Our training program emphasizes a balanced psychotherapy experience that can be easily modified to individual learning goals.

During the PGY-I year, interns learn psychiatric interviewing skills from a diverse array of faculty in structured interviewing courses. Rotating faculty members specialize in cognitive-behavioral therapy, forensic evaluation, psychoanalysis, existential therapy, motivational interviewing, and more.

Starting in PGY-II, each resident starts outpatient half-time and becomes established with their own patient panel. From this panel, residents can select appropriate patients for short or long-term psychotherapy. If the resident does not have an appropriate candidate for the desired modality, one can be found within the wider clinic. Due to our program structure, residents can potentially follow some of the same patients for up to 3 years in clinic continuously. Residents receive guidance from an individual psychotherapy supervisor. The supervisors have skills in many modalities, including Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (including CBT for psychosis), Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy, Prolonged Exposure, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and more. Our on-site supervisors are from a variety of disciplines and train Harbor’s psychiatry residents, psychology fellows, and social work interns. PGY II didactics include a year-long seminar on both evidence-based modalities and the theories and historical foundations of psychotherapy.

In PGY-III, residents continue their half-time outpatient clinic and are reassigned to a new psychotherapy supervisor.  They continue to obtain new patients to follow while maintaining care for their existing panel.  Dedicated residents may pursue psychotherapy cases in our child and adolescent clinic and become familiar with modalities such as Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for Adolescents. Some residents may also elect to pursue a two-year psychoanalytic fellowship through one of several local psychoanalytic institutes.

Finally, during their PGY-IV year, along with continuing their usual outpatient work at Harbor, residents may pursue electives that meet their therapy interests.  Beyond the modalities mentioned above, residents may have interest in being a part of the Dialectical Behavioral Therapy team, learn trauma-specific therapies, or ERP therapy for OCD. There are also opportunities to learn more about such modalities as Couples & Sex therapy, Attachment-Based Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy, Interpersonal Therapy, Mentalization-Based Therapy, and more. Residents retain an individual psychotherapy supervisor for the year, and there is additional weekly team-based supervision for those residents pursuing an elective in DBT.