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Approach to Training

Approch to Training

The CSUSM SHCS internship is based on the practitioner-scholar model. The program values experiential learning with formal supervision as well as informal opportunities to consult with staff as needed. The internship program also values research and critical thinking skills, and interns are encouraged to integrate recent research into their work and to learn about and employ evidenced based treatments. The training program also values collaboration and consultation, and interns are invited and encouraged to foster collaborative relationships with all members of the staff and the university community.

While our training program has structure, it maintains enough flexibility to be customized to the needs of individual interns. You will be asked to develop a list of goals that you would like to accomplish during the internship program. Your supervisor will give you feedback as to the practicality of the goals, and will help monitor your progress toward accomplishing the goals each semester.


Student Health and Counseling Services (SHCS) is a department within the Division of Student Affairs at California State University San Marcos (CSUSM). California State University San Marcos focuses on the student as an active participant in the learning process. As a Carnegie classified "community engaged" university, CSUSM students work closely with a faculty whose commitment to sustained excellence in teaching, research, and community partnership enhances student learning. The university offers rigorous undergraduate and graduate programs distinguished by exemplary teaching, innovative curricula, and the application of new technologies. CSUSM provides a range of services that respond to the needs of a student body with diverse backgrounds, expanding student access to an excellent and affordable education. As a public university, CSUSM grounds its mission in the public trust, alignment with regional needs, and sustained enrichment of the intellectual, civic, economic, and cultural life of our region and state.

The vision is that CSUSM will become a distinctive public university known for academic excellence, service to the community, and innovation in higher education. In its teaching and student services, CSUSM will combine the academic strengths of a large university with the personal interaction characteristic of smaller institutions. Students will select from a growing array of specialized programs responsive to state and regional needs. Our curriculum will emphasize a strong foundation in the liberal arts and sciences while it provides the knowledge, skills, competencies and experiences needed in a global society experiencing accelerated technological, social, and environmental change. A faculty of active scholars and artists will foster student learning through teaching that reflects ongoing discovery and experimentation, and that makes a difference in the life of our communities. CSUSM will celebrate and capitalize on its diversity to form a learning community committed to this shared vision.

CSUSM is an academic community dedicated to the values of:

  • Intellectual Engagement: learning, teaching, discovery, and application of knowledge
  • Community: shared commitments to service, teamwork, and partnership
  • Integrity: respect, honesty, trust, fairness, academic freedom and responsibility
  • Innovation: creativity, openness to change, flexibility, responsiveness, and future focus
  • Inclusiveness: individual and cultural diversity, and multiple perspectives

The mission of the Division of Student Affairs at CSUSM is to promote access to higher education, foster lifelong learning, and prepare students to be active and positive contributors in a diverse global community.
CSUSM’s Division of Student Affairs will provide a high impact, student-centered educational experience to ensure that students become positive and socially just contributors in a rapidly changing world.

The Division of Student Affairs is integral to the accomplishment of the University’s mission and is guided by the following values:

  • Respect: We value all members of our community and create an environment of care, respect, and empathy. We highly regard individuals and their contributions
  • Integrity: Sincerity, trust, and honesty are the foundations of our work. Our actions reflect good judgment, are congruent with professional standards, and match our expressed commitments.
  • Student Centered: Students are central to our mission. We are committed to our students' well-being, holistic development, and learning.