Cal State Long Beach students and members of the community are now able to receive individual and couples therapy at the Educational Psychology Clinic on campus.
The professionals providing these services are CSULB graduate students in the Marriage and Family Therapy Program. As these students are receiving hands-on experience toward their career, they are under the supervision of licensed university faculty.
The Educational Psychology Clinic has been providing school-age children with educational and psychological services for more than 30 years. In the fall of 2006 the clinic began providing psychological services for adults and families as well.
Working in the clinic helps students complete their 500 required hours of pre-master’s degree experience and the 3,000 hours needed before taking their licensing exam. They are able to work toward this required experience on campus with the support of their licensed faculty.
“We’re training our students while providing a service for the campus and the community,” said Kristi Hagans-Murrillo, assistant professor and coordinator for the school psychology program. She said that instead of observing how students deal with hypothetical situations, the instructors are able to watch them through one-way mirrors and see how they handle real situations.
According to Bita Ghafoori, co-coordinator of the Marriage and Family Therapy Program, there are about 20 people seeing clients each semester. These therapists are available to address problems such as depression and anxiety, phobias, traumatic stress, grief and loss, couples and family issues, self-esteem issues, relational concerns, and educational concerns.
“The No. 1 benefit is the cost,” Ghafoori said. “We only charge CSULB students and low-income individuals $7.50 per session.” The cost for all non-CSULB students and people who do not meet the criteria of a low-income family are charged $15 per session and there is a minimum of three sessions. Ghafoori said that outside of the program, a session would cost between $85 and $100.
The Educational Psychology Clinic is located in Education Building No. 2 in Room 155. Counseling sessions are available by appointment, which according to the Educational Psychology Clinic’s Web site are held in the late afternoon and evening. Prior to the appointment date, an application must be filled out and returned.
Hagans-Murrillo said that once the questionnaire in the application has been completed, the client can be paired with the student who has the most expertise in the area that will help them. Once the application has been completed, the clinic is able to evaluate the needs of the client and can then confirm the appointment.
The clinic was opened to the public in the fall and clinic director Kristin Powers was pleased with its success.
“It did very well,” Powers said.