2025-2026 Child Behavioral Treatment Externship

Early Childhood Behavior and Anxiety, Parent Training, & Teen Intensive Treatment for OCD and Anxiety

Supervisors: Danielle Cornacchio, PhD; Lindsey Bergman, PhD

Description: The WaveMind Clinic specializes in evidence-based treatment for child and adolescent anxiety, selective mutism, OCD, and behavior problems. We are offering an child/teen behavioral treatment training experience for doctoral psychology graduate students. Externs would be involved in clinical opportunities focused on parent-based protocols for early childhood (e.g., 2-8 years) disruptive behavior and anxiety. Specifically trainees will learn Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) and have the opportunity to become certified in PCIT (per PCIT International standards; pcit.org). Trainees will also become trained in evidence-based behavioral treatment for childhood selective mutism and early childhood anxiety. Trainees will serve as therapists in a week-long intensive treatment program for children with selective mutism in July. Further, trainees can gain experience treating severe OCD and anxiety in children and teens in WaveMind’s Intensive Outpatient Program. Responsibilities also include participation in regular trainings and didactics, co-leading and eventually leading therapy cases, observing colleagues and supervisors’ sessions as appropriate, and relevant administrative tasks (e.g., session preparation, note writing). WaveMind is located in West LA (1849 Sawtelle Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025); some training experiences may occur remotely, however trainees should plan to be available to be present at our West LA clinic.

Time Commitment: 16-20 hours per week.

  • Evening availability until 7pm, or availability on a weekend day

  • For 1 week in July, available from 7:30am-3:30pm Monday through Friday during which our SM week-long program will take place (dates to be determined)

  • Available for fixed clinic meetings/didactics including: 12pm-2pm on Mondays, and 10am-12pm on Wednesdays (which is included in the above-mentioned 16-20 hours)

Responsibilities & Clinical Activities: A rough breakdown of training activities is as follows:

  • Direct individual therapy, including selective mutism, PCIT, OCD, and anxiety cases; you may request other cases that you have further expertise in if agreed upon with a supervisor

  • SM Intensive Programming, including week-long intensive treatment program in July working directly with SM patients in a group intensive format, leading group activities, and supervising junior therapists (1 week in summer; 2 hours monthly throughout the year)

  • Didactic Trainings (~3 hours per week)

  • Supervision, including individual supervision and group supervision (~2 hours per week)

  • Administrative tasks, such as session preparation and note-writing

  • Direct individual and group therapy in the child/teen anxiety/OCD intensive outpatient program

Contact: hello@wavemindclinic.com; (310) 299-8319

Interested trainees should send their CV and a brief cover letter to Dr. Cornacchio at hello@wavemindclinic.com

Applications due January 30th, 2025. Interviews will occur shortly after. Applicants can apply “early decision” to this practicum experience, and submit their applications by December 15, 2024; early decision applicants would be expected to commit to this practicum experience after the interview process by January 15. The latest we will let you know if you are accepted to this practicum is April 15. Background check required during the application process.