Psychologists and practitioners need strong consulting skills to guide organizations and their leaders toward desired strategic and tactical outcomes. For in-house staff, this encompasses assessing problematic areas, developing effective processes, and fostering appropriate behaviors aligned with organizational goals; for external consultants it includes similar steps, but also entails assessing the impact of culture and climate on organizational processes and individual behaviors.

MS and PhD students who want to participate in a face-to-face, hands-on learning experience featuring role play, teamwork, observed integration, and real time feedback and coaching. This intensive will provide intense and in-person immersion into the scenarios and case studies that will directly relate to the day-to-day challenges and opportunities students may encounter in their workplaces, current and future. 

Students may attend a skill intensive retreat any time after the second quarter of their program.

The next CSI will be held July 29 - August 2, 2015 in Dallas, TX at the Hyatt Place Dallas/North Arlington/Grand Prairie. 

Students are encouraged to e-mail their Student Success Advising team to request registration. Seating is limited to allow for individualized attention so students should register early to reserve their space.

CSI retreat fee is $1,595 which includes lodging, breakfast, and lunch each full meeting day. This fee is not included in your program tuition and does not include travel expenses.

Note: The CSI retreats are not residencies and will not count towards your residency requirement. If students have completed all your residency requirements, students still have to pay the tuition fee for the CSI as it is not a residency.

• Become familiar with Blackboard content.
• Become familiar with textbook and other resources.
• Take the skill assessments that will be used throughout the retreat.

During most mornings, the faculty will present information. Students will then be formed into small consultant teams that will work collaboratively during the residency through an array of scenarios to support a notional client organization. Teams will be immersed in case analysis, role-playing, and hands-on activities.

• The Internal vs External Consultant
• Public vs Private Sector Consulting
• For-Profits & Non-Profits Consulting
• Successful Client Relationships
• Effective Project Management
• Handling Ethical Matters & Dilemmas

• Effective Feedback Format, Delivery, & Management
• Resistance to Change, & Overcoming Resistance
• Consulting and Entrepreneurship
• Organizational vs. Corporate
• Consulting Firm vs. Independent Practitioner

• Teaming & Designing Interventions
• Change Targets & Change Agents
• Evaluating Outcomes
• Client Follow-Up

• Develop the skill to present a concept of how and why an organization can use you to address specific organizational issues.
• Develop the skill to present a proposal to an organizational leader.
• Develop the ability to identify specific tools to address organizational issues (diagnose organizational issues).
• Integrate the ability to administer; score; and interpret tools useful for organizational work and coaching.
• Develop the ability to provide developmental feedback to individuals in the organization.
• Develop the ability to provide a briefing to the organizational leaders on the results of the intervention with identification of potential next steps.
• Develop an understanding on how to establish your costs for providing this service to an organization.