Neuropsychology Track

The neuropsychology track supports 4 interns per year.  This includes 2 adult/geriatric neuropsychology concentration interns and 2 adult/pediatric neuropsychology concentration interns. 

The adult/geriatric neuropsychology concentration provides training experiences focusing on both general and older adult populations in the Emory Departments of Rehabilitation Medicine and Neurology. Rotation settings include the Emory Rehabilitation Hospital, Emory Brain Health Center, and Grady Health System. 

The adult/pediatric neuropsychology concentration provides training experiences focusing on both pediatric and adult populations. Rotation settings include the CHOA Center for Advanced Pediatrics, CHOA Arthur M. Blank Hospital, and the Emory Rehabilitation Hospital.

All interns across concentrations complete two 6-month diagnostic neuropsychological assessment major rotations with an emphasis on training in the comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation of persons living with neurologic injury and disease. Interns train in a range of clinical settings with diagnostically diverse patient populations living with neurological conditions such as acquired brain injury, neurodegenerative diseases, stroke, epilepsy, and neoplasm. Specifically, interns learn: (1) diagnostic interview techniques for neurological populations; (2) design of flexible test batteries to address referral questions; (3) neuropsychological test administration, scoring, and interpretation; (4) differential diagnosis of neuropsychological syndromes and disorders; (5) production of oral and written reports for lay persons and health care professionals; and (6) development of rehabilitation plans and recommendations. Interns are trained to provide consultation services for persons with neurological disorders and their families, and also to serve as consultants to medical staff, health care teams, and administrative systems. Specifically, interns are involved in clinical consultation with physicians and health care teams in formal settings such as medical rounds and team conferences. They also regularly provide consultative education to patients and families as well as case managers and health care administrators.

Neuropsychology interns across concentrations also complete two 6-month intervention-focused minor rotations that provide opportunities to gain experience with behavioral health interventions in neurological rehabilitation and/or psychiatric settings. These include experience in the provision of psychotherapy, cognitive rehabilitation, team consultation with inpatients and outpatients undergoing neurological rehabilitation, and/or intervention with psychiatric patients.

All neuropsychology track interns complete a 6-month general adult neurorehabilitation major rotation at the Emory Rehabilitation Hospital (ERH). In their general adult rotation at the ERH rehabilitation neuropsychology program, interns conduct outpatient comprehensive neuropsychological assessments.  They also receive training in formal cognitive rehabilitation using a manualized treatment program. 

Adult/geriatric neuropsychology concentration interns complete a 6-month adult/older adult major rotation in the Emory Brain Health Center (EBHC) neurology program. In this rotation, interns gain experience conducting outpatient neuropsychological assessments primarily with older adult outpatients with dementia, mild cognitive impairment, epilepsy, and movement disorders. Interns also spend time in the memory clinic at the Grady Health System Marcus Stroke and Neuroscience Center, where they conduct brief evaluations of neurological memory disorders, consult with the neurology team on the results of these evaluations, and provide feedback to patients on evaluation findings.

Adult/pediatric neuropsychology concentration interns complete a 6-month pediatric major rotation at the CHOA Center for Advanced Pediatrics (CAP). In their pediatric major rotation at CAP, interns conduct neuropsychological assessments with children and adolescents living with a range of neuropsychological conditions. On occasion, supervised experience in conducting Wada tests and cortical language mapping in temporal lobe epilepsy surgery candidates is available.

All neuropsychology track interns complete two 6-month minor intervention-focused rotations. Interns have elective choice of clinical settings and populations for both minor rotation experiences. 

During their adult major rotation, all neuropsychology track interns can elect to pursue a minor rotation in adult rehabilitation psychology at the ERH. In this training experience, interns work with rehabilitation inpatients and outpatients undergoing a program of comprehensive rehabilitation, including physical, occupational, and speech therapy for neurological conditions that typically are of recent onset (mainly stroke or traumatic brain injury although other diagnoses are possible). Interns provide diagnostic interviewing and psychotherapy to address depression, anxiety, and other adjustment issues that may be affecting patient rehabilitation. Family therapy and a limited degree of sexual counseling may also be needed. Interns also consult and work with the interdisciplinary rehabilitation teams.

While on their adult neurology major rotation at the EBHC, adult/geriatric neuropsychology concentration interns may opt to complete an elective minor rotation in neuropsychological intervention that involves training in the provision of a range of clinical strategies and techniques targeting the cognitive, emotional, psychosocial, and/or behavioral consequences of neurological conditions. Interns gain experience in conducting brief evidence-based individual interventions, along with group-based cognitive training in the EBHC Cognitive Empowerment Program. This program offers a constellation of strategies and technologies aimed at empowering individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to remain functionally independent. Interns conduct brief assessment batteries to evaluate cognitive and emotional functioning at baseline and track changes over time, facilitate group discussions focusing on compensatory techniques for managing cognitive loss, and assist/monitor patients in brain stimulation activities (e.g., computer administered programs). Finally, interns serve as members of an interdisciplinary team that identifies goal setting activities for individuals with MCI and their care partners.

During their pediatric major rotation, adult/pediatric neuropsychology concentration interns can elect to pursue a pediatric psychology minor rotation in the inpatient cardiac or rehabilitation units at a CHOA hospital site. This rotation includes experience in psychological intervention with pediatric-medical populations experiencing emotional, behavioral, and adjustment disorders secondary to complications of cardiac disease/injury (e.g., congenital heart disease, acute cardiac illness, stroke, heart transplant) or a variety of acute and chronic diagnoses requiring comprehensive rehabilitation (e.g., traumatic and acquired brain injuries, tumors and cancer, stroke, meningitis/encephalitis, spinal cord and orthopedic injuries, cerebral palsy, developmental and genetic disorders, burns, amputations, chronic pain, functional neurological symptom disorders). Interns assist with diagnostic interviews with caregivers, assess patients' emotional and behavioral functioning, and participate in developing and implementing individual and family interventions. Interns also assist with providing intervention within the interdisciplinary medical teams.

All neuropsychology track interns also may elect to complete minor rotations in general psychiatric settings at Grady Health System (GHS). Interns can select from among multiple options, examples of which include: psychiatric diagnostic interview assessments and brief psychotherapy intervention at the Behavioral Health Outpatient Center; psychosocial rehabilitation evaluation and intervention with individuals living with serious mental health conditions in the Action in Recovery Program; trauma-focused intervention in the Nia Project; evaluation and intervention with patients under observation for acute psychiatric conditions (e.g., severe depression, acute mania, psychotic episodes) in the Crisis Intervention Service (CIS); and psychiatric diagnostic interviewing, intervention, and interdisciplinary consultation in an HIV primary care setting at the Ponce de Leon Center. Additional minor rotation options at GHS also are possible depending on the interests and training needs of interns and the availability of faculty supervisors for these training experiences.

Along with rotation-specific intervention experiences, all neuropsychology interns carry one required long-term intervention case at the ERH throughout the internship year. Long-term intervention cases typically present with a combination of neurological and psychiatric conditions and associated physical, emotional, and cognitive challenges to adaptation and well-being. Intervention utilizes a combination of cognitive rehabilitation therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Interns receive weekly long-term intervention supervision conducted in a group format. 

Elective psychotherapy mini-rotations are also offered for interns who are interested in gaining experience with a specific evidence-based psychotherapy modality. These optional psychotherapy training experiences typically involve a time commitment of 2 ½ hours per week (including psychotherapy provision and didactic instruction/supervision) for up to 6 months. Psychotherapy modalities currently offered through the mini-elective include Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders, and Time-Limited Dynamic Psychotherapy.

Neuropsychology track interns gain experience in providing clinical supervision of junior trainees during the internship year. Supervisees typically are psychology graduate students who are enrolled in neuropsychology practicum experiences. Interns supervise practicum students on neuropsychological assessment activities, including test administration and scoring, data integration, and possible report writing.  All interns serve as clinical supervisors during their adult rotation at the ERH. When scheduling permits, adult/pediatric neuropsychology concentration interns also may have opportunities to supervise practicum students in a pediatric neuropsychological assessment setting. Additionally, during the first part of the internship year interns participate in a faculty-led supervision of supervision training group.

Professional mentoring of interns by faculty is incorporated as a formal element of the training experience for interns. The purpose of the mentoring experience is to provide opportunities for interns to explore and discuss aspects of professional development, examples of which include the internship experience, work-life balance, navigating the process of applying for postdoctoral residency training, and career-related professional trajectory issues. Neuropsychology track interns meet with faculty in regularly scheduled group mentoring sessions in which topics pertaining to preparation for a neuropsychology career specialization are explored. Informal individual mentoring is regularly provided as requested.

The extensive supervision provided during the internship year is a major strength of the training program.  Interns have at least one supervisor for each service setting on a given rotation and receive a minimum of 4 hours of supervision per week, though the number of weekly supervisory hours typically exceed this amount. The format for supervision varies with the setting, the supervisor, and the specific training needs of a given intern. At the beginning of each rotation, interns meet with their supervisor(s) to discuss clinical responsibilities and supervisor/intern expectations and training goals. Interns receive feedback on performance during weekly supervision sessions. At the conclusion of each rotation, interns receive written feedback on their performance. If competency areas requiring strengthening are noted, the supervisor and intern jointly develop a plan for addressing them. Interns also complete written evaluations of their supervisors.

Supervision modalities are varied, and may include individual or group supervision, review of process notes, use of audio or video recordings, live supervision and/or co-therapy. Direct observation is a part of all supervised work. In addition to its focus on clinical skill development, supervision also emphasizes consideration of contextual, cultural, and relational factors as they relate to clinical practice. Supervision may also include a person of the psychotherapist focus on addressing the trainees’ personal and professional reactions to their patients in order to facilitate an understanding of how these factors may influence clinical encounters with patients. Consistent with a developmental framework for internship training, supervision typically progresses over the course of the training year from a more didactic focus on specific clinical skill building processes to supporting the professional autonomy and increasingly independent clinical decision-making of interns. 

Consistent with the generalist training philosophy of the internship program, interns across all tracks attend a weekly Psychology Intern Core Seminar.  Interns also attend select Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences Grand Rounds, which include lectures by national and international leaders in the field.  Additionally, the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences offers 4 (or more) 3-hour continuing education programs for practicing psychologists in the Atlanta region per academic year. While not required, neuropsychology interns can elect to attend these continuing education programs.

Neuropsychology track interns also participate in a variety of specialty rotation-specific didactic activities. During their adult rotation, interns attend a weekly 2-hour clinical neuropsychology case seminar. Adult/geriatric neuropsychology concentration interns also attend this seminar during their geriatric rotation, along with a geriatric rotation neuropsychology case conference, an Alzheimer’s consensus conference, and select Department of Neurology Grand Rounds.  Adult/pediatric neuropsychology concentration interns participate in a weekly 1-hour pediatric neuropsychology advanced training seminar. They also have the opportunity to co-lead with a faculty supervisor a weekly 1-hour pediatric neuropsychology practicum student seminar.