Clinical-Counseling Psychology Internships

Check out the work our students are doing

During the final year in the Clinical-Counseling Psychology in program, students complete a 20 hour/week internship providing counseling and psychological services under the supervision of a licensed professional. Accumulating a minimum of 600 hours, students supplement their on-site internship practice through attending weekly class meetings with an instructor to review their clinical experiences, discuss case planning, and apply professional ethics.

Saint Michael’s students have completed internship at a variety of sites throughout the area including college and university counseling centers, community mental health agencies, and medical settings.

For some examples of the work that our students our doing, check out the profiles below:

Brian McCarthy

Brian is completing his internship at Elevate Youth Services in Berlin, Vermont, offering mental health treatment for youth ages 12-22. Brian travels to high schools across central Vermont and meets with youth in a confidential one-on-one setting, providing individual therapy and case management services.  His clients may include children removed from their  homes and living with relatives, with friends, or in foster care.

Brian said the strengths of this site are the training, staff and therapeutic approach. “I have learned a lot from the way this program documents client paperwork, creates plans of care and implements therapeutic interventions….Overall, I work with children who navigate a complicated web of family dynamics, and this internship has provided me with the tools and guidance I needed to become an effective mental health clinician.”

Colin O’Connor

Colin is completing his internship at the Howard Center, where he provides outpatient therapy to a caseload of approximately 10 clients. Using Humanistic and Psychodynamic approaches, Colin works with clients ranging from children to older adults. Presenting concerns include grief, adjustment, stress, substance use, and depression. Through play therapy,  Colin has helped his child clients focus on emotional awareness and regulation.

Reflecting on his internship site, Colin said, “One strength of this site is supervision and support that I feel from my co-workers. They have helped me feel comfortable and confident in my professional development as a clinician.” He added, “So far, I have learned about the overall dynamic of therapy and the importance of a strong therapeutic relationship. I have become aware of my own self in the therapy room and the thoughts, feelings and memories that can arise during therapy as a clinician.”

Danielle Kangas

Danielle is an intern at Lamoille Health Partners – Behavioral Health and Wellness, where she works with adolescents and young adults. Due to the developmental stage of her clients, many are working through periods of adjustment, transition, and identity exploration. “Supporting my clients in utilizing their strengths and engaging in the hard work of therapy is one of the highlights of my role.” She further noted, “The behavioral health and wellness team is a large and supportive network of clinicians, psychiatrists, and community outreach members. The orientations and modalities used by the team are diverse, and I have freedom to integrate my own theoretical orientation and chosen interventions into sessions.”

Danielle has helped co-facilitate ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) and wellness groups. She emphasized, “I am being challenged every day, in the best way possible. When working with adolescents, parent involvement is key to progress, and I have been learning to work with parents to varying degrees in session as well. I have also been trained on the clinical documentation program, which feels like a whole new language, between note templates, electronic signatures, and billing codes.  Due to the openness to different orientations and approach, I have been able to apply what I have learned in my program and other mental health jobs in session. Learning what works for certain clients, what doesn’t, and what feels authentic to me as a therapist.”

In thinking about what to think about in choosing an internship, she said, “I would advise prospective students to get clear about what it is they want from an internship, what skills they’d like to strengthen, and be proactive to make it happen.”

Kaleb Conlon

Kaleb is interning at the University of Vermont Counseling and Psychiatry Services providing individual therapy to undergraduate, graduate, and medical students. Kaleb’s caseload includes students working on emotion regulation, eating disorders, anxiety, panic, depression, and substance use concerns.

As a part of training at the site, Kaleb has individual supervision combined with 1.5 hours of didactic group and 1.5 hours of group supervision, where trainees review video clips of their sessions for discussion and case consultation.

Kaleb commented, “Over the past semester I have found myself growing more comfortable and confident in my role as a clinician. It was really hard to adjust at first to being the only person in the room giving therapy. My supervisor helped me work through the feelings of imposter syndrome and become attentive to the work. Group supervision and didactic group are possibly my favorite times of the week as it allows me to learn from others, hear their perspectives on cases and similar themes, and find new ways to approach sessions.”