A Brief Guide to INTERNSHIP 015/025/035

ROLE OF ACADEMIC COUNSELLOR

The academic counselor is expected to confirm the suitability of the organization/ agency where
the learner has been placed. During the course of the internship, the learner is expected to
regularly interact and report about the cases taken by him/ her to the academic counselor, who in
turn will discuss the cases with learner and clarify any doubts in the learner’s mind. The report
pertaining to the cases is to be corrected by the academic counselor. The academic counsellor is
expected to evaluate the learner on the basis of the report written, intervention designed by the
learner and the overall understanding of the cases displayed by the learner.

ROLE OF AGENCY SUPERVISOR

The agency supervisor has to provide the learner with suitable cases that will be handled by the
learner under his/ her supervision. S/he should provide at least two cases to the learner for
observation of invervention being carried out. To the extent possible the agency supervisor may
try to provide the learner with diverse cases. The agency supervisor will evaluate the learner on
the basis of his/ her sincerity and professional competence, on the basis of assessment ( case
history taking, Mental Status Examination, Interview, Psychological Testing etc.) conducted by
the
learner, interaction with the patients/ clients/ employees and overall impression.

SELECTION OF AGENCY
The selection of an agency can be made by academic counselors or learners themselves. If
learner selects the agency, s/he must inform the programme incharge/academic counselor at the
study centre about the training agencies. After finding out the suitability of these agencies
suggested by the learner the programme incharge academic counsellor can decide to use that
particular agency for learner’s placement. If any agency or setting selected initially does not
provide the needed
exposure to learners, the same can be given up and another similar agency may be selected in
place of it. While selecting organizations for internship, the learners should preferably approach
reputed/ established organizations in the particular field.

In the field of Clinical Psychology, the following organizations may be approached.

1. Government Hospitals
2. Government Psychiatric and Mental Health Institutions
3. Reputed Private Hospitals
4. Private Clinics (Psychiatrists/ Clinical Psychologists) functioning for minimum three years
5. Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs), registered and functioning for minimum three
years.
6. Other organizations like rehabilitation centres, half way homes registered and functioning for
minimum three years.

In the field of Counselling Psychology, the following organizations may be approached.

1. Government Schools/ Colleges having school counsellors
2. Private Schools having Schools Counsellors
3. Guidance and CounsellingCentres in the Universities
4. Government Hospitals and other organizations e.g. (NACO, State AIDS Control Society),
dealing with counseling issues.
5. Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs), registered and functioning for minimum three
years.
6. Private CounsellingCentres registered and functioning for minimum three years.
7. Other organizations like orphanages, old age homes, rehabilitation centres, half way homes
registered and functioning for minimum three years.

In the field of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, the following organizations may be
approached.
1. Public Sector Units
2. Manufacturing industry with Human Resource Department/ Personnel Department with at
least five employees.
3. Nationalized and Private Banks with Human Resource Department/ Personnel Department
4. Hotels and other service industries with Human Resource Department/ Personnel Department
with at least five employees.

To carry out internship in organizations that do not comply with the above requirements, the
learner will have to submit the organizational profile to the programme incharge/ academic
counsellor. They will then decide about the suitability of the organization to carry out internship.

GUIDELINES FOR LEARNERS

Learners/trainees must follow the standards of ethical and professional conduct required of
psychologists working in different fields. If progress in any of these areas is not satisfactory, the
learner will be advised to improve his/her behavior/performance. Each agency/organization has
its own ethical and professional standards. The learners need to adhere to these standards and
display professionalism in their manner and functioning. If the learners face any difficulties/
problem/ conflicts at the agency/organization, the same may be reported to the academic
counselor/ programme incharge. The academic counselor may then discuss the matter with the
learner as well as the academic supervisor and try to sort out the problem. The learner will have
to submit a Declaration (appendix- I) to the programme incharge/ academic counselor before
starting with the internship. The learner has to maintain a diary regarding his/ her activities of
each day at the agency/ organization where s/he is carrying out internship. The diary will help
the learner in further discussion and clarifications with regard to cases with agency supervisor/
academic counselor.

ACTIVITIES TO BE CARRIED OUT DURING THE INTERNSHIP IN

CLINICAL
PSYCHOLOGY
Assessment and diagnosis, including interviewing, case history taking, administration of
psychological tests, scoring and interpretation of the test results and arriving at a correct
diagnosis of the problem. Trainees may be involved in providing individual and group
psychotherapy, behavioural treatment, assessment, and working with an interdisciplinary
treatment team. The learners have to complete their 240 hours of required internship while they
are taking courses in the program.

ORGANISATIONS/ AGENCIES FOR UNDERTAKING INTERNSHIP

1) Children’s Centre/NGO serving children and adolescents.
2) Agencies catering to population with severe emotional disturbances requiring psychiatric
treatment.
3) Community mental health centers serving children, adolescents, adults, and geriatric
populations. Client problems may include moderate to severe family and individual
dysfunctions. Services provided include individual assessment, individual, family, and group
therapy. Some agencies focus on specific populations, such as patients with life-threatening
illnesses or sexual problemslike HIV/AIDS/STD. These also may be taken up.

4) State hospital with clients from every age group.

5) Counseling centers where clients range in age from late adolescence through 60’s, suffering
from problems such as adjustment disorders, mood disorders, psychotic disorders, alcohol/ drug
problems, career decision making and learning disabilities. Trainees may participate in
individual psychotherapy, group psychotherapy, outreach consultation, vocational testing and
counseling, psychological assessment, and learning disability assessment.
6) Correctional institution, wherein the inmates with problems ranging from adjustment issues to
severe persistent mental disorders, to facing crises could be attended to by the learners during the
training. For example, learners may do assessment, consultation, and group and individual
psychological interventions.
7) Children’s Home, Home for women, special homes for the handicapped, home for beggars,
mental hospitals, nursing homes dealing with mentally ill persons, where assessment
consultation and group and individual therapies are carried on.

SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS FROM LEARNERS IN CLINICAL SETTING

The learner will take up 10 cases for interviewing and case history and these will be referred to
the learner by the agency supervisor over a period of time. The agency supervisor could be a
psychologist or a psychiatrist. The learner will conduct the initial interview and also the Mental
Status Examination. The initial interview will contain information about the following in the
given order even though depending on the case, the order may be somewhat altered. The intake
information to be taken is given in the box.

Intake information
Registration No: Address:
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Educational qualification:
Occupation:
Income:
Marital status:
patients stays with parents:
stays with spouse:
has any siblings, if so, how many:
What is the position of the patient in the family: Eldest, middle or youngest or only child:
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Any one in the family is suffering/has suffered from any mental disorder:
Anyone in the family is suffering/has suffered from any physical disorders:
Presenting complaints: (This should be recorded as the patient narrates what he is feeling in
the order in which the patient is stating it):
Date of onset of illness (The first attack):
Precipitating factor if any:
Duration of illness:
Intensity of illness (on a scale of 10):
Treatment taken:
Got well at any time in between; duration of such period of wellness:
Was there any precipitating factor at each relapse:
How many relapses:
Any other treatment tried in between:
What was the effect:
In what ways the illness causes inconvenience?
 Has to take leave from work place / school/ college
 Cannot carry on even the routine works
 Has to depend on others for everything
 Want to lie down and take rest
 Don’t want to do anything
 Any other
Interview with family members:
 Their view point in regard to all of the above.
 In what ways the illness causes them inconvenience?
All the above things need to be recorded in detail as told by the patient/family members.
After case history taking, the next thing to do is to conduct a Mental Status Examination (MSE).
This is given below in detail.

Mental Status Examination (MSE)

Definition: A Mental Status Examination (MSE) is an assessment of a patient’s level of
cognitive
(knowledge-related) ability, appearance, emotional mood, and speech and thought patterns at the
time of evaluation. It is one part of a full neurologic (nervous system) examination and includes
the examiner’s observations about the patient’s attitude and cooperativeness as well as the
patient’s answers to specific questions.
Purpose: The purpose of a mental status examination is to assess the presence and extent of a
person’s mental impairment. The cognitive functions that are measured during the MSE include
the person’s sense of time, sense of place and personal identity, memory, speech, general
intellectual level, mathematical ability, insight or judgment, and reasoning or problem-solving
ability.
The MSE is an important part of the differential diagnosis of dementia and other psychiatric
symptoms or disorders. The MSE results may suggest specific areas for further testing or specific
types of required tests. MSE can also be given repeatedly to monitor or document changes in a
patient’s condition.
Precautions: The MSE cannot be given to a patient who
 cannot pay attention to the examiner, for example as a result of being in a coma or being
unconscious; or
 is completely unable to speak (aphasic); or
 Is not fluent in the language of the examiner.
Description: Given below is the description of all aspects of MSE to be conducted. The case
history and Mental Status Examination (MSE) are the most important diagnostic tools to make
an accurate diagnosis. Although these important tools have been standardized in their own right,
they remain primarily subjective measures that begin the moment the patient enters the
psychologist’s room.
Steps to be followed are given here:
Step 1: The psychologist must pay close attention to the following regarding the patient:
 Patient’s presentation
 Patient’s personal appearance
 Patient’s social interaction with office staff and others in the waiting area
 Whether the patient is accompanied by someone (This helps to determine if the patient has
social support)
The above few observations can provide important information about the patient that may not
otherwise be revealed through interviewing or one-to-one conversation.
Step 2: When patient enters the office, pay close attention to the following:
 Note the personal grooming
 Note things as obvious as hygiene

 Note things such as whether the patient is dressed appropriately according to the season
 Note if patient is talking to himself or herself in the waiting area
 Note if the patient is pacing up and down outside the office door
 Record all observations
These types of observations are important and may offer insight into the patient’s illness.
Step 3: Establish rapport
The next step for the psychologist is to establish adequate rapport with the patient by introducing
himself or herself. Speak directly to the patient during this introduction, pay attention to whether
the patient is maintaining eye contact. Mental notes such as these may aid in guiding the
interview later. Note if patients appear uneasy as they enter the office, then immediately attempt
to ease the situation by offering small talk or even a cup of water. Many people feel more at ease
if they can have something in their hands. This reflects an image of genuine concern to patients
and may make the interview process much more relaxing for them. A complete MSE is more
comprehensive and
evaluates the following ten areas of functioning:
1) Appearance. The psychologist notes the person’s age, sex, and overall appearance. These
features are significant because poor personal hygiene or grooming may reflect a loss of interest
in self care or physical inability to bathe or dress oneself.
2) Movement and behavior. The psychologist observes the person’s gait (manner of
walking), posture, coordination, eye contact, facial expressions, and similar behaviors. Problems
with walking or coordination may reflect a disorder of the central nervous system.
3) Affect. Affect refers to a person’s outwardly observable emotional reactions. It may include
either a lack of emotional response to an event or an overreaction.
4) Mood. Mood refers to the underlying emotional “atmosphere” or tone of the person’s
answers. Whether the person is in a sad mood, happy mood, angry mood etc.
5) Speech. The psychologist evaluates the following:
a) the volume of the person’s voice
b) the rate or speed of speech
c) the length of answers to questions
d) the appropriateness of the answers
e) clarity of the answers and similar characteristics
6) Thought content. The examiner assesses what the patient is saying for indications of
the following which are indicative of certain typical disorders. Each of the following will have to
be checked by the learner/ trainee.

Hallucinations: Hallucinations are false or distorted sensory experiences that appear to be

real perceptions. These sensory impressions are generated by the mind rather than by any
external stimuli, and may be seen, heard, felt, and even smelt or tasted.
To test for hallucination the question to be asked is:
 Do you sometimes hear some voice telling you to do something or not to do something?
 Do you sometimes hear some voice when no one is present?
 Do you feel that someone is talking about you and loudly saying whatever you are doing?
Delusions: A delusion is an unshakable belief in something untrue. These irrational beliefs
defy normal reasoning, and remain firm even when overwhelming proof is presented to dispute
them.
To test for delusions the questions to be asked are
 Do you sometimes feel that people are after you?
 Do you sometimes feel that people are talking about you?
 Do you sometimes feel that your phone is tapped?
 Do you sometimes feel people are overhearing your conversation?
Dissociation: Dissociation refers to the splitting off of certain memories or mental processes
from conscious awareness. Dissociative symptoms include feelings of unreality,
depersonalization, and confusion about one’s identity. The questions to be asked would include:
 What is your name?
 Who are you?
 What work do you do?
 Do you sometimes feel that you do not know who you are?
Obsessions: a persistent unwanted idea or impulse that cannot be eliminated by reasoning.
To find out about the obsessions, the questions to be asked include the following:
 Do you feel that a particular thought keep coming to your mind again and again despite your
not wanting it?
 Do you feel sometimes a strange idea or feeling which you think is not correct and however
much you try the thought does not go?
 Do you find sometimes an impulse to keep washing your hands or other things at home even
though you know it is unwarranted?
7) Thought process. Thought process refers to the logical connections between thoughts
and their relevance to the main thread of conversation. Irrelevant detail, repeated words and
phrases, interrupted thinking (thought blocking), and loose, illogical connections between
thoughts, may be signs of a thought disorder. These can be noted by the psychologist and
recorded as and when these occur.
8) Cognition. Cognition refers to the act or condition of knowing.
The evaluation assesses the person’s
 Orientation (ability to locate himself or herself) with regard to time. Ask the person what time
is it now?
 Orientation to place (Ask the person where are you now)
 Orientation to personal identity (Ask who are you and what your name is)
 Long- and short-term memory (Ask the person what he had for breakfast. To test long
term memory, ask him to tell the name of the school in which he studied.)
 ability to perform simple arithmetic (counting backward by threes or sevens)
 general intellectual level or fund of knowledge (identifying the last five Presidents, or
similar questions)
 ability to think abstractly (explaining a proverb)
 ability to name specified objects and read or write complete sentences (Show some
objects and ask the person to name the same. Show simple sentences and ask the
person to read or write the same.)
 ability to understand and perform a task (showing the examiner how to comb one’s hair or
throw a ball )
 ability to draw a simple map or copy a design or geometrical figure (Draw a design like square
or a triangle and ask the person to draw it after you.)
 ability to distinguish between right and left. (Touch the person’s left hand and ask what hand is
it. Same thing repeat with the right hand.)
9) Judgment. The examiner asks the person what he or she would do about a commonsense
problem, such as running out of a prescription medication. Or ask the person what he would
do if he or she finds a sealed envelope on the road)
10)Insight. Insight refers to a person’s ability to recognize a problem and understand its nature
and severity. (Do you think you are ill? If the person says he or she is not ill and that the family
member who has brought him or her is ill, that shows lack of insight).

Note: The length of time required for a Mental Status Examination depends on the patient’s
condition. It may take as little as five minutes to examine a healthy person. Patients with speech
problems or intellectual impairments, dementia, or other organic brain disorders may require
fifteen or twenty minutes. The examiner may choose to spend more time on certain portions of
the MSE and less time on others, depending on the patient’s condition and answers. After the
Mental Status Examination is over, record the entire thing in detail. Then take up the interview
with the family member or members who have accompanied the patient.

The interview with the family members

The interview with family members should cover all aspects that are covered in the interview
with the patient. In addition the following need to be covered.
Relationship: Patient’s relationship with family member:
 If unmarried: With Mother
Father
Brothers
Sisters
Any other relative staying with patient
 With Friends: How many friends does the patient have? How does the patient relate to them?
 With neighbours
 With school and class mates
 With the teachers in school
 With other authority figures
 With playmates
 In the games field
Educational history:
 In School / College:
 How is the patient in studies and academic performance?
 Does the patient come up to the expectations of parents and teachers?
 How has the performance been over the years?
 Do they find that there is sudden deterioration in studies and academic performance?
 Have they received any complaints from the school authorities regarding the patient’s
performance?
 Since when have they noted that the patient is not the same in regard to academics as he or she
used to be?
 Have they done anything about it so far? If so, what?
 Had there been any improvement after their efforts?
 When did they decide to consult a mental health specialist?
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Work history:
 What occupation is the patient involved?
 How regular is the patient for work?
 Has the patient been complaining about work place? If so what?
 Has the patient been on leave? If so for how long?
 When was the time they noticed that the patient was reluctant to go for work?
 What reasons were given by patient for not attending to work?
 Generally how has the patient been fairing in work?
 Has there been any complaint about non performance etc. about the patient?
 What is their perception about patient’s relationship in the workplace?
With Boss:
With colleagues:
With subordinates:
 Has the patient ever mentioned about any one bothering at workplace? How much importance
have they given to patient’s such complaints?
If Married: Relationship with spouse in terms of
 Day to day dealings
 Sex life
 Work relationship (if spouse is working)
 Relationship with children
 Relationship with opposite sex persons
 Decision making (who takes the decision – spouse or self)
 Sharing of work at home with the spouse
 Relationship with spouse’s relatives
 Relationship with spouse’s friends

Record every issue in detail verbatim, that is as is being narrated by the patient’s family
members.
All these cases should be written verbatim in a narrative style. What questions were asked by the
psychologist and what answer was given by the patient. At the time of answering the questions
how was the patient answering? (For instance was the patient hesitating? Was the patient free in
communicating? Was the patient evading any question? Was the patient focusing on the
interview? Was the patient getting easily diverted and distracted? Had the questions to be
repeated a number of times before the patient replied? What was the general demeanour of the
patient while answering
in the interview session? Was the patient in a hurry to finish the interview and go off? Was the
patient showing unwillingness to continue with the interview? Was there a pause in the replies to
certain questions? Was the patient cooperative and ready to answer? Was the patient showing
concern about the illness? )

An example of how to write the interview session is given below:

Patient’s name:
Interview No: Date:
Session No: Time:
Purpose of the Interview:
The patient was referred to me for taking a detailed case history and Mental Status Examination.
Start of the session:
The patient Mr. X came in. He looked a little confused as to whether he was in the right place. I
saw the patient entering and told him to please come in. I then offered the seat opposite to my
chair to sit. He was accompanied by his wife and son who appeared around 20 years old. I
offered them also a seat. However as the interview started I asked Mr. X if it would be all right
we both talked alone and his wife and son waited for a while outside. It is always important that
we meet the patient alone first and hear the patient’s version before interviewing those who
accompany the patient. The reason is that such behaviour on the part of the psychologist makes
the patient feel that he is a person of worth and capable of telling him many things that he would
like to. This is the first step in establishing rapport. However if the patient is violent, unruly and
is not coherent and cannot talk etc., it would be better to talk to the family members who
accompany the patient.
Patient’s appearance: The patient was well dressed, neat and clean. He looked depressed and also
anxious. He looked a little nervous and confused.
He sat down and was rubbing his hands as if he is anxious and nervous.
I decided to make sure that the patient is comfortable and told him that he is in the right place. I
am a psychologist working here and would like to talk to him.
Mr. X smiled and said that he knew I am a clinical psychologist and wondered why he has been
referred to me. I said, well, if you tell me about yourself and the problem for which you
approached the hospital, I will be able to tell you why you are here.
I continued as I found the patient silent. I asked him if he had any particular problem or illness or
symptoms that are bothering him. May be I could help if he tells me something about the reason
for his approaching the hospital. Then Mr. X started to tell me that he has not been doing well for
the past few months. He is constantly sad, depressed and disinterested in life in general. He has
no inclination to go to work nor does he want to stir out of his room despite his wife and children
trying to make him get up and talk to them etc. (He looked sad and sounded worried. I nodded
my head to indicate that I understand his problem and asked him to continue.)
Symptoms as told by Mr.X : (To be clearly written)
……………………………………………….
……………………………………………….
Next question:
The patient’s reply (along with the learner’s observations):
How did the interview session end?
For example, as the time allotted to the patient was one hour, I ended the interview in the
following manner.
Mr. X. I think today we have discussed your problem particularly from the relationship and your
experience angles. It has been possible to understand when your problems started what
precipitated it and how you have been handling the same. Your efforts are really appreciated.
However there are many things we need to discuss with each other. For instance, the difficulties
you are facing in your office and your relationship with your family members in the last few
years need further exploration. Do you think I have understood your problems correctly? Would
you like to come for another session sometimes next week as is convenient to you? Can we fix
up next Thursday 12 p.m. for the next session? May be we will like to give some psychological
tests which may help us and you to understand your problem better. The patient responded he
would like to come next week at the time specified which was suitable to him also. We both
stood up, and shook hands and the patient took leave.
My observation: When the patient left I found that he was looking slightly more relaxed and
smiled before he left. My feeling is that his talking about his problems and verbalizing his
feelings had relaxed him conside rably.
Plan of action: Continue the interview and gather more information about the dynamics
underlying the various conflicts that he has expressed. I need also to talk to his family members
to understand the problem from their points of view.
The purpose with which today’s session was started was achieved.
Important: Everything being told by the patient and by the learner should be recorded
verbatim as given above. The impressions that the learner has about the patient and the manner
in which the patient answers, the various gestures that the patient makes, the hesitation between
sentences, the gaps and the time taken to answer question, the discomfort expressed by the
patient etc should all be noted.

This would show to the agency supervisor how far the learner has
been
able to empathize with the patient, how far the learner has put
across the questions in the right manner and what kind of questions
have been asked which are not relevant etc. The report should be
written in plain sheets, with 1 inch margin on the left side and 2
inches margin on the right side so that the supervisor could write
his or her comments and indicate the errors in the interview and
also indicate what more questions and in what manner should have
been asked.

ROLE OF THE AGENCY SUPERVISOR

The supervisor should read up all the cases submitted by the learner and then discuss the same
with the learner. For this there is a need to schedule a learner-supervisor conference as and when
needed but at least once a month. This conference should focus on the works of the learner. The
work is discussed and the learner is given guidance as to how to proceed in the next session with
the patient etc. The supervisor can also give the learner some materials to read if necessary and
point out the errors as well as the correctness of the interview and whether the skills required
were present in the interview that he or she conducted. The supervisor may advise the learner on
professional development when the learner questions about whether the interview conducted was
in order. The supervisor must make sure that the learner is not demoralized in any way and
reinforce the positive aspects in the learner while pointing out clearly how the errors could be
omitted and what the learner should do on his or her part.
These 10 cases of case history and intake interview and MSE would equip learners on all these
three skills including how to conduct an interview with ease, how to establish rapport with the
patient etc.

ACTIVITIES TO BE CARRIED OUT DURING INTERNSHIP IN

COUNSELLING
PSYCHOLOGY
Assessment and diagnosis, including interviewing, case history taking, administration of
psychological tests, scoring and interpretation of the test results and arriving at a correct
diagnosis of the problem. Trainees may be involved in providing individual and group
psychotherapy, behavioural treatment, assessment, and working with an interdisciplinary
treatment team. The learners have to complete their 240 hours of required internship while they
are taking courses in the program.

ORGANISATIONS/ AGENCIES FOR UNDERTAKING INTERNSHIP

1) Schools
2) Hospitals
3) Private clinics
4) NGOs/Welfare agencies providing service for women and children and other deprived
population
5) Correctional institutions
6) Child Guidance Centres/clinics

SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS FROM LEARNERS IN COUNSELLING

SETTING The
learner/trainee will take up 10 cases for interviewing and case history. These will be referred to
the learner by the agency supervisor over a period of time. The agency supervisor can be a
psychologist or a trained counselor. The learner will conduct the initial interview which will
contain information about the following in the given order even though depending on the case,
the order may be somewhat altered. The intake information to be taken is given in the box.

Intake information in the box

Registration No: Address:
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Educational qualification:
Occupation:
Income:
Marital status:
Whether client stays with parents:
Whether client stays with spouse:
Whether have any siblings, if so how many:
What is the position of the client in the family: Eldest, middle or youngest or only child:
Any one in the family having conflicts:
Anyone in the family is suffering/has suffered from any physical disorders:
Presenting problem: (This should be recorded as the client narrates)
Date of onset of the problem:
Precipitating factor if any:
Duration of problem:
Any counseling taken:
How intense is the problem and how does it affect the client?
 has to take leave from work place / school/ college
 Cannot carry on even the routine work
 Does not want to do anything
Interview with family members/spouse/the concerned person
 Their view point in regard to all of the above
 The interview with family members should cover all aspects that are covered in the interview
with the client. In addition the following need to be covered.
Relationship: Patient’s relationship with family members:
 If unmarried: With Mother
Father
Brothers
Sisters
Any other relative staying with patient
 With friends: How many friends does the patient have? How does the patient relate to them?
 With neighbours
 With school and class mates
 With the teachers in school
 With other authority figures
 With playmates
 In the games field
Educational history:
 In School / College:
 How is the client in studies and academic performance?
 Does the client come up to the expectations of parents and teachers?
 How has the performance been over the years?
 Do they find that there is sudden deterioration in studies and academic performance?
 Have they received any complaints from the school authorities regarding the client’s
performance?
 Since when have they noted that the client is not the same in regard to academics as he or she
used to be?
 Had they done anything about it so far? If so what?
 After their efforts had there been any improvement?
 When did they decide to consult a counselor?
Work history:
 What occupation is the client involved?
 How regular is the client for work?
 Has the client been complaining about work place? If so what?
 Generally how has the client been fairing in work?
 What is their perception about client’s relationship in the workplace?
With Boss:
With colleagues:
With subordinates:
If Married: Relationship with spouse in terms of
 Day to day dealings
 Sex life
 Work relationship (if spouse is working)
 Relationship with children
 Relationship with opposite sex persons
 Decision making (who takes the decision – spouse or self)
 Sharing of work at home with the spouse
 Relationship with spouse’s relatives
 Relationship with spouse’s friends
Record every issue in detail verbatim, that is as is being narrated by the patient’s family
members. All the cases should be written verbatim in a narrative style. What questions were
asked by the psychologist and what answer was given by the client. At the time of answering the
questions how was the client answering? (For instance was the client hesitating? Was the client
free in communicating? Was the client evading any question? Was the client focusing on the
interview? What was the general demeanour of the client while answering in the interview
session? Was the client in a hurry to finish the interview and go off? Was the client showing
unwillingness to continue with the interview?

An example of how to write the interview session is given below:

Client’s name:
Interview No: Date:
Session No: Time:
Purpose of the Interview:
The client was referred to me for taking a detailed case history.
Start of the session:
The client Ms.Y came in. I greeted her and asked her to please come in and take her seat. She
was accompanied by her husband. I offered him also a seat. However as the interview started I
asked Ms.Y if it would be all right we both talked alone and her husband waited for a while
outside. It is always important that we meet the client alone first and hear her version before
interviewing those who accompany. The reason is that such a behaviour on the part of the
psychologist makes the client feel good and contributes to establishing rapport quickly. The
client’s appearance: The client was well dressed, neat and clean. She looked bright but somewhat
anxious. I decided to make sure that the client is comfortable and told her that she can make
herself at home here and whatever she would tell me will be kept completely confidential. Only
that information which she says can be passed on to other family members would be done so. I
am a psychologist working here and she can feel free to convey whatever she wants. Then Ms.Y
started to tell me about the problems she is facing with her husband. He does not seem to
understand her and suspects her if she goes out. She said that she is also working and in her work
she has to interact with a lot of men and her husband does not like it and most of the time fights
with her. In the last few months the husband has started doubting her integrity. The problem as
told by Ms. Y should be written down verbatim and clearly.
……………………………………………….
……………………………………………….
Next question:
The client’s reply (along with the learner’s observations):
How did the interview session end?
As the time allotted to the client is generally one hour, I ended the interview in the following
manner.
Ms. Y, I think today we have discussed your problem particularly from the relationship and your
experience angles. It has been possible to understand when your problems started, what
precipitated it and how you have been handling the same. Your efforts are really appreciated.
However there are many things we need to discuss with each other. For instance, the difficulty
you are facing in your relationship with your husband and the effect of all this on your family
life, work life etc. Do you think I have understood your problems correctly? Would you like to
come for another session sometimes next week as is convenient to you ? Can we fix up next
Saturday 1o a.m. for the next session? May be we will like to give some psychological tests
which may help us and you to understand your problem better. The client responded that she
would like to come next week at the time specified. I called the husband for a while and told him
that I would like to see him next time when Ms Y comes for the session. We both stood up, and
shook hands and the client and her husband took leave .

My observation: When the client left I found that she was looking slightly more relaxed and was
happy that she was listened to and her problem could be put across by her clearly to the
counselor.
Plan of action: Continue the interview and gather more information about the dynamics
underlying
the various conflicts that she has expressed. A session with the husband is required to
understand the problem from his angle too. Today’s session was able to achieve the purpose with
which it started.
Important: Everything being told by the client and by the learner should be recorded
verbatim as given above. The impressions that the learner has about the client and the manner in
which the client answers, the various gestures that the client makes, the hesitation between
sentences, the gaps and the time taken to answer question, the discomfort expressed by the client
if any etc., should all be noted.

This would show to the agency supervisor how far the learner has
been able to empathize with the client, how far the learner has put
across the questions in the right manner and what kind of questions
have been asked which are not relevant etc. The report should be
written in plain sheets, with 1 inch margin on the left side and 2
inches margin on the right side so that the supervisor could write
his or her comments and indicate the errors in the interview and
also indicate what more questions and in what manner should have
been asked.
ROLE OF THE AGENCY SUPERVISOR
The supervisor should read up all the cases submitted by the learner and then discuss the same
with the learner. For this there is a need to schedule a learner-supervisor conference as and when
needed but atleast once a month. This conference should focus on the works of the learner. The
work is discussed and the learner is given guidance as to how to proceed in the next session with
the client etc. The supervisor can also give the learner some materials to read if necessary and
point out the errors as well as the correctness of the interview and whether the skills required
were present in the interview that he or she conducted. The supervisor may advise the learner on
professional development when the learner questions about whether the interview conducted was
in order. The supervisor must make sure that the learner is not demoralized in any way and
reinforce the positive aspects in the learner while pointing out clearly how the errors could be
omitted and what the learner should do on his or her part. These 10 cases of case history and
intake interview and MSE would equip learners on all these three skills including how to conduct
an interview with ease, how to establish rapport with the patient etc.

ACTIVITIES TO BE CARRIED OUT DURING THE INTERNSHIP

IN INDUSTRIAL AND ORGANISATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
 Selection and recruitment
 Interviewing of candidates
 Placement
 Job analysis
 Human resource training
 Management of conflicts
 Reducing absenteeism
 Enhancing motivation of employees
 Reduction of workplace conflicts and violence
 Devising of scales and tests as required by the companies

Some of the tasks in which the learners may be trained are given
below:
The learners may be exposed to recruitment, selection, placement, job analysis, training, conflict
management, worker motivation, reduction of absenteeism, compensation and benefits
administration, talent management, record management, and research in the area as required by
the concerned company or organization. They will also be trained in performance appraisal,
teambuilding skills, organizational analysis techniques. The learners may also be asked to
conduct an organizational analysis to determine how to structure teams to meet objectives and
provide valuable insight into improving the quality of a workplace and the well-being and
effectiveness of employees in order to ensure smooth operations. Many times the learner may be
given the tasks to try and tackle a particular problem, which may overlap disciplines, such as
organizational management, group psychology, and operations management.
Depending on the level of training completed, those with the appropriate training can work in
human resources organizations side-by-side as an assistant to a HR Manager. They can also be
asked to conduct research on how humans interact and behave in the workplace.

SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS FROM LEARNERS IN INDUSTRIAL SETTING

The learner will visit the different sections within the company or organization and draw a
profile of the company or organization in which the learner has been placed for training. This
would help the learner to get an idea in regard to all aspects of the company the various
branches, their functioning, their various divisions and their aims and objectives, roles and their
contribution to the company or organization as a whole.
The learner will prepare a document covering all of the above aspects including the HR
department where the learner is placed for training and submit this document to the academic
counselors. The academic counsellor will discuss the objectives of the training programme for
the learner with the HR manager and ask the Manager to involve the learner in the different
human resource management activities. The learner can also be involved in administering
psychological tests and writing the report in detail.

FORMAT FOR REFERENCE LETTER

Date : .

To,
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________

Dear Sir/ Madam,

This is state that Mr./ Ms. _____________________________________________, Enrolment

No.____________________ is a student of IGNOU and is presently pursuing MA in Psychology
from Regional Centre___________________________, Study
Centre_________________________. As a part of MA Psychology programme he/ she has to
carry out internship (MPCE 015/MPCE 025/MPCE 035) for 240 hours. You are requested to
kindly provide him/ her with permission to undergo internship at your esteemed organization.

You are also requested to assign one supervisor for the learner under whom the learner will carry
our his/ her internship.

Yours faithfully,

ProgrammeIncharge/Study Centre Coordinator

/Regional Director
CONSENT LETTER
This is to certify that the internship in MPCE 015 / MPCE 025 / MPCE 035 for the partial
fulfillment of MAPC Programme of IGNOU will be carried out by Mr./Mrs.
______________________________
Enrollment No. ____________________, under my supervision.

(Signature)
Name of the Supervisor :
Designation:
Address:
Date :

DECLARATION FORM

I Ms./Mr./Dr. _________________________________________ hereby declare that I am a

student of M.A. Psychology (Part II), January/ July_______year, at the study centre
Code_____________, Regional Centre _______________and I want to do my Internship

(MPCE 015/MPCE 025/MPCE 035) at _______________________________________ on my

own free will. I will adhere to the standards of the organization and display professionalism

during my internship.

Signature of the Student Date:

Name of the Student: Place:

Enrollment No.: