WHAT WE DO
Multicultural Psychotherapy Training Institute
Get Psychology Training and Earn Clinical Hours with La Familia
Graduate Training is Required. The Quality is Your Choice.
Don’t just accrue hours. Become a Real-World Ready clinician with the Multicultural Psychotherapy Training Institute (MPTI) at La Familia.
The Stakes Are High
We are privileged to have time with someone else’s life. When a client walks through our doors, they are trusting us with their trauma, their hope, and their healing. If we aren’t effective, ethical, and prepared, we miss the mark.
At MPTI at La Familia, we bridge the gap between textbook theory and the reality of community mental health. We don’t just teach you how to be a therapist; we train you to navigate the complex systems that affect our clients’ lives.
Our Promise: High Structure, High Support.
* Unconditional Positive Regard: We create a psychologically safe environment where you can be vulnerable, ask for help, and turn mistakes into mastery.
* Legacy of Excellence: La Familia has served the Bay Area for over 50 years. You are training on a foundation of stability and proven impact.
See the Person Behind the Need
We train you to look beyond the DSM. Our curriculum is built on four critical Clinical Lenses that we hold in mind for every client:
1. Cultural Humility: A lifelong commitment to listening and partnering with clients as co-learners.
2. Trauma-Informed Care: Asking “What happened to you?” instead of “What’s wrong with you?”
3. Client-Centered Treatment: Honoring the client as the expert on their own life.
4. Social Determinants of Health: Understanding the systemic factors (housing, poverty, access) that shape well-being.
The Toolkit
You will gain a “strong net” of practical, evidence-based skills that have immediate utility:
* Motivational Interviewing (MI)
* Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
* Somatic Experiencing Principles
* Structural Family Therapy (Specialized training for Child & Family track)
Where You Will Grow
MPTI trainees are placed in one of our specialized clinical tracks based on interest, language capacity, and fit.
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* ACCESS: Therapy for Spanish-speaking adults navigating trauma and transition. (Spanish Fluency Required)
* Child & Family Clinic: Deep family systems work for children with moderate-to-severe needs. (Spanish Fluency Required)
* School-Based Services: On-campus therapy for middle and high school students.
* Reentry Treatment Team: Critical support for individuals re-entering society after incarceration.
* Recovery & Wellness: Integrated care for substance use and co-occurring disorders.
* Alma y Esperanza: Long-term engagement for adults with chronic mental illness.
The Commitment
We treat our trainees like professionals, and we respect your time.
* Duration: August 24, 2026 – June 17, 2027.
* Schedule: 20 hours per week (On-site 3 days/week).
* Client Hours: You will accrue approximately 300 direct client hours.
* Stipend: We offer a $300 monthly educational stipend.
Your Weekly Breakdown:
* 10 Hours: Direct Clinical Service
* 3 Hours: Protected Supervision (Individual & Group)
* 1.5 Hours: Didactic Training
* 5.5 Hours: Documentation & Admin
Ready to Choose Mastery?
We are looking for trainees who are willing to be vulnerable, open to feedback, and committed to social justice.
Application Requirements:
* Cover Letter (Please indicate Spanish fluency and program interest)
* Curriculum Vitae (CV)
* Two Letters of Recommendation
To Apply: Email your application packet (PDF preferred) to: mptiapply@livelafamilia.org
Our MPTI Programs
4 clinical programs at La Familia.
Training: Thursday’s 11:00am – 12:00pm
Supervision: Thursday’s 12:00 – 1:00
Field Work: TBD
Language: Spanish Fluency Preferred but not required
MPTI at La Familia’s Practicum Placement is or Second year Masters Students and Second to Fourth Year Doctoral students. Practicum students participate in weekly training, individual and group supervision, and provide therapy in one of our many clinical programs. Training focuses on Cultural Diversity & Inclusion, Treating Trauma, Family Therapy, Attachment Patterns & Interventions, and Treatment for Substance Abuse and Motivational Interviewing. There are four clinical tracks where our practicum students provide therapy and are as follows:
Adult Services Track (Spanish Fluency Required)
Practicum students provide individual therapy for clients who struggle with moderate to severe mental health concerns and/or substance use problems. Clinical Programs include Spanish Language ACCESS, Recovery & Wellness in both El Chante & Si se Puede).
Adult Services (English Fluency & Spanish Fluency Preferred)
Practicum students provide individual and/or group therapy for clients who have moderate mental health concerns and/or substance use issues. Clinical Programs include Re-Entry Treatment Team, Working Wellness, Recovery & Wellness (El Chante & Si se Puede).
School-Based Track (English Fluency & Spanish Fluency Preferred)
Practicum student provide individual therapy for students in schools who struggle with moderate mental health concerns, such as anxiety, depression, PTSD and academic struggles and/or problems with substance use.
Requirements
- Year: 1st Week of September – 1st Week of June
- Hours: 16 – 20 Hours per Week
- Training: Thursdays, 9 – 10:30 am
- Supervision: Thursdays, 11:00 – 12:30 pm
- Clinical Work: TBD
- Language: Spanish Fluency Preferred & Required based on the Clinical Track
- Stipend: $300 per month
To Apply:
- Doctoral Students: BAPIC Match Site
- Masters Students: Send cover letter, resume, and 2 letters of recommendation (1 academic and 1 professional) to Chief Clinical Officer, Alexis Peciulis Apeciulis@livelafamilia.org
MPTI at La Familia’s Post-Doctoral Internship is a uniquely fashioned training program for those who have graduated with a PsyD or PhD from an APA accredited University in Psychology. The Post-Doctoral Fellow and their clinical supervisor create a training curriculum, using multiple sources, specific to the intern’s clinical interest and applicability to the work provided at La Familia.
Post-Doctoral Fellows primary focus is to provide supervision and training to our PsyD Practicum 1 Students. Post-Doctoral Fellows have the opportunity to provide clinical services in one of La Familia’s Clinical Programs based on the intern’s long-term career goals and the Clinical Program’s needs and availability
In 2025, we will be in search of a postdoctoral student interested in neuropsychological testing and program development.
Requirements:
Year: 2025
Hours: 37.5 Hours per Week
Training & Group Supervision: TBD
Clinical Work & Individual Supervision: TBD
Language: Spanish Fluency Preferrred
To Apply: Send Cover Letter, Curriculum Vitae and 2 Letters of Recommendation to Apeciulis@livelafamilia.org
Supervision
The MPTI prides itself on providing consistent, high quality, and effective clinical supervision that – along with the clinical didactic training – contributes to a robust set of supports for each trainee.
All trainees will receive each of the types of supervision below:
- Clinical Supervision: Trainees meet weekly for one hour with their individual primary clinical supervisors that offer therapeutic guidance for the direct services provided by the practicum students. Our students are matched to their supervisors based on the supervisor’s credentials (PsyD, LCSW, LMFT) and the degree the students are earning in addition to expertise and experience in the specific services being completed by trainees in their program placement.
- Program/Documentation Supervision: Trainees receive program/documentation supervision weekly. Program Supervisors train our practicum students on the programs policies and procedures, assign clients, and guide our clinicians in MediCal intakes, assessments, diagnosis and treatment planning. Program Supervisors may also require the students to participate in team meetings with the other staff members in the program for effective collaboration regarding our clientele. In as many cases as possible, the Clinical Supervisor and the Program Supervisor may be the same person, just providing different kinds of training and support to enhance trainees’ success.
- Group Supervision/Consultation:
- Trainees receive 2 hours of weekly group supervision/consultation. Trainees have the opportunity to discuss their clinical work, offer peer and clinical support for one another, and receive professional consultation regarding their caseload. Trainees complete a minimum of four formal case presentations
- In addition, trainees providing services in Spanish have access to Spanish Speaking Group Supervision so that the translation of therapeutic work is accurate and effective.
Training Topics
Our Practicum Students receive a robust training experience, specifically with our Didactic Seminars. We cover therapeutic topics in both a broad and deep manner that informs our clinicians to provide effective treatment with the clientele in our unique programs.
A list of topics we cover are as follows:
HIPAA Regulations & Medi-Cal Documentation
La Familia’s Quality Assurance team offers thorough instruction on legal/ethical laws and regulations regarding our client’s confidentiality and how to provide detailed assessment, treatment planning, and progress notes that meet Alameda County MediCal requirements.
Brief Strategic Family Therapy
Offering an in depth, four week seminar and bi-weekly case consultation for our clinicians who are providing services to children, teens, and families.
Motivational Interviewing
Clinical Training Manager, Monika Poxon PsyD provides a seminar detailing how to use Motivational Interviewing skills therapeutically with our clients in the Adult Outpatient Programs and in our Recovery and Wellness Program.
Trauma – 10 Week Series
Teaching and collaborating with a large team of licensed mental health professionals to teach various topics regarding trauma including: the impact on one’s life, development, and relationships, the physiological and neurological aspects of trauma, Generational transmission of trauma, self-care strategies, vicarious trauma, and treatment interventions.
Diversity / Inclusion / Sensitivity / Humility/ Anti-Racism
A team of various La Familia staff and mental health professionals with expertise in various topics train our interns in Restorative Justice, Gender & Sexual Identity, Inclusion, Cultural Humility, and Anti-racism. Additionally, included in all the seminars incorporates a multicultural approach to the clinical work.
Attachment Patterns
Providing a 5 week series on understanding Attachment patterns and teaching therapeutic interventions that lead individuals, dyads and families to earn secure bonds with themselves and their loved ones.
Additional Topics
Interspersed throughout the year our interns learn other therapeutic modalities, such as expressive arts therapy, ending therapy, career development, and self-care methods to effectively engage in clinical work.
Now accepting applications for the 2023-2024 Academic Year.
The training year begins in August and ends in June each year. Individuals interested in further information about the MPTI may contact Chief Clinical Officer, Alexis Peciulis Apeciulis@livelafamilia.org
How to Apply:
Send your Cover Letter, Curriculum Vitae, Two Letters of Reference (One Academic and One Professional) to Apeciulis@livelafamilia.org
Apply through BAPIC