With Dr. Bravina Kuni, Psychologist and Clinical Lead
Kinark’s Doctoral Residency Program in Child Clinical Psychology extends beyond traditional boundaries. Aspiring psychologists are not merely residents, but active learners in the art and science of mental health. Becoming a psychologist requires resilience, patience, empathy, dedication, communication, and curiosity, alongside an open-mindedness, an eagerness to learn, and so much more. The road to doctoral residency can perhaps be considered the road less travelled, but it is never walked alone.
At Kinark, the Doctoral Residency Program offers a unique learning experience with innovative practices supported by a multi-disciplinary team and it is where residents will learn the symbiosis between theory and compassionate evidence-based care in practice. The Doctoral Residency Program at Kinark is a 12-month program open to applicants enrolled in a quality Clinical Psychology Doctoral program with relevant coursework and practicum experience in child and adolescent psychology. This coveted annual program accepts applications in the autumn each year and then cultivates highly-skilled psychologists over the following academic year, providing a supportive and collaborative learning environment. This program provides clinical training for doctoral-level psychology students to prepare them for independent practice as professional and ethical psychologists working with children and youth with complex needs, and their families.
Over the residency year, residents can expect to increase their proficiency in comprehensive assessment, evidence-based individual and group interventions (e.g., Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy), consultation, and interprofessional consultation. “Residents have access to several formal training opportunities over the year, and they participate in weekly didactics where different psychologists take turns presenting on a range of topics” says Dr. Bravina Kuni, Psychologist and Clinical Lead at Kinark Child and Family Services.
So, what makes this program so unique? Two things separate Kinark’s program from other residency programs. First, at Kinark the focus is on evidence informed practice (e.g., adherence to comprehensive Dialectical and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). The Doctoral Residency Program at Kinark proudly maintains a reputation of quality, evidence-based learning, and competency-based supervision. Residents will learn how to use data to drive clinical decision-making and training plans are individualized for each resident in the program. These individual training plans are developed together between the resident and their supervisor to ensure their needs are being met. Second, some of the most complex kids in the province come through Kinark’s doors, and residents work with youth and families of diverse clinical and social presentations. For example, residents learn to target presenting problems ranging from anxiety or depression to more complex issues like self-harm and suicidal behaviour. “Depending on their learning interests, residents also have opportunities to work with clients in milieu settings, including day treatment and live-in treatment.” They can also work with clients in more differentiated clinical settings like secure treatment and through the Autism Services program.
With one of the largest psychology teams in the country, residents within this program will learn directly from Kinark’s psychology team, gaining access to a wealth of diverse psychological expertise. Residents work on interdisciplinary teams comprised of social workers, nurses, psychiatrists, and child and youth workers. Residents learn how to professionally collaborate with other disciplines to effectively solve problems, an experience that prepares them well for future work in any setting.
Kinark’s residency program has successfully prepared applicants for professional practice. Residents completing this program have subsequently been offered competitive positions in varied settings, including community-based mental health agencies and private practice.
When asked what she enjoys most about training the next generation of clinical psychologists, Dr. Kuni reflected on her own experience as a resident and how that informs her approach as one of the many resident supervisors. “I enjoy the enthusiasm, curiosity, and fresh ideas that residents inherently bring to their clinical work. It is also exciting to see how skilled the next generation of clinical psychologists are at viewing the youth and families that they work with through a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens. In doing so, they are creating a broader space for mental health treatment.”
The path of a psychology resident is, above all, a learning experience, which inherently includes moments of discomfort and growth, but it is a journey that every psychologist is familiar with. “When I reflect on my experience as a resident, two things stand out to me: the versatility of my training experiences and the modelling of work-life balance. I try to build comfort for residents in “wearing different hats” – for example, being able to flexibly shift in a day between doing psychological testing in the morning with an energetic child, providing consultation to teams, having a difficult session with a struggling adolescent, and co-facilitating a skills group with caregivers. I remind residents to give themselves permission to take moments to recharge, recognizing that being an effective psychologist is a marathon and not a sprint.”
Harrison McNaughtan, a current Psychology Resident at Kinark, shared that their experience during the residency program was an amazing experience within a very long training journey. “I have learned a great deal over the past year and most appreciate the personalized training and cases provided to me to accomplish the goals I outlined for myself at the beginning of residency. Kinark is a great training site for clinicians of all levels as they provide the structure, training, and community needed to do demanding clinical work. It is especially rich as a resident, being able to put your experience to the test and continue to push your training to new peaks.”
To learn more about the Doctoral Residency Program in Child Clinical Psychology at Kinark, go to https://www.kinark.on.ca/doctoral-residency-program-in-child-clinical-psychology/