Practicum/ Internships

Depending on availability, there are providers at Insight Counseling who may provide practicum/internship placement for Master’s Level Students.

The Practicum Experience

Practicums are field experiences that allow counseling student to observe and document how fully licensed clinicians perform the responsibilities of therapy. Students will participate, on a limited basis,  tasks under supervision of their site supervisor. Concurrently, students enroll in a course which outlines the expectations and requirements of the practicum.

The expectations associated with a practicum vary according to the university or program. Participation at the practicum site is typically two or three times per week for a few hours per session. No compensation is provided during practicum, but it does qualify for academic credit.

Due to the time and energy required to train a student during a practicum, it is unlikely a provider would accept a practicum student who had no intension of continuing with an internship placement.

The Internship Experience

As compared to practicums, internships take on the characteristics of a real part-time behavioral health provider. The students is assigned clients, while the supervisor oversees their performance. Additionally, program instructors, typically from the student’s university or college, visit the student two to three times during the internship to evaluate their progress and performance.

A major difference between a practicum and a internship involves the degree of expected involvement of the student with hands-on work. Compared to a practicum student, student interns would not only assist with session and treatment planning, but collaborate with their supervisor and perform therapy sessions independently. Internship level students are expected to show the utmost level of care, professionalism, and maturity in order to successfully pass their internship experience.

Internships are usually 20-24 hours per week or as agreed between the student and supervisor.

As an avenue for preparing graduates for counseling careers, academic practicum and internship experiences are valuable tools for learning, personal development, and growth. They not only afford students opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge and practice their skills in real world settings, but prepare students for the realities of counseling. By understanding the differences between a practicum and an internship, students have the advantage of being better prepared to navigate the Masters Level curriculum.

More Information

Please send a message for more details or to inquire about practicum and internship openings.