Counseling Interns

INTERN FAQs

 

Do interns get their first clinical experience at Hazel House?

 Most of our interns have experience offering therapy in another setting before coming to Hazel House, so in most cases, you will not be their first client. Occasionally, we do accept practicum students, without prior experiencing offering therapy, but only when we feel that other professional experience and/or life experience has prepared them to do good clinical work. We have many students apply and interview for positions at Hazel House, and because we have high standards, we are very selective. Therefore, we are able to place a lot of trust in the interns we choose. Still, we follow their work closely, and our more experienced team members offer regular support and guidance. Rest assured that we would not match any client with an intern who was not capable of meeting their needs, with support, even if they are quite new to implementing their learning in therapy. 

How is working with an intern different than working with a licensed therapist?
Licensed therapists have been in the field longer, and they have had many opportunities to learn what works and what doesn’t work, as well as time to settle into their own style of relating to clients. Their expertise and relative confidence can put clients at ease. While no therapist is perfect, and all of us are life-long learners, more years in the field often equates to a more flexible, relaxed therapist with additional skills and a wider array of interventions at their disposal.

Working with an intern has its benefits, too, though. Our interns are bright, enthusiastic, and eager to help others, and they are very interested in working with a wide array of client populations and concerns. They are up to date on the latest research and academic knowledge, thanks to their esteemed professors, with whom they meet at least weekly. Furthermore, interns talk about their clients with at least two clinical supervisors (one at the site – Hazel House – and one at their school), and they are offered other ideas and perspectives that they can use in therapy. It’s like having three therapists for the price of one!

Interns will ask you to sign a consent form, which specifies their status as a trainee. They may also ask for your permission to audio- or video-record sessions, on a secure device, so that they may seek feedback on their work from a supervisor, and to get ideas for moving things forward when they feel stuck. You always have the right to refuse such recording, but we encourage people to allow it so that we can give our interns a rich training experience and give our clients the highest quality care.

What happens to the clients when an intern graduates from their program?

  Our interns are typically with us for one full year (often, but not always, May to May). When they   complete their internship, some interns are offered a permanent position at Hazel House and decide to stay. If that happens, you would be welcome to continue working with them, with little to no interruption. After graduation, however, our team members no longer provide therapy at the low rates of a student therapist, so the session rate would likely increase. If you were unable to afford the new fee, or if your student therapist did not remain at Hazel House after graduation, you would have the opportunity to transfer to an incoming intern, with only a brief interruption in your treatment, while the new interns became oriented to our facility.

 

How much does it cost to see an intern for psychotherapy?

Use the table below to find your fee, or reach out to discuss your circumstances.  We do not turn people away solely based on an inability to pay.