Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program
The Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center offers 2 one-year clinical psychology postdoctoral fellowships with a focus in couples and family psychology. Our post-doctoral fellows build strong assessment and therapeutic skills for working with a diverse range of couples and families in preparation for independent licensure and practice within healthcare teams or independently.
The program prepares fellows for certification in Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy (IBCT) and if desired, in Emotionally Focused Couple and Family Therapies (EFCT and EFFT) under the supervision of faculty who are certified consultants/supervisors in IBCT, EFCT, and EFFT. Additionally, fellows will have the opportunity to lead couples groups, including groups focused on relationships and trauma, communication skills, and an evidence-based group treatment for couples of faith. We provide the option to create a focus on veteran families as well, to include assessment and triage of child and adolescent issues, family therapy, parent management training, with flexibility to include specific postdoctoral interests.
Fellows will develop expertise in treatment of relationship and family distress that co-occurs with mental health comorbidities (including depression, PTSD, substance use disorders, and personality disorders) and physical health concerns (e.g., chronic pain); these co-occurrences are common in our Veteran population. Our geographic location also allows our fellows the opportunity to work with couples and families with a wide range of racial, ethnic, educational, and socio-economic backgrounds as well as LGBTQ+ veteran couples. Fellows will gain extensive experience in providing treatment to rural Veterans and families via video telehealth. Faculty bring expertise and a specific training focus on attention to cultural and diversity factors in assessment and treatment of our couples & families.
The program’s focus on couple & family psychology is complemented by a selection of two minor rotations from the following: the posttraumatic stress disorder clinical team, the suicide prevention team, or couples research.
Program Directors:
Julian Libet, Ph.D. (julian.libet@va.gov)
Karen Petty, Ph.D. (karen.petty6@va.gov)
Jenna Teves, Ph.D. (jenna.teves@va.gov)
Application Deadline:
January 17, 2025
Download the Brochure: