Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

Postdoctoral Fellows

We are currently accepting applications for our postdoctoral fellowship positions in three interest areas:

  • Adult anxiety disorders and OCD
  • Child and adolescent anxiety disorders and OCD
  • Adult couples therapy and anxiety treatment

It is possible to combine training interests from the 3 tracks (e.g., a person may complete part adult anxiety/OCD & part couples therapy rotations).

​We are dedicated to providing state-of-the-art clinical training as we help to prepare our fellows for independent practice.

General Information

  • Positions available in all three tracks for the 2024-2025 academic year
  • Fellows will carry a caseload of approximately 20 individual clients (i.e., 20 patient-hours seen per week)
  • Fellows provide some administrative services within the clinic (4-6 hours/week)
  • Fellows may have opportunities to provide evidence-based group treatments
  • The position begins in early September; we offer a competitive salary. It may be possible to negotiate a flexible start date; please inquire.
  • Part-time postdoctoral positions may be possible (if interested, please inquire).
  • Our program will provide the clinical and supervision hours needed for licensure as a psychologist California.

Supervision

  • Each fellow will receive 2 hours of individual supervision each week
  • Each fellow will receive 1 hour of group supervision
  • Weekly group consultation meetings

Qualifications

  • Position is open to Ph.D. or Psy.D. from an APA-accredited doctoral program and completion of an APA-accredited pre-doctoral internship.
  • Fellows must register as a psychological assistant in California and complete all requirements of their degree prior to beginning clinical training at the California Psychology Center

Training Philosophy

Our mission in the CPC Postdoctoral Fellowship program is to provide advanced training in state-of-the art treatments for anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and trauma and related disorders, with a particular emphasis on using exposure-based treatment approaches. We espouse a scientist-practitioner model, integrating scientific data into our training and clinical work. We train fellows in integrative case conceptualization and treatment, drawing from gold standard evidence-based treatments, including:

  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
  • Exposure and response prevention (ERP)
  • Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
  • Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)
  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
  • Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy (CBASP)
  • Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)

Fit

The fit of training and supervision to a fellow’s current and future goals is extremely important. We are recruiting fellows with experience in CBT, including the third wave therapies such as ACT, mindfulness, and self-compassion. An important quality we are seeking is individuals who are excited about new learning and growth during fellowship. Our team is a group of lifelong learners who enjoy “sinking their teeth into” new ideas and perspectives, valuing curiosity, different perspectives, and openness to feedback.

We view fellowship year as an opportunity to begin to develop expertise and depth in an area of competence, while putting the “finishing touches” on one’s style and skills within supportive supervisor relationships. ​Our passion is to help our trainees develop trust in their clinical intuition and to use this to skillfully integrate evidence-based approaches. We have found that with the help of an attuned supervisory team, postdoctoral fellowship year is a time when many trainees find their voice and confidence and graduate ready to flourish as independent providers.

We help our trainees further understand their professional selves, bolstering their strengths and tending to professional growing edges. This often allows one’s authentic clinical voice to become more integrated prior to fully independent practice, and makes the job of being a therapist much more fluid and rewarding. We are dedicated to providing the same level of care and attention to our trainees that we give to our patients, and the result is often tremendous personal growth and excellent clinical outcomes.

Supervisors

  • Peter Aston, Psy.D. (adult track; child and adolescent track, couple track)
  • Katie Fracalanza, Ph.D. (adult track)
  • Keara Valentine, Psy.D. (child and adolescent track)
  • Sutha Johnson, Ph.D. (adult track)
  • Jen Buchholz, Ph.D. (adult track, couple track)

Non-discrimination policy

We are committed to creating an environment that is humble, positive and supportive of growth around individual and cultural differences. At CPC we do not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, physical attributes, veteran status, and marital status. This policy applies to hiring, opportunities for advancement, terminations, our use of contractors and consultants and the clients we serve.

Telehealth Practice

We are a telehealth practice and conduct all meetings, supervision, and therapy via Zoom. We occasionally meet in person as a team in the Bay Area for social events.

Next Steps

To apply for a postdoctoral fellowship/psychological assistant position with the California Psychology Center, please follow instructions on the Universal Psychology Postdoctoral Directory – APPIC. 

Questions

Please reach out to co-directors of training, Dr. Peter Aston (pete@californiapsychologycenter.com) and Dr. Katie Fracalanza (katie@californiapsychologycenter.com). We look forward to hearing from you!

​Thank you for your interest in joining our team. We look forward to reviewing your application materials!