RESOURCES: INTERNSHIP & PRACTICUM
The Louisville Family Center offers internship and practicum placements for students enrolled in a Clinicial Mental Health Counseling program who are interested in learning and practicing therapy with children, teens, adults, families or couples. This program is designed to help the students complete their requirements for graduation while supporting the community by offering lower fee therapy services that are supervised by a licensed therapist. Most of our students come from programs in Mindfulness Transpersonal Therapy, Somatic Therapy, or Art Therapy from Naropa University, however we are also open to accepting applications from other programs as well.
For both practicum and internship, the Louisville Family Center partners with The Patchwork School to support students in completing their necessary hours in a milieu setting, and offering them the opportunity to learn through varying community experiences. Scroll down for more information on application requirements and The Patchwork School.
Practicum Details
For practicum students, the direct hours are primarily earned through working at The Patchwork School. The direct client hours are gained by working 4-5 hours per week in one of our three programs (toddlers, preschool, or kinder), alongside the teachers as “Support Staff.” In this role, the student is expected to support children with social and emotional challenges as they arise, including conflict resolution with NVC, utilizing play-therapy skills one-on-one with children in the space that seem to need extra help, or jumping in and supporting the staff with whatever activities are occurring. Should there be an appropriate pairing, the student may be paired one-on-one with one or more particular children. The students will be mentored during the day by one of our Directors that are also acting in the “Support Staff” role. The non-direct hours will be spent in team meetings or with staff to talk about specific students and curriculum, or by attending professional development days, parent/teacher meetings, trainings and by reading recommended material.
Internship Details
For internship students, the position includes about 10 direct client hours per week at the Louisville Family Center and then also 4-5 direct hours at The Patchwork School. For the one-on-one clients at LFC interns will learn to manage the process from start to finish (including intake, therapy and termination). Students can focus on working with a particular population (ex. children, teens, adults or couples) or they can take a mix of different clients. Non-direct hours are spent at the Family Center in Group Supervision, doing progress notes, and other related training and business-related activities. Interns are also provided with one-on-one weekly supervision with either Michele, Christy or both depending on the client population. Internship students interested in working with children are ideally expected to have plans to take Lisa Dion’s Synergetic Play Therapy class and/or Intensive Workshop. Most of the interns’ clients will be on Medicaid or using another insurance so interns will learn to navigate both private pay and insurance.
In order to apply for either Practicum or Internship, students should submit a resume and cover letter explaining your interest in the position to info@louisvillefamilycenter.com.
You can expect to receive an email letting you know if we have availability for an interview. The initial interview will be about 20 minutes online discussing your goals and questions about the program. Then for the second round, you may be invited for a 1.5 hour participatory visit at The Patchwork School. The participatory visit will allow you to get a sense of the school environment, while also giving us a chance to get to know you better. You can also expect to meet with one or both of the owners of the Louisville Family Center in person at that time.
In order to apply for Internship, students should also include at least one reference letter, and answers to the following questions:
- What is your experience working with the population you are most interested in serving?
- Explain your interest and experience with play therapy if applicable.
- What are your long term goals as a therapist?
- Are you seeking practicum or internship and for what start date?
- What school are you attending and what licensure are you seeking (ex. LPC, LCSW, LMFT)?
The Patchwork School is an innovative non-profit organization promoting children’s rights and meaningful educational options for all, at the heart of which is a community-based democratic school for young children, located in Louisville, Colorado. The school’s emphasis on social-emotional well-being for staff and students is a great match for counseling students working to deepen their understanding of non-violent communication and self-regulation practices that support children in learning these tools, as well. Besides internship and practicum, Louisville Family Center also partners with The Patchwork school to offer parent & staff workshops, as well as other resources and support for the families and community of the school.