DOCTORAL PRACTICUM AGREEMENT
SEMESTER: _________________________________________________
TRAINEE’S NAME: ___________________________________________
SUPERVISOR’S NAME: _______________________________________
Clinical Hours Details

Doctoral students may petition the program to transfer in previous client contact
hours from an accredited masters program and/or previous experience to count
towards the required 1000 clinical hours. Approval of this type of request will be based
upon appropriate documentation and appropriate MFT supervision for this clinical
work.

Direct client contact is defined as face-to-face therapeutic meetings. Activities such
as phone contact, case planning, observation of therapy, record keeping, travel,
administrative activities, consultation with others, and supervision are NOT direct
client contact. Assessments may be counted as direct client contact if they are faceto-face processes and are more than clerical in nature.

Students may earn up to 200 hours (toward the 1000 needed to graduate) of direct
client contact through alternative/team observations. Team observations are those
in which the student participates with others on a team to observe live therapy with
one therapist and the clients in front of the mirror, and the team behind the mirror.
Team members are expected to follow each case until its completion and each team
member is expected to attend each therapy session.

Supervisees should expect to participate in individual supervision (one or two
students and a supervisor), as well as group supervision (no more than 6 trainees
and a supervisor) weekly.

In order to complete program requirements, 100 hours of supervision must be based
upon raw data (supervision based upon live observation, videotaped sessions, or
audiotaped sessions. If a student is being supervised and at the same time doing
therapy, the time is counted both as supervision and client contact. This is true even
when there are a team of students simultaneously observing the student’s clinical
work.

Students observing someone else’s clinical work may receive credit for group
supervision provided that there is a supervisor present, there are no more than 6
students observing, the supervision involves an interactive process between trainees
and supervisor. If there are no more than two students, the observing student may
receive credit for individual supervision under the same conditions, i.e. a supervisor
needs to be present.

According to AAMFT and IAMFC Codes of Ethics, psychotherapy should not occur
during supervision, nor is psychotherapy done by a supervisor outside of
supervision. However, personal issues that impact the trainee’s ability to perform
their clinical duties competently will be addressed in supervision, and if deemed
necessary may be shared with the MFT Program core faculty. Any personal
information revealed in the process of supervision will be treated with the utmost
respect.

Grading of the trainee’s competency level will occur with a formal evaluation at the
end of each semester. A trainee who does not receive a “competent” rating may be
required to participate in additional practicum experiences before being cleared for
internship. Any clinical hours obtained during this process will count towards the
1000 hours needed for graduation.

Trainees must obtain a minimum of 40 hours of direct client contact for each
practicum experience. In the event that the 40 hours are not obtained, trainees
should expect to enroll for an additional practicum experience the following
semester to complete the clinical hour’s requirement. In Progress and Incompletes
are not standard practice, and trainees should strive to obtain the required clinical
hours.

Trainees need to continually assess the number of hours they have obtained and if
need be request for more block hours from the Clinic in order to meet the minimum
direct hours requirement for each semester.

It is strongly recommended that trainees not work full-time during their practicum
experiences. In all cases, trainees will be expected to obtain adequate release time to
complete all requirements, which includes supervision and enough block hours
times to meet hour’s requirements.

Signing this Practicum Agreement means that the trainee understands the clinical
hours requirements of the program; and has read, and will practice according to the
AAMFT and IAMFC Codes of Ethics
__________________________
Trainee
______________________
Date