Midwestern’s psychology clinic is seeking new clients.

There is no charge for students, staff, faculty and immediate family.

Services available vary from stress management to anxiety disorders and mild depression.

This program is not only beneficial to students and the community, but also gives real-life experiences to psychology graduate students.

“It was my first time having someone come in who was going to tell me very intimate, but very private thoughts and knowing that they were trusting me to listen, keep it confidential and help them, it was scary,” graduate student Susan Gross said.

Dr. Laura Spiller is the new director of the psychology clinic and said it is essential for graduate students to have hands-on experience in the psychology field.

“They received a high level of training,” Spiller said. “Our students are not going to see clients until they are well prepared. Our graduate students learn a tremendous amount with that hands- on experience and they get to see many different clients including more severe mental illness type cases where they do case management and learn how to interact with clients.”

When students see clients in the clinic, the faculty provides supervision and oversees all the clinical care provided in the psychology clinic through individual meeting with the students and group meetings.
There are three students staffing the clinic every semester and they carry case loads up to six or seven clients apiece.

“The clinic is the first place our students see clients,” Spiller said. “After spending a year and a half in course work and then a semester in the clinic, then students may work in other places.”

The psychology clinic differs from the MSU counseling center because they see not only MSU students, but members of the community as well.

“Our clinic is really one of the few options for clients who don’t have insurance or another way to pay for the rates of psychotherapy, which are at least $65 to $150 an hour,” Spiller said. “We are one of the few places in the community that provide free and low-cost services.”

For the community there is a sliding scale fee from $5 to $12. Spiller said there is a lot of flexibility in terms of adjusting the fee based on client’s income. The money goes right back into the clinic to assist with maintenance and psychological assessment materials, such as questionnaires used to rate clients’ psychological functioning at every session.

Spiller said the department referrals from a variety of sources including local pastors, other mental health professionals, and Helen Farabee MHMR Center.

These clients are referred when they can not afford other service providers.

“Typically, we see everything from relationship problems to grief to depression and anxiety,” Spiller said.

The clinic also does family and couples therapy as well. All of the sessions are taped and cameras are in every room on the graduate student. Those tapes go to their supervisors and are discussed in group meetings.

“I am not a licensed therapist now, but I have three or four professors standing behind me and I have individual supervision,” graduate student Susan Gross said. “It’s not just one person our clients are getting. They are getting an entire team of professionals who are advising and recommending.”

The clinic does not see patients who need around the clock or crisis care, such as anyone with a recent history of suicidal behavior or a recent psychiatric hospitalization.

The clinic does not have a referral program for those with more serious needs.