Outpatient Individual Psychotherapy
Residents will have a variety of psychotherapy experiences in outpatient, consultation, inpatient, acute residential and partial rotations. In Year 1, residents are expected to carry four to six long- and short-term child and adolescent individual psychotherapy outpatient cases throughout the year and one parent therapy case. They may elect to carry a group as part of their caseload. In Year 2, residents will carry four to six ongoing child and adolescent cases.

Each year, residents will have individual supervision for their therapy cases as follows: In Year 1, residents will have three hours per week of individual child and adolescent psychotherapy supervision from three senior child and adolescent psychotherapists. There will be group psychotherapy supervision tailored to the nature of the group psychotherapy conducted and the population of the group. In Year 2, residents will have two hours per week of senior psychotherapy supervision. A third psychotherapy supervisor will be available for special training and educational needs. In Year 1, supervisors will be assigned from the on-site faculty at MGH. In Year 2, residents will have an opportunity to select supervisors from the MGH and/or the McLean on-site facility.

The program endeavors to integrate as much as possible multiple modes of psychosocial treatments. In addition to strong emphasis placed on psychodynamic and play therapy, cognitive and behavior therapy is a core part of the resident’s psychotherapy education. Cases will vary from behavioral management of the psychiatric manifestations of pediatric disorders to cognitive-behavior therapy for both internalizing and externalizing childhood and adolescent disorders. Supervision is provided by Drs. Bruce Masek, Aude Henin, Ph.D.,and Dina Hirshfeld-Becker, Ph.D.

The thrust of the outpatient psychotherapy experience will be long-term cases the resident can follow throughout his or her training. A variety of short-term therapies are also required for experience in this modality. Each resident will be required to keep a log of all cases with their ages, diagnoses and the therapeutic modalities used. The log will be reviewed with the outpatient service chiefs and the Training Director at regular intervals. Psychotherapy cases are closely coordinated with activities in the child’s home, school and community. With the cooperation of the child’s parents, residents and staff in the outpatient clinic work with extended family members, teachers, counselors, school administrators, police and probation officers, nurses, agency staff, clergy, club leaders, friends and others. Administrative and ethical issues of professional responsibility and financial accountability are discussed in supervision regularly. Efforts are made by the outpatient director to assign long-term cases that can be followed over two years, as well
as time-limited cases.