POSITION DESCRIPTION

• |
• Full Time

THE FELLOWSHIP provides postdoctoral clinical and counseling psychologists a concentrated advanced training experience with focus on emerging adult mental health. University Counseling Services (UCS) is a relatively large, fast-paced, multidimensional, and highly-utilized health delivery system with the primary responsibility of addressing the mental health needs of the Boston College student community. A committed staff of psychologists, social workers, and psychiatric prescribers provide a wide range of direct clinical services. The training program is progressive and developmental in nature with the goal of aiding Fellows in forming fuller professional identities and to foster readiness in becoming independent practitioners. At the core of a Fellow’s training are individual and group treatment, crisis interventions, individual / group supervision, consultation, and participation in the teamwork of the department all within a strong generalist perspective. UCS emphasizes psychodynamic, developmental, and culturally informed approaches in formulating client difficulties, and it prioritizes brief, focused approaches to treatment while maintaining the flexibility of providing open-ended treatment, particularly for those clients with the greatest needs and/or the least resources. Fellows also gain experience with the unusual diagnostic and treatment challenges posed by those clients who present as both high performing and diagnostically quite complex. BC students are bright, talented, and diverse. Approximately 35% of the student population identify themselves as persons of color, and the graduate student population, in particular, is substantially international. The clients seeking our clinical services are articulate, motivated, and still in the process of shaping key aspects of their identities. At an institutional level, BC is invested in the integration of students' intellectual development with their personal formation.

Fellows (1) attain advanced clinical skills with an emerging adult population manifesting the broad spectrum of psychopathology and (2) generally advance their formulation and treatment-planning skills significantly. Fellows also 3) develop understanding of the intersections of psychopathology with developmental and multicultural forces and 4) develop expertise in the challenges prevalent in mental health practice today within an institution of higher education. This year, fellows will also have the option, should they choose, to identify and area of focus for the year, including: A) Multicultural Issues, B) Group Therapy, and C) Trauma Informed Care. (see UCS website Fellowship brochure for additional information). Fellows seeking a robust Generalist Training experience, not including an area of focus, are also strongly encouraged to apply. Fellows inevitably acquire considerable depth and breadth in their treatment and consulting skills and typically complete the eleven-month fellowship year with a consolidated sense of their professional competence and personal career direction. 

ABOUT BOSTON COLLEGE

Founded in 1863, Boston College is a Jesuit, Catholic University located six miles from downtown Boston with an enrollment of 15,000 + full time undergraduates, graduate, and professional students. Boston College is committed to the education of the whole person. Ranked 31 among national universities and a member of the Association of Research Universities, Boston College has 752 full time and 1,080 FTE faculty, 2,750 non-faculty employees, an operating budget of $866 million, and an endowment of approximately $2 billion.

Region Description:

Boston, MA

COMPENSATION

We have one remaining eleven-month, full-time postdoctoral position available. Each fellowship position has a competitive, minimum stipend of $52,600 for its duration and a full-benefits package that includes medical, dental, paid vacation, and illness coverage, as well as a range of other perquisites such as professional development time for studying for licensure exams and support and guidance in launching into their first job as a psychologist. 

APPLICATION MATERIALS

We are committed to having a counseling service that is diverse and strongly encourage applicants of all identities and abilities to apply to our postdoctoral fellowship program. Applicants must have completed all requirements for a doctoral degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher learning and a doctoral internship that meets APPIC standards prior to the start of the fellowship on August 17, 2026. We cannot hire individuals who have not completed and defended their dissertations by late-August. Candidates who have not been officially awarded their doctorates must be prepared to provide us with an official letter from their department or dissertation chair attesting to their predicted completion of all components of their doctoral program by August 14, 2026. The application deadline is on a rolling basis.

A completed application “packet” requires the following:

- Personal statement detailing your interest in the fellowship, why you would be a good fit, clinical strengths and growing edges, and training goals

- A curriculum vitae

-  Two letters of recommendation from clinical supervisors (preferably at least 1 from Internship)

-  Prior and current transcripts of ALL graduate coursework (includes Master’s level)

-  Applicant Questionnaire (obtainable from our website at www.bc.edu/counseling).

A complete application “packet” can be submitted via email:

To Selina Guerra, PhD (guerrase@bc.edu) and Craig Burns, PhD (burnsct@bc.edu) with the subject heading: COMPLETE FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION MATERIALS FOR (your name)

Please send all inquires to Selina Guerra, PhD (guerrase@bc.edu) AND Craig Burns, PhD (burnsct@bc.edu)