NICU Fellowship
Our mission is to train highly skilled, ethical psychologists who contribute to the field of psychology through clinical work, research and/or education.
The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences is a vibrant, multidisciplinary department dedicated to advancing science and integrating this foremost mission with those of clinical innovation, educational excellence, community engagement and commitment, and professionalism and leadership development.
The NICU Fellowship at Stanford serves as the culmination of training in psychology and is guided by the scientist-practitioner model. Residents are offered diverse clinical experiences in assessment and treatment utilizing evidence-based treatments, rich didactics based on current empirical literature, opportunities for scholarly inquiry, and supervision by Stanford faculty.
Program Goals and Competencies
The primary goal of the program is to provide advanced training in the areas of clinical service, scholarly inquiry, professionalism and ethical decision-making. The program design is based on seven core competencies, including:
- Integration of Science and Practice
- Ethics and Legal Matters
- Individual and Cultural Diversity
- Theories and Methods of Diagnosis and Assessment
- Theories and Methods of Effective Psychotherapeutic Intervention
- Professional Conduct and Interpersonal Relationships
- Dissemination Beyond Clinical Care
Additionally, fellows receive training in the following areas specific to children and adolescents.
- Life Span Developmental Psychology and Psychopathology
- Child, Adolescent and Family Assessment Methods
- Intervention Strategies
- Research Methods and Systems Evaluation
- Professional, Ethical and Legal Issues Pertaining to Children, Adolescents and Families
- Issues of Diversity
- The Role of Multiple Disciplines and Service Delivery Systems
- Prevention, Family Support, and Health Promotion
- Social Issues Affecting Children, Adolescents, and Families
- Specialized Applied Experience in Assessment, Intervention and Consultation
Clinical Description
This fellowship is focused in the areas of pediatrics and perinatal mental health. Fellows work with parents of premature and medically complex infants in the NICU, utilizing trauma-focused CBT and infant-parent psychotherapy to target symptoms of parental trauma, anxiety, and depression as well as promote parent-infant attachment and early relational health. Fellows conduct individual, couples, family, and group psychotherapy as well as parental psychosocial screenings. Fellows may also provide treatment through the Fetal Center to parents who receive a fetal diagnosis and/or providing outpatient infant-parent dyadic psychotherapy to families at risk for difficulties with attachment. Opportunities to be involved in research and program development are available.
Clinical Training
Fellows spend 20 hours per week in direct patient care. They conduct one to two new patient evaluations each week and carry ongoing individual psychotherapy and conduct group therapy.
Didactic Training
The fellow attends three didactic training seminars that meet on a weekly basis throughout the year including seminars focused on diagnosis and treatment of specific disorders as well as a seminar focuses on Ethics in preparation for licensure. Child Psychiatry Grand Rounds take place once a month.
Supervision and Evaluation
Fellows receive a minimum of four hours of supervision each week. The supervision is divided between two hours of individual and two hours of group. Fellows receive a copy of the competency evaluation form at the start of the fellowship during orientation and receive feedback at 3 month intervals. The feedback at 3 and 9 months is verbal and informally given during supervision. The feedback at 6 and 12 months is written using the competency evaluation forms and reviewed in supervision. Any issues regarding performance are discussed at these quarterly intervals as well as in weekly supervision.
Specialty Psychologists & Psychiatrists
Questions?
For questions about the Child Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship, please contact Maryam Mossadeghian at maryammossadeghian@stanford.edu