Category Archives: Graduate School

Paying to Work: Ethicality of Unpaid Practicums

By Michael Deely, NCSP, BCBA, MEd

It is no secret that the cost of collegiate education in the United States is astronomically expensive. On average it takes 8-12 years of college to earn a doctoral degree in clinical psychology and, in the process, scholars typically accrue roughly 200,000 dollars in student debt. Keeping these daunting numbers in mind, unpaid practicum experiences make this bleak financial situation even more troublesome for doctoral students.

For example, the PsyD program I am attending mandates students earn 20-hours of practicum experience per week, for 2 consecutive years. This equates to one year of full-time unpaid work. Put simply, unpaid practicum models create a continuously revolving door of free doctoral student labor from universities to outside organizations.

Is this ethical?

The table below is a series of arguments generally used by clinical psychology doctoral programs to justify unpaid practicum experiences. Followed by corresponding retorts responding to each argument individually.

Rationale opposing compensationResponse to raised concern
During the practicum experience candidates are considered “students” and not “employees,” thus should not be paid.Moot point if external placement site agrees to pay the practicum student for their work output. “Students” are often paid for other experiences during collegiate coursework. Examples include: outside employment, work study, graduate assistantships, and student teaching positions.
Practicum experience is a learning experience where the student is “observing” more than conducting “work related tasks.”This assumes practicum students conduct fewer professional work tasks than the external sites “employees.” This idea that practicum students watch and do less work is frequently not true. More often than not, they are completing the same job obligations as other employees but not getting paid. Putting students at an external site and asking them to “do less” work than their coworkers, limits their experience and dilutes their ability to put what they know into practice, which is the objective of a practicum placement. If a student possesses the experience to perform high-level work-related tasks which are generally compensated, they should be encouraged to do so, and reimbursed in the process.
Liability falls on the shoulders of the doctoral program, should a practicum student engage in an ethical violation.To avoid this outcome, a liability waiver or, “hold harmless agreement” is signed by the student, university, and placement site. This explicitly indicates that should an ethical violation occur; the practicum student and site hold sole responsibility in handling such an instance. Ensuring that the doctoral program is in no way held liable or accountable.
Possibility of some students acquiring paid practicum experiences creates a tumultuous unequitable environment among students in doctoral programs.No two students in the program enter with identical experiences and educational backgrounds. Equitability is celebrating students’ uniqueness and providing them with the opportunity to expand on their existing experience to ultimately achieve their professional goals. Equitability in this instance, is not establishing an equal un-individualized array of placement options, which all students can enter regardless of previous experience and interest. Rather, equitability is looking at each student’s situation individually when aligning them to a specific site and opportunity that plays off their existing strengths to improve their idiosyncratic professional development.
Unpaid practicum is generally the standard in doctoral programs.The APA emphasizes improving ethicality through advocating for positive systemic change in the face of an unjust system. Moving toward paid practicum experiences is a demonstration of positive change.
Practicum placements are meant to help students expand upon existing skills. Placing students at sites where they could have been hired prior to any program involvement, does not grant students an opportunity to further their existing skill set.Site responsibilities vary drastically depending on the type of placement: inpatient, outpatient, school, hospital, community non-profit, etc. It is a good thing when students entering a doctoral program have the requisite education, certification, and/or licensure to be hired at a given practicum site.Integration and application of knowledge is the objective of a practicum experience. Qualified students can bring the new skills they have learned in their doctoral program into previous professional roles. This indicates professional progress of the student, if they can take new skills learned during their doctoral coursework and implement them at a practicum placement conducive to mental health treatment.

I hope the arguments articulated above will nudge doctoral programs in the direction of allowing students to earn compensation during practicum placements when possible (granted scholars and sites are abiding by APA supervision guidelines as outlined in section C-12 D of the APA code). This subtle shift in program policy, although it does not solve everything, is a tangible step toward making programs more affordable for students. Paid practicum resolves the issue of students being volun-told by university faculty as to where they must work for a year without compensation. Instead, it places autonomy and power into students’ hands, and a year’s wages into their pockets.

Unpaid internships and practicum placements are a cross-disciplinary problem throughout academia. They propagate economic disparity, as only financially well-off students are able to work without pay for substantial durations of time. Through this cycle, affluent students’ resumes look more appealing than their middle- and lower-class peers, because their peers cannot afford to work without pay during internship or practicum experiences. This gives affluent students an upper hand in securing higher paying jobs in the future, due to the experience they can afford to gain. As mental health practitioners who advocate for equitable access to higher education, healthy work-life-balance, and mitigation of income inequality, there is no better space for this change to transpire than in our field.     


About the author: Michael J. Deely, NCSP, BCBA, MEd

I am currently a doctoral student at Point Park University studying clinical psychology. Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you would like to view a more in depth version of the article which outlines additional arguments in support of paid practicum experiences and compares them directly to the APA’s practicum guidelines, please email me. I am happy to pass along more detailed information!


From the Editor: Thank you for reading the gradPSYCH Blog! Please note that the views and opinions expressed in each blog post are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent positions or policies of APAGS or the APA. The information provided is for general informational purposes only.

Announcing the 2023 APAGS PSRG Grant Winners!

It is once again time to announce this year’s winners of the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) Psychological Science Research Grant (PSRG)! Every year, graduate students apply for $1,000 worth of funding to provide support for their psychological research endeavors. This year, we are proud to announce a total of 107 applicants were considered for the $12,000 of funding: $9,000 awarded to student researchers with an additional $3,000 awarded to innovative research dedicated to topics on diversity and minoritized populations.

Here are PSRG winners for the general category:

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Conducting Social Justice Research

While social justice topics in psychological research are not novel, sociopolitical changes in recent decades have perhaps illuminated the need for the incorporation of social justice research in psychological science and practice. Social justice and advocacy are woven into every corner of our professional experiences – from our didactic and academic competencies to our clinical training and ethics codes. Psychological science is no exception.

Incorporating social justice topics into our research can seem like a difficult feat. Everywhere you look, there are systemic hurdles that may stand in your way of feeling comfortable and confident taking on social justice research. Maybe it’s the voice in your head telling you “this project isn’t going to be the one to dismantle oppression,” or perhaps it’s a belief that your research does not fit under the umbrella of social justice topics. In other cases, it may be a lack of formal training in conducting research that utilizes appropriate methodology to produce socially just outcomes and findings. However, as students in psychology, we hold the power to not only ask “what answers do we not have yet?” but to rephrase the question into “whose voice is missing from the narrative?”

Here are some starting points for the interested researcher who hopes to embark on social justice research.

Qualitative Methods

If you’re anything like me, digesting quantitative research may bring you comfort. Something about attaching numbers and statistics to your work can make your analyses feel supported and concrete. However, is hard to fully understand someone’s experiences, reactions, and thoughts through numbers alone. Narrative-based research, interviews, and other qualitative methods allow researchers to analyze participant perspectives and experiences through a richness of storytelling. Participants can provide context to their answers and can help develop insight around a phenomenon through exploratory methods, often imperative to social justice research. When the question is regarding whose voice has not been incorporated into the narrative yet, sometimes the best methods are the ones utilizing the voices themselves. After all, our research is what makes psychology a science, and qualitative methodologies are just as rigorous as quantitative.

In some qualitative methodologies, participating community members are welcomed as collaborators to contribute to the design, implementation, and outcomes of the research. Participatory Action Research (PAR) and Community Based Research are two such examples of this. These qualitative approaches to research emphasize the importance of community, understanding sociocultural structures, and action, making them excellent methods to utilize when conducting social justice research. Importantly, they empower the stakeholders of the community you are working with to be active participants in your research.

Me-Search

I first heard the term “me-search” when starting graduate school. The appeal of doing research on a topic that resonated with me, my experiences, and potentially the related experiences of others has since fueled my research endeavors throughout my academic career. I began to realize how disconnected I felt from the research I was digesting. Experiences I knew all too well were seemingly nowhere to be found in the existing literature. I have found that me-search has been a great way to incorporate social justice topics into my own research. As a biracial, queer, gender-expansive graduate student, researching topics and experiences I know first-hand provides me not only with an opportunity to ensure voices like mine are heard, but also allows me to feel connected with the research I conduct. To put it simply, sometimes when you consider whose perspective is missing from the narrative, the answer can very feasibly be “mine.”

However, it is important to emphasize the need for self-care when conducting me-search related to social justice topics. Not only does researching something you have personally experienced make it easier to bring your work home with you, but me-search can put you in the position to reflect on the ways in which you yourself are impacted by oppressive systems. Participating in self-care activities and avoiding burnout is important to ensure you are prioritizing your well-being and can approach your research with interest and enthusiasm. Whether it’s putting space between yourself and academia or finding comfort in the connectedness you feel with the communities you are researching, self-care is yours to define and is an important part of conducting socially just research.

Becoming a researcher and scientist in psychology can feel like a daunting task. Additionally, knowing your research can inform social change can feel intimidating. Our research has the potential to be utilized for advocacy, fight against oppressive forces, and promote well-being. I encourage you to keep looking for the holes in our current literature and to listen for those voices that call to you in need of being amplified.

Resources

Cokley, K., & Awad, G. H. (2013). In defense of quantitative methods: Using the “Master’s Tools” to promote social justice. Journal for Social Action in Counseling and Psychology, 5(2), 26-41.

Fassinger, R. E., & Morrow, S. (2013). Toward best practices in quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method research: A social justice perspective. Journal for Social Action in Counseling and Psychology, 5(2), 69-83.

Frost, D. M. (2018). Narrative approaches within a social psychology of social justice: The potential utility of narrative evidence. In P. Hammack (Ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Social Psychology and Social Justice (pp. 83-93). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Kidd, S. A., & Kral, M. J. (2005). Practicing participatory action research. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52, 187-195.

Levitt, H. M., Motulsky, S. L., Wertz, F. J., Morrow, S. L., & Ponterotto, J. G. (2017). Recommendations for designing and reviewing qualitative research in psychology: Promoting methodological integrity. Qualitative Psychology, 4, 2-22.

Paquin, J. D., Tao, K. W., & Budge, S. L. (2019). Toward a psychotherapy science for all: Conducting ethical and socially just research. Psychotherapy, 56(4), 491.

Ponterotto, J. G. (2005). Qualitative research in counseling psychology: A primer on research paradigms and philosophy of science. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52, 136-136.


Posted by Sarah Kohnen, an APAGS Science Committee member and counseling psychology doctoral student at Chatham University. Feel free to reach out to Sarah with any questions you may have!

APAGS-CSOGD: Advocating for LGBTQ+ Graduate Students in Psychology

by Liz Deibel

What is APAGS-CSOGD?

The American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) has five specialized subcommittees: the Committee for the Advancement of Racial and Ethnic Diversity (CARED), the Advocacy Coordinating Team (ACT), Convention Committee, Science Committee, and last but certainly not least, the APAGS Committee on Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity (APAGS-CSOGD). APAGS-CSOGD works to advocate for LGBTQ+ graduate students in psychology as well as the LGBTQ+ community across the United States.

Ongoing Projects:

Resources for LGBTQ+ Students:

Who We Are:

Troy Kearse (he/him), APAGS-CSOGD Chair, is a Ph.D. Student in Social Psychology at Howard University. His research interests focus on understanding how cultural/contextual factors inform individual cognitive processes (stereotype activation) and larger psychological outcomes (stigma) that uniquely impact health of Black, gay/bisexual men using an intersectionality lens. As a member of the LGBT+ community and doing research that centers the voices and experiences surrounding those who are LGBT of color, he is in strong support of the mission and values of APAGS-CSOGD. He is thrilled to be able to help shape and move toward a more equitable and safe future of psychology for graduate students who are a part of diverse sexual orientation and gender communities. 

JD Goates (they/them) is a 3rd year Ph.D. student in the counseling psychology program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Both their research and clinical areas broadly focus on identifying and addressing the impact of systems of power and oppression through multicultural-feminist and liberation psychologies. They are passionate about APAGS-CSOGD because it is one of many possible avenues to engage in critical movement for the overall well-being and joy of queer and trans graduate students.

Lexie Wille (she/her) is a 5th year counseling psychology Ph.D. student at The University of Texas at Austin. She has been serving as a member of APAGS-CSOGD since December 2021. Her clinical and research interests focus on improving the quality and accessibility of healthcare for LGBTQ+ people. She is passionate about APAGS-CSOGD because she believes the committee offers crucial support and resources for her fellow LGBTQ+ psychology trainees.

Tom Schlechter (they/them) is a 2nd year student in the counseling psychology Ph.D. program at Colorado State University. Their research interests include improving SOGI data collection methods, and examining informal and community help-seeking behaviors. Their clinical interests center on providing gender-empowering care informed by Liberation Psychology and Queer Theory. They are passionate about APAGS-CSOGD because they believe that building community and providing mentorship opportunities is essential to supporting the work of LGBTQ+ graduate students and other professionals in psychology.

Liz Deibel (she/her) is a 2nd year clinical psychology Psy.D. student at Roosevelt University in Chicago, IL. She began her work in the APAGS-CSOGD at the end of 2021 to continue her advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights, especially given the ongoing difficulties with accessible gender- and sexually-affirming care. Clinically, she is interested in conducting psychotherapy with LGBTQ+ individuals and relationship dynamics with a relational-cultural theoretical framework. She is proud of the work APAGS-CSOGD does to promote policy change, continuing education, and supportive environments for LGBTQ+ clients and graduate students.

Anna Maralit (she/her) is a 3rd year clinical psychology Ph.D. student at the University of Missouri. Her research interests focus on understanding how dynamic impulsive processes contribute to risky alcohol use. She also has an interest in gender-related diversity issues in the field of addiction. Her passion for APAGS-CSOGD because she believes strongly in elevating the voices and experiences of LGBTQ+ trainees to address long-standing issues of underrepresentation in the field of psychology.

Want to Know More?

If you are interested in becoming a member of APAGS-CSOGD, we will be accepting applications for 2024 in late summer, early fall. If you have any ideas regarding new projects or collaborations for CSOGD to consider, please contact Troy Kearse, the APAGS-CSOGD Chair. Click here for more information.

Mentorship as a Grad Student: How and Why

Mentoring is a dynamic, collaborative relationship wherein a mentor and mentee work together to facilitate a mentee’s professional development and success. As a first-generation American, my success in academia would not have been possible without the help of several mentors along the way. My current mentoring efforts are inspired by positive experiences with my own mentors, and the hope that I can pay it forward to others. Becoming a mentor can help disseminate knowledge, foster an environment for psychological safety, learning, and development, reveal the “hidden curriculum” of graduate school, and enhance diversity in higher education.

Mentoring Prospective Graduate Students

As a graduate student, there are several opportunities to become a mentor. One opportunity is during the graduate school application process. There are many programs designed to connect eager undergraduates and post-baccalaureates with mentors during the graduate school application process. Some are within certain schools or types of programs (e.g., Social Psychology; School Psychology), for underrepresented individuals (e.g., NextGen Psych Scholars; Project Short), or just general programs (e.g., APSSC, APA Division 19). The structure and level of commitment will vary by the program and by each mentor/mentee relationship. Typically, the mentor will meet a couple of times with the mentee, provide helpful materials for crafting personal statements and CVs, and edit materials. Particularly salient for underrepresented mentees, the mentor can help select graduate programs that are a good match and identify scholarships and funding opportunities. If that sounds too time intensive, there are other ways to help prospective PhD psychology applicants. See Application Statement Feedback Program (ASFP).

Mentoring Undergraduate and Younger Graduate Students

A more traditional mentorship role in graduate school is to mentor undergraduate students in your research lab. Undergraduates often help with literature reviews, running participants, or other miscellaneous research tasks. As a mentor, you could help lead journal clubs or provide direct research opportunities within one of your research projects, carefully observing and guiding them throughout the process. For example, I am currently mentoring an undergraduate student involved in a systematic review I am working on. As a mentor, I provide didactic instruction on types of reviews and guidance on the research process.

As a graduate student, you might also serve another role as a teaching assistant. Teaching assistants have a more formal teaching relationship with their students but can still provide mentorship. This can look like holding office hours and meeting one-on-one with students who show interest in your research or in a PhD program.

You can also mentor students in their early graduate school career. As you progress through the program, you gain valuable knowledge not only in your selected discipline, but also in how to be a graduate student. Younger students may benefit from any wisdom, tips, and skills you can pass on. These topics can vary from time management skills, course selections, clinical practicum advice, advice on advocating for oneself, and handling rejection. Things that may seem like second nature now, may be valuable wisdom to a first-year graduate student.

Irrelevant of the type of mentoring relationship, mentees are eager to learn from you. You can disseminate information about the field (e.g., different types of paths post undergrad), research (e.g., how to go about starting a literature review), classes (e.g., which classes to take to best prepare for graduate school or for a certain degree), or other areas that may help your mentee grow professionally. Although it may seem challenging, mentoring is a rewarding experience, fostering a collaborative relationship that benefits both individuals involved!

Want to become a mentor?

  1. Sign up to mentor students applying to graduate programs (see links above).
  2. Reach out to your advisor and ask if you can mentor undergraduates.
  3. Take initiative and offer to help younger graduate students.

Written by Marianne Chirica, an APAGS Science Committee member and a second-year graduate student in the Psychological and Brain Sciences Ph.D. program at Indiana University. Feel free to reach out to Marianne with any questions you may have!