Five Benefits To Seeing A Counseling Intern

Choosing a counselor is a matter of trust. When you enter counseling, you want a clinician you are confident can support you. And research suggests that’s important—  the primary predictor of success in counseling is the quality of your relationship with your counselor.

While practicum and internship students may not have the depth of experience that more seasoned clinicians have, they bring other strengths that can make for a strong counseling relationship. When you see an intern, you receive personalized attention, evidence-based interventions, affordable care, individualized feedback, and experience with a passionate clinician.

1. Personalized Attention: Because interns have smaller caseloads, they can devote more time to you. Outside of your session, your counseling intern will spend additional time finding the best possible approaches for you. Their goal is to provide you with individualized, high-quality care based on your unique circumstances. This means that you will see a responsive clinician who is working on your care throughout the week and focused on you.

2. Integration of Evidence-based Research: When you see an intern, you are seeing someone who is up-to-date on some of the most effective treatments. Interns are finishing coursework as they see clients, which means they bring current research into the counseling room. Because counseling interns are accountable to their universities as well, they are committed to an evidence-based approach. Your work with an intern can be a highly effective way to meet your counseling goals. 

3. Individualized Feedback: Accountability and oversight result in a high standard of care. Interns receive weekly feedback and oversight on the care they are providing to you. This process, called supervision, means that your counseling intern will receive multiple perspectives to best support you in your counseling journey. This individualized feedback does not always occur in a fast-paced counseling practice, and is a valuable reason to see an intern.

4. Affordable Care: Let’s face it: counseling can be expensive. Because interns are still completing their educational requirements, you can see a counseling intern at a reduced rate. If you’re in a life season when finances are tighter, seeing an intern can be a valuable way to receive mental health services at an affordable investment. And as we’ve noted earlier, this affordable rate can actually result in more personalized attention both inside and outside of your session. Most times the fee for a therapy session with a practicum or internship student is lower than the cost of a copay!

5. A Passionate Clinician: Counseling interns are highly motivated to help you meet your counseling goals. As they enter the field after several years of hard work to get to this point, they bring a strong commitment to your session. As they are early in their counseling career, they bring a high level of energy and enthusiasm. When you see an intern, you are seeing a clinician who is passionate about investing in you.

Assessing Fit

Not every counseling intern is right for every client, just like not every counselor is right for every client. If you’re in a crisis situation or concerned for your or someone else’s safety, you will want to reach out to a seasoned clinician who specializes in crisis response or reach out to the suicide and crisis lifeline at 9-8-8.

One way to assess fit is to read the counseling intern’s bio, paying attention to their counseling approach and the type of clients they typically work with. If they serve clients with whatever is bringing you to counseling and you feel like their approach is a good fit for you, reach out and schedule an appointment! With an intern, you are receiving individualized, evidence-based care from a new clinician.

Here at The Counseling Collective, rest assured we are very selective in our hiring process of practicum and intern students. All receive weekly individual supervision, as well as opportunities to consult with the team at large twice a month in group supervisions. You can check out our website to see the full list of counseling services that we offer. Or, Request An Appointment here.