Practitioner Research Vertical Teams

Abstract

Although practitioner-focused doctoral programs occupy a unique niche within the applied psychology training landscape, students in professional programs are less frequently mentored than students in research-focused or scientist-practitioner programs. In this article, the authors reconsider traditional student-faculty mentor relationships in the context of practitioner-focused training models, and offer the Practitioner Research Vertical Team (PRVT) model as one example of how professional programs might address the need for model-specific approaches to mentoring. Preliminary outcomes for the PRVT in one doctoral program are described. The article concludes with specific guidance for professional psychology program faculty regarding the implementation and implications of a PRVT mentoring model.

Key Words:

• Mentoring
• mentor relationships
• research teams
• professional training
• doctoral programs