, baseline mental health concerns exacerbated by medical issues and hospitalization, psychosocial stressors impacted by medical presentation, etc. We provide consultation to services across the hospital including Hematology/Oncology, Trauma Surgery, Cardiothoracic units, Neurosurgery, Neurology, Intensive Care Unit, Heart/Kidney/Liver/Lung/Bone Marrow Transplant services, Vascular Surgery, among others. Interns will also have the opportunity to participate in multidisciplinary team meetings and medical rounds. Supervisors: Heidi Sigmund, PsyD, Kathleen McCraw, PhD, Sarah Polyak, PsyD, Austen Matsui, PhD, and Brian Leitzke, PhD.  Location:  UW Hospital.

Inpatient Pediatric Consultation Liaison (pediatric-focused)

Interns provide psychological assessment, intervention and consultation to children and families hospitalized in the American Family Children’s Hospital (AFCH). Routine consults are seen for the following services: Hematology/Oncology, Rehabilitation, Pulmonary, Endocrine, NICU, Trauma, BMT, and a wide variety of other medical populations. Interns will have the opportunity to participate in multidisciplinary team meetings, including medical rounds and family conferences, as well as medical specialty rounds, such as hematology/oncology, rehabilitation, pulmonary and Neonatal ICU. Supervisors: Stephanie Farrell, PhD, Emily Schweigert, PhD, Julia Benjamin, PhD, and Bethany Leraas, PhD. Location: AFCH.

Mindful Self-Compassion Group (adult-focused)

The mindfulness self-compassion elective involves assessment and treatment using mindfulness self-compassion from Drs. Neff and Germer for mental health concerns in adults. The assessment process includes interviews with the patient, administration of questionnaires and rating scales, and consultation with UW Psychiatry clinic staff. Patients who meet specified criteria may then participate in a 10-week mindfulness-based group. Interns would have the opportunity to participate in the assessment and serve as co-facilitator of the group. Supervisor: Stephanie Steinman, PhD. Location: WisPIC.

Neuropsychology (pediatric-focused)

Clinical experience includes learning about neuropsychological assessment measures and approaches to assessment with a focus in an adult and/or pediatric population. Interns will staff cases in the clinic with faculty, participate in medical record review and clinical interview, and review and interpret test results with faculty and relate to pertinent literature. Patients are referred from throughout the medical center. Supervisor: Lily Wagner, PhD. Location: Waisman Center.

Parent-Infant & Early Childhood Clinic (child-focused) 

Participation in this full day clinic serving very young children (0-5 years) with a range of challenges regulating sleep, feeding/eating, emotions and behavior is available for one or two semesters. Interns will receive training and supervision in conducting intakes and assessing very young children within the context of their primary caregiving relationships and providing parent-infant or parent-child dyadic psychotherapy. Clinic focus incorporates the role of caregivers’ mental health – including perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMAD’s) – and early relational history/trauma as it relates to addressing parenting strengths and challenges in the present. Prior experience with infants/toddlers is not necessary. Supervisor: Kathleen Hipke, PhD. Location: WisPIC.

Parenting Together Group (child-focused)

This group is a weekly parenting group that utilizes the tenants of Parent Management Training (PMT) to provide support, teaching, and practice for parents.  For this group, the parent is the identified patient, and the symptomology the group is targeting includes challenging behaviors and parenting stress.  Participation in the group allows trainees to teach, and support parents as they learn the following skills: self-compassion, mindfulness in parenting, relationship-building, and limit setting.  There will be multiple groups running simultaneously in a virtual format.  Supervisor: Audrey Ford, PhD. Location: Virtual.

Primary Care Behavioral Health (adult-focused)

Interns complete this rotation at a federally-funded clinic, which uses a Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) model. The PCBH model is an emerging model of integrated care that places the mental health professional directly alongside the primary care provider to intervene. Cases are varied, including smoke cessation, depression, ADHD, or a range of medical issues. Interns learn how to perform brief functional consults and communicate recommendations both to the PCP and patient effectively and efficiently. The supervision is immediate as students are paired with a staff member, which means that the trainee works right alongside a psychologist and learns how to present cases efficiently. Supervisor: Meghan Fondow, PhD. Location: Access Community Health Center.

Research Elective (adult- or child-focused)

Interns may choose to engage in additional research time through an elective. Location: Varies.

School-based Psychotherapy (child-focused)

Interns who participate in the Madison Metropolitan School District rotation will spend one day at week at Sandburg Elementary School on Madison’s northeast side. Sandburg serves a diverse and high-need population and provides dual-language immersion programming for children from 4K to 5th grade. Priority for participation is given to students without health insurance or with significant barriers to obtaining health care.  Supervisors: Jason Horowitz, PhD. Location: Sandburg Elementary School.

Sex Therapy (adult-focused)

This elective provides specialized training in a sexual health clinic where psychology collaborates closely with urology, gynecology, pelvic floor physical therapy, and other medical specialties to provide comprehensive, patient-centered care. Sex therapy is a specialty focused on the assessment and treatment of sexual health concerns and the impact these conditions have on individuals, couples, relationships, and overall mental health.  Training emphasizes developing comfort discussing sexuality while challenging assumptions to provide inclusive, affirming, and sex-positive care. Interns will learn to assess, diagnose, and treat psychological and relational factors contributing to sexual health concerns, including erectile disorders, low sexual desire, out-of-control sexual behavior, and sexual difficulties occurring alongside complex medical conditions. The rotation also provides experience working with paraphilias, consensual non-monogamy/polyamory, and BDSM/kink using evidence-based, sex-positive approaches.  Interns will provide sex therapy while participating in interdisciplinary consultation, collaborating with medical providers on treatment planning, and learning how to integrate behavioral health into medical care. Depending on interest, interns may also develop and present interdisciplinary education on a sexual health topic. The rotation is supervised by Madelyn Esposito, LPC, AASECT Certified Sex Therapist and Supervisor. Interns interested in pursuing AASECT certification may receive supervision under Madelyn as part of this rotation, with supervision aligned with AASECT competencies and standards.  Location: Eastpark Medical Center

Tic Clinic (child-focused)

The Pediatric Tic Clinic offers Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics in a time-limited, outpatient format.  Interns will learn how to provide this brief behavioral intervention with patients who tend to be middle childhood.  Supervisor:  Jason Horowitz, PhD.  Location: WisPIC.