“SF Clinical Camp” is a unique opportunity for bright and motivated teenagers to learn more about themselves and the world. This is not treatment, but rather an opportunity for a small number of teenagers to explore concepts relevant to the world of clinical psychology in a fun and engaging atmosphere. Topics for discussion include considering our own unique and subjective experience of the world; the unconscious and how it impacts our daily life; how we change and our interpretation of the world changes over time.
Our approach will not be a typical Psychology 101 approach of rudimentary overview and memorization. Instead, we will explore these topics in more depth and look at the immediate relevance to each of us. For example, in discussing our own subjective view of the world, we will discuss topics such as how others influence us, and how psychological defenses alter our view of the world and therefore how we interact with the social world.
Participation will be limited to a total of 15 ‘campers.’ This will allow for a seminar-like learning experience. We will often break into smaller groups of 5 (or less!) for further discussion of topics covered. The overall effect is a graduate-school-near experience, yet geared toward motivated high school students. While the workload is not at the graduate level, many of the topics will be introduced and then raised to a rewarding higher level of conversation. We firmly believe learning should be exciting!