Advanced Therapy Externships

Liver/Renal Transplant and Diabetes Management

Externship Supervisor

Todd Doyle, PhD

Associate Professor

Learn more about Dr. Doyle

Externship Location

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences 
Loyola University Medical Center 
Fahey Building, Room 227 
2160 S. First Ave. 
Maywood, IL 60153

Externship Start Date

July

The behavioral medicine program will offer the extern clinical experiences in psychological assessment and treatment among adult patients within an inpatient/outpatient medical setting. Specific opportunities will include:

• Conducting pre-transplant psychosocial evaluations for patients preparing for liver transplant (inpatient & outpatient) and renal donation; providing follow-up psychotherapy services to patients with liver disease; participation in multidisciplinary meetings to provide feedback to physicians, surgeons, social workers, and nurses about patients’ candidacy for organ transplant; medical report writing.
• Providing clinical assessment and psychotherapy to outpatients attending appointments in the Department of Endocrinology for diabetes management; learning CBT-based strategies for management of diabetes as well as exposure to state-of-the-art, manualized treatments for depression.
• Providing general outpatient psychotherapy services to patients presenting with common medical diagnoses and co-morbid mental health problems.
• Participating in weekly journal club meetings with other externs to discuss research, case presentations and group supervision, as well as didactic lectures.
• Opportunities are available for mentoring in research and several databases are available for secondary data analysis for highly motivated students. Opportunities to learn the art of journal article reviewing are also available to students.

This is an advanced practicum and prior psychotherapy experience is strongly recommended. Interested students should submit an application packet that consists of:

• Letter of interest
• CV
• Two letters of recommendation
• A de-identified writing sample from a psychosocial evaluation

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis prior to the deadline.

Please submit your application packet to:

Todd Doyle, PhD 
Assistant Professor 
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences

Email: todddoyle1@lumc.edu 
Phone: 708-216-4303

Heart/Lung Transplant and Pelvic Pain

Externship Supervisor

Mekhala Samsi Merchant, PhD

Associate Professor

Learn more about Dr. Merchant

Externship Location

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences 
Loyola University Medical Center 
2160 S. First Ave., Building 54 
Maywood, IL 60153

Externship Start Date

July

Externship Practicum Description

The behavioral medicine practicum will offer the extern clinical experiences in psychological evaluation and treatment with adult patients within the medical setting. Specialties will include cardiothoracic organ transplantation, chronic pelvic pain in women and general outpatient psychotherapy with a focus on behavioral medicine.

The psychology extern will gain experience in inpatient and outpatient settings, conducting clinical interviews, comprehensive evaluations to determine psychological candidacy for transplantation, report writing, providing feedback to members of a multidisciplinary team of physicians and nurses and administering cognitive-behavioral interventions and supportive therapies.

In the outpatient setting, the extern will also be expected to carry a caseload of several general psychotherapy patients each week.

The extern’s time is divided between providing in-patient consultation to hospitalized patients and outpatient services. This is an advanced practicum, prior psychotherapy experience is required. Prior research or clinical work with a medical population will be a bonus.

Interested students should submit the following:

• A letter of interest
• CV
• Two letters of recommendation
• Graduate school transcripts (official or unofficial)

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Please send the above application documents to:

Mekhala Samsi Merchant, PhD 
Associate Professor 
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences

Loyola University Medical Center 
2160 S. First Ave. 
Maywood, IL 60153

Email: msamsi@lumc.edu 
Fax: 708-216-6840

Obesity and Bariatric Surgery, Inpatient Health Psychology

Externship Supervisor

Laura Wool, PsyD

Associate Professor

Learn more about Dr. Wool

Externship Location

Loyola University Medical Center 
2160 S. First Ave., Building 112 
Maywood, IL 60153

Externship Start Date

July 

Externship Practicum Description

Loyola Medicine's department of psychiatry provides psychological assessment and outpatient therapy services to Loyola's outpatients.

This rotation will provide the psychology extern with therapy experience in general outpatient psychotherapy and behavioral medicine with adults, as well as cognitive-behavioral interventions with a bariatric surgery & medical weight loss population. The extern will split time between these responsibilities.

In addition to further developing general therapy skills, the extern will learn about psychological and behavioral factors impacting weight management, readiness for bariatric surgery and various medical conditions. Opportunities for individual therapy (both inpatient and outpatient), pre-surgical assessment and group facilitation (e.g., binge eating and support groups) are available.

The extern will gain experience in patient interviewing, incorporating data from objective assessments into recommendations for surgical readiness, report writing, cognitive-behavioral and supportive therapies and application of behavioral medicine techniques to the psychosocial problems associated with weight management and other medical conditions.

Prior psychotherapy experience with adults is required, preferably in a medical setting. Strong interest in health psychology and weight management is encouraged.

Interested students should submit the following:

1. A letter of interest
2. CV
3. Two letters of recommendation
4. Graduate school transcripts (official or unofficial copy)

Preference is for materials to be sent electronically (letters of recommendation should be on letterhead, signed and scanned into electronic format). Please send application materials to Dr. Wool (lwool1@lumc.edu).

If submitting hard copies of document is necessary, please send an email informing us of your hard copy application and use the mailing address listed above to mail your application.

Obesity and Bariatric Surgery, Burn Psychology 
Behavioral Medicine - Advanced Practicum

Externship Supervisor

Elizabeth B. Simmons, PsyD

Assistant Professor

Learn more about Dr. Simmons

Externship Location

Loyola University Medical Center 
2160 S. First Ave., Building 54 
Maywood, IL 60153

Externship Start Date

July 

Externship Practicum Description

The department of psychiatry provides psychological assessment and outpatient therapy services to Loyola outpatients.

This practicum will provide the psychology extern with therapy experience in general outpatient psychotherapy, as well as assessment and intervention experience with a bariatric surgery and medical weight loss population. Opportunities will also be available for inpatient consult work on the burn unit. The extern will split time between these responsibilities.

Opportunities in outpatient psychotherapy include conducting clinical interviews, creating treatment plans and maintaining a caseload of individual adult psychotherapy patients. The extern will develop psychotherapy skills with an emphasis on cognitive-behavioral, acceptance and commitment and supportive therapies. Opportunities in weight management and bariatric surgery include pre-surgical assessment, post-operative interventions and individual therapy.

The extern will gain experience in conducting comprehensive psychological evaluations, incorporating data from objective assessments into recommendations for surgical readiness, report writing and applying behavioral medicine techniques to the psychosocial problems associated with weight management and other medical conditions.

Opportunities with the burn service may include conducting bedside psychosocial evaluations, supportive therapy, relaxation training and trauma processing with patients hospitalized for burn and wound care.

This is an advanced practicum and prior psychotherapy experience with adults is required, preferably in a medical setting. Strong interest in health psychology and weight management is encouraged.

Interested students should submit the following:

1. A letter of interest
2. CV
3. Two letters of recommendation (including at least one from a supervisor of current or previous clinical work)
4. Graduate school transcripts (official or unofficial copy)

Preference is for materials to be sent electronically (letters of recommendation can be sent directly from the writer to Dr. Simmons). Please send application materials via email to Dr. Simmons (elizabeth.simmons@luhs.org).

If submitting hard copies of document is necessary, please inform us of your hard copy application preference via email and mail the application materials to the above mailing address.

Applications are reviewed as they are submitted until a candidate is chosen; therefore, early submissions are encouraged.

Psychosocial Oncology

Externship Supervisors

Elizabeth Ann Murphy, PsyD

Psychology, Clinical, Psychology, Social Work
 

Learn more about Elizabeth Ann Murphy, PsyD

Sarah Thilges, PhD

Associate Professor 
 

Learn more about Dr. Thilges

Dr. Sai Narotam, Assistant Professor

Assistant Professor

Learn more about Dr. Narotam

Externship Location

Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center 
Loyola University Medical Center 
2160 S. First Ave., Building 112 
Maywood, IL 60153

Externship Start Date

July 

Externship Practicum Description

The Psychosocial Oncology Advanced Therapy Externship program provides psychological assessment and treatment services to adult oncology patients and their family members. The psychology extern will have the opportunity to learn about psychological and behavioral factors that impact on patients’ coping efforts and intervene with patients and families to improve coping, facilitate adjustment and reduce emotional distress.

The extern will gain experience in patient interviewing, pre-stem cell transplant psychological evaluations, report writing, cognitive-behavioral and supportive therapies, cancer support groups and application of behavioral medicine techniques to the biopsychosocial problems associated with a cancer experience.

The extern’s time is divided between providing in-patient consultation to hospitalized patients and outpatient services (evaluations and psychotherapy).

This is an advanced practicum and prior psychotherapy experience is required, preferably in a medical setting.

Students who are interested in health psychology should submit the following:

1. A letter of interest
2. CV
3. Two letters of recommendation
4. Graduate school transcripts (official or unofficial copy)

Early applications are encouraged and applications are reviewed as they are received until a candidate is chosen.

Complete applications (including letters of recommendation) should be submitted via email to Dr. Murphy (Elizabeth.Murphy001@luhs.org), Dr. Thilges (sarah.thilges@lumc.edu) andand Dr. Narotam (Sai.Narotam@lumc.edu).

GI Health Psychology, Advanced Clinical Practicum

Externship Supervisor

Sarah W Kinsinger, PhD

Psychology, Clinical, Gastroenterology, Psychology, Social Work

Learn more about Dr. Kinsinger

Externship Location

Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology
Loyola University Medical Center 
2160 S. First Ave.
Maywood, IL 60153

Externship Start Date

July

Practicum Descripton:

The GI Psychology Program within Loyola’s Division of Gastroenterology provides psychological consultation and treatment to patients with a wide range of chronic digestive conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease and disorders of gut-brain interaction (e.g, irritable bowel syndrome, functional heartburn). The psychology extern will gain experience utilizing mind-body interventions to optimize management of digestive health in a fully integrated medical setting. The rotation will provide opportunities to strengthen case conceptualization skills from a biopsychosocial framework, learn evidence-based psychological interventions for GI disorders (GI-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy, gut-directed hypnotherapy), and consult with interdisciplinary team members (physicians, nurses, dietitians). All patient care will take place in an outpatient setting and the extern will be expected to carry a caseload of several patients per week. This is an advanced practicum and prior outpatient psychotherapy experience is required and experience working in a medical setting or with patients with chronic illness is preferred. The rotation will provide the extern with education and training through the Rome Foundation Psychogastroenterology Section as well as training in clinical hypnosis.

In addition, students can participate in a Journal Club with the Loyola Psychology training cohort as well as a monthly Chicago GI Psychology didactic meeting. Students will also attend psychiatry grand rounds and other didactic opportunities offered throughout the medical center.

TO APPLY:

Students who are interested in this GI Psychology rotation can submit (1) a letter of interest, (2) CV, (3) two letters of recommendation and (4) graduate school transcripts (official or unofficial copy). Complete applications (including letters of recommendation) should be submitted via email to Dr. Sarah Kinsinger at Sarah.Kinsinger@lumc.edu. Letters of recommendation can also be sent directly from the writer to Dr. Kinsinger.