The GPS Psychology Practicum Clinic operates from an evidence-based treatment philosophy, usually practicing from therapies that have been founded in learning theory (i.e., Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies (CBT/BT/CT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT)). That is, we have a professional and ethical responsibility to provide our patients with the best possible treatment to match their clinical needs. There are several clinical populations that clinicians work within (i.e., Health Psychology, behavioral therapies with child/adolescent populations, exposure-based therapies for a range of anxiety/ocd/trauma-related conditions, etc.).     Visit the American Psychological Association's (APA) webpage for the official guidelines. To this end, our practicum clinicians • Are up to date on state-of-the-art therapeutic interventions and manualized evidenced- based treatments, which have undergone rigorous peer-review research to assess improvement with specific clinical populations; • Receive specific initial and on-going training and supervision in evidence-based interventions; • Personalize evidence-based interventions to meet the unique needs of each patient; • Carefully and appropriately assess patients’ progress to ensure that patient needs are met. Treatment at the GPS Practicum Clinic involves the following: Phone Screen Callers requesting services talk to a clinician who asks some questions to assess the match between our services and caller needs. Callers either receive an appointment for intake or a referral to more appropriate services. Intake Assessment • Interview o Comprehensive initial interview to assess reasons for seeking treatment, goals for therapy, and diagnosis. • Assessments o Several questionnaires and assessments are used to collect additional information about the nature and severity of presenting concerns and to provide a baseline or comparison point for treatment progress. Treatment Planning Based on this initial assessment and further discussion between the patient and therapist, a treatment plan is collaboratively developed by the 4th session. This treatment plan involves specific treatment goals, interventions, and outcome measurement. Both therapist and patient participate in the creation of the treatment plan. This plan becomes the flexible road map to guide treatment. If a patient’s needs or wishes change, the treatment plan also changes. Treatment Treatment usually involves: • Weekly 50-minute sessions with the therapist; if exposure-based therapies are indicated, appointments may vary between 50 to 120-minute sessions • Weekly questionnaire assessments based on the treatment plan and will calculate clinically significant change (i.e., when symptom presentation has clinically significant levels of change) • Between-session homework to enhance progress Graduation from Treatment Treatment conclusion is a collaborative decision between therapist and patient based on goal progress, symptom measure data, and patient wishes. The final phase of treatment may involve a reduced frequency of sessions and a focus on increasing your ability to implement changes independently. Ultimately, our goal is for you to feel confident in your ability to manage issues on your own as they may arise and to recognize when you may benefit from coming back in for a session to brush up on your skills or target specific stressors proactively.  There has been substantial and exciting research indicating that when patients receive, gold-standard evidenced-based treatments, their symptoms not only improve, but neuroimaging can display significant structural changes.