A Better Way to Train Psychology Students

Balancing money, ethics, access, and education

I just wrapped up my first year teaching psychology students at Yeshiva University, where I went to grad school. It was my dream job since I graduated, and it's been such a joy spending time with my brilliant students and colleagues.

Not everyone is aware how hard it is to become a psychologist. There are so many barriers to entry, and I have so much empathy for my students who are in the thick of it. It's not just five-plus years of school; it's many years of mandatory research and clinical work, most of which is unpaid.

Sometimes the work that the students do does not financially enrich the clinics where they are doing it. The purpose of the work is strictly for their education (and perhaps it has the added benefit of providing low cost services to the community). Our school's training clinic, the Parnes Clinic, is a good example. The students provide clinical services as part of their coursework, the patients pay a token amount that's accessible to all, the supervision is great, and the paid administrative staff that runs the clinic is lean. It's sustainable, bringing in exactly as much money as it needs to operate. Nobody is turning a profit there.

Other training experiences are ethically—and maybe even legally—more dubious. I'm aware of many sites that charge significant fees for trainee services and don't pay the trainees. This strikes me as really exploitative.

Some may argue that the fee covers the supervisor's labor and overhead. Some also may argue that having unpaid trainees offers an opportunity to provide financially accessible services that would otherwise be impossible. Both of these are good points: supervisors should be compensated, taking on trainees shouldn't be financially burdensome to the sites, and trainee services do allow clinics to offer low cost services to vulnerable populations who otherwise have limited access.

But I'd like to present an alternate model—one that I developed and use successfully in my own private practice.

I have trainees who provide services for a fee in my office. The fee is mutually agreed upon: I suggest what I think is fair, but ultimately, it's up to my student to set the fee with the patient and take the case (or not). Generally the fee is one-third what I charge myself. Sometimes we can slide even lower.

The patient knows they are meeting with a trainee. We are very clear about the pros and cons of meeting with a student, and I screen cases that I don't think will be appropriately served by someone at that level of training and experience.

My students and I do an even 50-50 fee split. They are compensated for their labor and I mine, and my portion covers the overhead. Everyone is happy. My students get paid. The patients get affordable care. I make some money.

I strongly encourage other clinicians to replicate this model in their offices. We can train the next generation of clinicians and make care more accessible in our communities, all while being compensated fairly ourselves.

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I wasn’t planning on going to see Floyd Collins, but I think I may need to see her!