You may have noticed that our practice includes providers of different training levels. This allows us to offer high-quality mental health services that are difficult to access except through a private-pay structure, which is cost-prohibitive for many families. Trainees are closely supervised by Dr. Carter and Dr. Schwartz, who are involved in every aspect of the case. Here is a little about what each designation means:

• Licensed Clinical Psychologist

  • A licensed psychologist is able to practice independently without supervision. 

• Post-Doctoral Registered Psychological Associate

  • This designation means that the Associate has earned their doctoral degree, and is in the process of obtaining their 1,500 post-doctoral clinical hours as well as studying for and taking their licensing exams. Prior to earning their doctoral degree, they must have completed 4-6 years of graduate level training, including part- and full-time clinical placements. 

• Doctoral Practicum Trainee

  • Trainees are currently enrolled in their doctoral program (PhD or PsyD). SBPA hires advanced practicum students, meaning that they have already earned their Masters degree in Clinical Psychology and are generally in their second-to-last year of training before earning their doctorate. Upon training at SBPA, they have at least 2-3 years of graduate level experience in clinical work. 

Having our hard-working trainees allows our practice to bill insurance for many families, which - with the extremely low reimbursement rates and high administrative burden - would be unaffordable for a licensed practitioner. Our training model allows us to increase accessibility to high-quality assessments for our community while affording to keep our doors open for years to come.