Faculty of Education’s Clinical Services prioritizes virtual and in-person mental health assistance through graduate training and research programs

In the expansive realm of mental health, accessibility remains a critical challenge, particularly for rural and marginalized populations grappling with a scarcity of professional psychological services. With a long history at the University of Alberta, the Faculty of Education’s Clinical Services continues to pioneer solutions to bridge these gaps. Currently under the guidance of Dr. William Whelton, acting Clinic Director for Counselling Psychology (CP); Dr. Christina Rinaldi, acting Clinic Director for School and Clinical Child Psychology (SCCP); Dr. Jonathan Dubue, Clinic Supervisor (CP); and Dr. Karen Cook, Clinic Supervisor (SCCP), the clinic not only serves as a training ground for future psychologists but also plays a crucial role in delivering mental health services at reduced rates through both virtual and in-person sessions. 

Here, Whelton shares the most recent updates on the clinic, from accreditation to how they’re meeting the evolving needs of society.

Tell us about Clinical Services in the Faculty of Education. What is it and who does the clinic serve?

My view of the clinic is, fundamentally, that it is a university clinic, meaning that it involves three interrelated domains: 1) teaching emerging professionals how to be psychologists; 2) providing a service to the community; and, finally, 3) contributing to knowledge through research activities. We have been developing new initiatives in all three areas. 

For example, there have been new programs for children and young adolescents suffering from anxiety. These involve running therapy and support groups for both the youngsters themselves and for their parents. Teaching parenting skills is an important component of these groups. All these initiatives for client and community care also involve giving students new possibilities for developing skills and modalities as professionals. 

Additionally, the pandemic pushed us to embrace a sea change in technological innovation and development in the clinic. Now, clients have the choice of receiving services online or in person. Professors, supervisors and students have all had to get up to speed on the practical requirements of psychological services being delivered virtually and how to do this in safe, reliable, ethical ways. 

One of the main achievements of these changes has been to render our services accessible to people outside the city of Edmonton. Indeed, people across the province of Alberta have been able to access therapy or assessments virtually, and oftentimes, due to need, services are available at discounted rates. This is very important and needs to be advertised and developed much further. Much of Alberta is made up of rural areas and small towns and there is a giant deficit of available professional services in these areas — including a lack of psychologists. Making services available online is a huge help to these communities. 

Can you share any updates or changes in the training experiences that graduate students receive at Clinical Services, particularly in light of recent developments in the field?

One of the most prominent developments in the field of counselling psychology has been a new and intensive focus on issues of social justice: these include issues of human rights, refugees, transgender identity, racial and ethnic identity, Indigenous issues and poverty. The clinic has always addressed socio-economic realities by offering free or deeply discounted therapy and assessments. However, there is a new emphasis among the young for an awareness of historic injustices and equity for previously marginalized groups. There is an abundance of research in counselling psychology on these issues and how various, intersecting forms of discrimination and oppression have contributed to the marginalization of so many people. There has also been the development of forms of counselling that effectively address these concerns, that help to give voice to these painful experiences, to identify and alter internalized racism and other forms of self-contempt, and that strengthen clients to become resilient, self-compassionate, and political and social agents of change. 

How has Clinical Services adapted its services to specifically address the mental health challenges stemming from the pandemic?

This is a deep and complex question. The pandemic was, for many, a very difficult time, including for graduate students who voiced many difficulties and stresses during this difficult period, including isolation, loneliness and anxiety. For students in Counselling Psychology and School and Clinical Child Psychology, the clinic provides a real source of community and support which was lost during the pandemic. So, opening up the space and trying to get back to normal as soon as safely possible has been a healing balm for many students. The clinic is back to being a healthy, lively and welcoming place for both the clients and the psychologists in training. For many clients, including children, adolescents and adults, the stresses of the pandemic are still posing many emotional challenges (for example, deficits in social and interpersonal skills) that are being addressed in both assessments and treatments.

Are there any collaborations or partnerships that Clinical Services has embarked on recently to enhance its impact?

The most exciting partnership of recent times is the continued development of the professional internship or “residency” that all doctoral psychology students do for one year at the end of their training. This consortium has existed for several years in rudimentary form as an internship consortium involving the Cross Cancer Clinic, the YWCA, Workers’ Compensation at Millard and Clinical Services. Seeking to be a fully accredited internship with the Canadian Psychological Association, all the participating organizations had to work very hard to develop its structures and programs, which they did. This past year the consortium submitted a self-study and had a two-day site visit from CPA and, chances are, in June it will be announced that the internship has been granted accreditation.

Could you elaborate on the significance of recent accreditation achievements at Clinical Services and how they underscore the clinic's commitment to maintaining exemplary standards in training, research and service delivery?

We had one recent, exceptionally intense period for accreditation for us here in Clinical Services. For context, two professional training programs use Clinical Services: the Counselling Psychology program and the School and Clinical Child program. Between November 2023 and January 2024, we had three site visits for accreditation from the Canadian Psychological Association. Somehow the two programs dove-tailed in the timing of accreditation and the internship consortium was applying for accreditation for the first time. All three site visits happened within three months, and all three entailed a very intensive scrutiny of the clinic. 

In all these cases, the visits went well and the visitors — leading psychologists themselves — expressed excitement and admiration for the excellent training, research and service provided by Clinical Services, which they saw as absolutely exemplary of everything a university psychology clinic ought to be.