Clinical Training

Foundational Training in Relational Gestalt Theory and Practices

Practicum Students and Registered Associates starting out at TRC begin in out year-long Foundational Training program. Foundational Training consists of 2.5 hours of weekly training and live practice that builds the theoretical ground for a relational approach to counseling. Our work is grounded in Relational Gestalt theory and heavily informed by Trauma Responsiveness and Community Organizing. Our model emphasizes collaboration, empathic skills, and community responsiveness and accountability. We also work within the frameworks of cultural humility and harm reduction with an understanding that political and social factors and systems of oppression impact the wellbeing of our clients.

In addition to the weekly trainings, we have two weekend intensives per calendar year. All of our trainings include opportunities for the following:

• Live-time, intensive, and focused supervision in the context of intimate small-group training cohorts
• Planned community activities specifically designed to provoke challenging and complex experience while simultaneously offering coaching and teaching to support expanded awareness and skills-building
• Deliberate exposure to the pressures of emotionally challenging work as well as to the demands associated with navigating a communal system

We accept new folks into our training program twice per year, in cohorts, that start in January and August. Interested applicants may be asked to participate in a 2-hour workshop and an individual interview. Our standard clinical training fee is $100 per month but may be $200/month if you do not meet the minimum weekly client hours or $50/month if you choose to do additional weekly client hours.

Advanced Training

Graduates of our Foundational Training program may be invited to pursue advanced training. Our year two training consists of applied topics (depression, working with intimate partners, etc.) and intensive live supervised practice. The third year of training consists of deeper dives into working with trauma, family systems and other topics

Who Should Apply

The Relational Center offers a three-year clinical training program that is ideal for MSW students and MFT trainees who need to complete their pre-degree practicum as well as registered MFT Interns and Associate Clinical Social Workers. BIPOC, LGBTQ+, Bi-Lingual and Neurodivergent students are strongly encouraged to apply.

If you are seeking post-masters clinical practice hours to submit to the Board of Behavioral Sciences, your training and supervised experience at The Relational Center will also be eligible to be applied toward licensure.

How It Works

We offer a three-year comprehensive program of clinical training which supports students to provide trauma-responsive, social justice-informed counseling and group facilitation while applying their learning by providing services to members of our community wellness center, in order to gain hours of supervised experience required for graduation and/or licensure.

What To Expect

All foundation-year trainees attend weekly group supervision meetings as well as the weekly training cohorts. While in Foundational Training you are expected to provide services in our Community Center (5 direct counseling hours per week and a minimum of 3 hours per week assisting in general community support). Finally, all trainees are also required to attend two annual weekend intensives, generally held in the spring and fall.