Post Doctoral Residency

We have 3 primary training goals in this post-doctoral position:

1. Increase your knowledge and confidence to pursue independent practice upon licensure. Training will be focused on learning day-to-day tasks managing a private practice, including:

Setting and collecting fees-for-service.
Understanding the process of managed care in the provision of psychological services.
Insurance-related credentialing and billing processes.
Determining a functional, self-initiated schedule.
Managing client referrals and communications.
Gaining skills and confidence in networking and community engagement.

2. Develop your professional identity and confidence, and consultation and collaboration in the transition from trainee to peer. While supervision is required for any pre-licensed clinician and consultation is always available, autonomy is strongly supported to build confidence as an early career professional.

3. Provide you support and guidance in getting licensed, including navigating the licensure process, obtaining required hours, and taking (and passing!) the EPPP.

Underpinnings of Clinical Training:

Clinical emphasis of this position is placed on effective clinical interviewing, differential diagnosis and treatment planning for adult populations through an evidence-based lens, as well as integrating neurobiology, cognitive and behavioral psychology, and relational-cultural theory in case conceptualization. Additional skill-building is focused on the development and maintenance of a therapeutic alliance, building an ideal caseload and skills to manage varying levels of client motivation within a private practice-setting, self-care strategies to prevent career burn-out, retaining clients for long-term therapy work, and how to use outcome measures to inform treatment.

There is an option to engage therapeutic career and/or personality assessment using the PAI, NEO-PI-R, and Strong Interest Inventory, and other assessment measures upon request. Supervision of therapy services, including options for video-recording therapy sessions, will be consistent with standards of postdoctoral supervision as indicated by APA, APPIC, and TSBEP.

Grapevine Psychology Values:

The lack of training in graduate school regarding the concept of "work-life balance" can impair the health of one's launch into the job market. We value the self-care and overall wellbeing of all clinicians, and we consider a full-time caseload to be approximately 25 clinical appointments per week; however, you will choose to have more/less weekly appointments based on your own preferences and energy needs.

About Kari Leavell, PhD, MSCP:

Dr. Kari Leavell is a licensed psychologist and the owner of Grapevine Psychology in Grapevine, Texas. She is a first-generation college graduate, receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology at Texas A&M University, and completing her Master’s and Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at the University of Southern Mississippi. Dr. Leavell obtained her Master’s of Science in Clinical Psychopharmacology (MSCP) in August 2023 from Alliant International University, and is currently preparing to sit for the national licensing exam for when Texas passes legislation granting prescription privileges for specially trained psychologists (RxP).

Dr. Leavell engages many professional roles, including providing therapy services, supervision and mentorship, professional consultation, and state-level advocacy. She has been an active member of the Texas Psychological Association (TPA), including participating in multiple committees, serving on the Board of Trustees, and being elected to the role of TPA president for 2026. Dr. Leavell’s special interests include the science and psychology of sleep, the neurology of mental health, and RxP, and clinical specializations are anxiety, grief, and CBT.