Pediatric Psychology 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 Pediatric Psychology 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 Descriptions
Pediatric fellows train across a wide range of medical subspecialties including Stem Cell/Oncology, Solid Organ Transplant (heart, lung, liver, kidney, small bowel), Cleft and Craniofacial, and specialized cardiology and nephrology multidisciplinary teams. Within these teams, fellows conduct initial evaluations, consultations, psychotherapy, and group therapy and participate in care conferences, rounds and transplant selection committees. Fellows also rotate on the Consult Liaison Service providing initial evaluations, consultations and brief psychotherapy interventions. Additionally, fellows are an integral part of the outpatient Medical Coping and Wellness clinic, providing consultations and psychotherapy for patients referred by all medical subspecialties within Stanford Children’s Health.
Clinical areas of focus include adjustment to illness, pain management, self-management skills, procedural anxiety, and medical trauma. Treatment modalities include behavior modification, cognitive behavioral therapy, supportive therapy, guided imagery and hypnosis.
Fellows also conduct neuropsychological testing with a focus on patients who have underlying medical conditions (e.g., stem cell transplant, TBI, genetic conditions). Clinical work is conducted across settings including inpatient medical floors, outpatient medical clinics and in the outpatient psychiatry clinic. Fellows participate in weekly didactics, supervise graduate practicum students and may participate in targeted research or program development projects.
Read the "A Week in the Life" piece for a description of a typical week as a pediatric psychology fellow by Madison Sunnquist, PhD.
Hospital and Clinics
The Stanford Children’s Health (SCH) network is the only health care network in the Bay Area – and one of the few in the country - that’s exclusively dedicated to pediatric and obstetric care. At the center is the nationally ranked hospital, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford, bringing world-renown Stanford expertise and innovation to families near and far. The SCH network provides care in more than 150 medical specialties, many of which are part of centers of excellence including: brain & behavior, cancer, heart, pregnancy & newborn, pulmonary and transplant. The SCH network also provide an additional, wide range of services for babies, kids and pregnant moms.
Didactic Training
The fellow attends three didactic training seminars that meet on a weekly basis throughout the year. One seminar focuses on diagnosis and treatment of specific disorders. Another focuses on issues related to Pediatric Psychology. The third 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.
Program Faculty
Specialty Psychologists
The fellowship is accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation, 750 First St. NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242, (202) 336-5979. Email: apaacred@apa.org