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Training Programs

Home Health & Wellness Counseling and Psychological Services Training Programs

Offering experiences for doctoral psychology interns, psychiatry residents, and social work interns.

We utilize an integrated multidisciplinary model in the delivery of a comprehensive range of psychological services to the university student community. We provide training within a context that values the uniqueness of each human being and remains sensitive to cultural and individual diversity in the immediate and extended community. Our training programs are service oriented and individually tailored to provide a broad range of training opportunities, with particular consideration to the unique goals of each discipline.

Leigh Spivey-Rita, PhD CAPS Site Training Director

Duke University CAPS is pleased to announce that it has been approved by the APA Commission on Accreditation (APA-CoA) to join the APA accredited doctoral internship in Duke’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences for the 2026-2027 training year, as a new concentration. The APA accredited Health Service Psychology Internship in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in Duke University’s School of Medicine will have a new concentration in Student Mental Health that will be housed at Duke CAPS. In addition to being the primary training site for the Student Mental Health concentration, CAPS will also serve as a secondary clinical rotation for interns in the following three concentrations: Process-Based CBTs/DBT/Emerging Adults, Eating Disorders, and Child/Adolescent/Emerging Adults.  Please see this website for more information: https://psychiatry.duke.edu/education/health-service-psychology-doctoral-internship

The Duke University CAPS doctoral internship in Health Service Psychology is currently on inactive status for the 2025-2026 training year. Due to the approved merger with Duke’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, we anticipate phasing out in 2026.

The Residents’ Elective provides experience in brief psychotherapy and other interventions with a university student population.

The Program

Duke University Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is a University-supported agency that serves Duke's undergraduate, graduate and professional student body by providing psychological and psychiatric services, outreach programs, as well as consultation services for the entire University community. CAPS uses an integrated multidisciplinary model in the delivery of a comprehensive range of services to a primarily late adolescent, early adult population. In addition to depression, anxiety disorders, and normal developmental issues, CAPS clients frequently present for eating disorders or body image concerns, concerns around coming out, identity development, and the intersection of clinical and cross-cultural concerns, reflecting an increasingly diverse and international Duke community. CAPS provides a unique opportunity for residents to gain experience working with some of these problems. The senior staff includes psychiatrists, clinical and counseling psychologists, clinical social workers, and clinical mental health counselors, some of whom have faculty appointments in the Department of Psychiatry. Trainees in all disciplines rotate annually on the service.

Residents' Rotation

Three positions for PGY-4 residents are available two (2) half-days per week minimum for the period Aug 1 through May 31. PGY-3 residents may also be assigned to one or more of these positions. Availability permitting, supervision is by any member of the senior staff, and supervisors may be changed at mid-year to provide a variety of expertise, if desired. One hour of individual supervision per week is provided. Ad hoc consultation/supervision is readily available and encouraged. 

FAQs

What kind of training experience is provided?

  • Initial assessment: The resident gains experience in rapid yet thorough comprehensive evaluation.
  • Medication evaluation and management: Residents evaluate and follow students needing psychopharmacological treatment.
  • Brief psychotherapy/crisis intervention: The majority of students who use CAPS' clinical services are seen for eight or fewer sessions. In this setting, staff members have developed a high degree of expertise in the use of brief psychotherapies.  
  • "Long-term" psychotherapy. A small percentage of cases are seen in individual psychotherapy for the full academic year. The resident can follow one or two cases for this time period. 
  • Group psychotherapy: Residents may arrange to work in this modality or even start a group if interested. 
  • Consultation and education: Deans, faculty, religious life staff, student health providers, and other Student Affairs personnel frequently utilize CAPS consultation services as do resident advisors and peer counselors.

What are the theoretical orientations of the CAPS staff?

  • Staff members rely on psychodynamic theory, cognitive-behavioral including ACT, and systems approaches in case conceptualization.

What other training experiences are offered?

  • Team case conferences: Residents are required to participate in one of three weekly multidisciplinary team conferences.  The team, consisting of psychologists, psychiatrists, clinical social workers, and clinical mental health counselors meets for one and a half hours to discuss new intakes, disposition of cases, ongoing cases, and psychotherapeutic problems unique to this population. The format provides mutual supervision in areas of assessment, disposition, and psychotherapy planning.
  • Friday colloquia: Approximately eight to ten one and one-half hour colloquia per year provide ongoing in-service training for CAPS staff and trainees. Speakers are invited from the professional community. Topics cover a full range of issues related to university student development and mental health services. The colloquia are optional for residents.

Duke University Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is the primary outpatient counseling service for undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in the University.  CAPS provides psychological and psychiatric services, career counseling, consultation to the university community, outreach and developmental programming services. CAPS is a multidisciplinary staff comprised of clinical social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists.The internship for social work students is designed with the understanding that social workers in the mental health setting must be competent in applying knowledge and skills in areas such as clinical assessment, case conceptualization, and intervention within diverse populations.

Students are provided with an opportunity to apply the biopsychosocial model as they critically examine cases through various theoretical lenses such as brief therapy, psychodynamic, strengths-perspective, and feminist theories.

Opportunities for clinical training are varied in nature as students collaborate with an interdisciplinary team to address the needs of the client populations they serve.

Training also includes but is not limited to the following: clinical assessment, individual, couples and group therapy, campus consultation, case management, and preventive educational programming. 

Interns will be provided with opportunities to explore the implications of mental health policy on a given population and participate in community outreach and advocacy in order to gain skills in working towards social justice and issues of equality.