Clinical Psychology Master Trainees' Perspectives on Community-Based SL Experiences

Abstract

Community-based service learning (SL) opportunities that ground experiences as a primary basis of learning can help psychology trainees work toward these competencies while providing them with a chance to answer the call to become “citizen psychologists” who use the advantage of their education to benefit the community. The aim of this study is to elucidate clinical psychology MA students' perceptions of the value of SL experienced offered by The Research and Application Center for Children Living and Working on the Streets (SOYAÇ), a center in Istanbul, Turkey that incorporates community-based studies into clinical psychology graduate education. Ten students completed in-depth interviews about their experiences. Interpretative phenomenological analysis of these interviews suggested that participants experienced significant improvements in their professional, personal, and interpersonal skills. In light of this information, the authors encourage policymakers, community organizations, and universities to consider mutually beneficial university-community collaborations.