What is a “Counseling Intern?”

 

The internship is an integral part of a rising mental health professional’s educational process. Our interns are graduate students who are currently in accredited programs across a variety of specializations including Counseling, Social Work, and Spiritual Integration around the state of North Carolina. Interns are clinicians who have finished or are about to finish all of their required coursework from their graduate school programs and are actively working towards completing internships hours in pursuit of licensure in a mental health field. 

 

Counseling Interns at Cornerstone Counseling & Wellness have the same expectations as all other clinicians on the team related to maintaining their caseload and completing their administrative tasks. However, interns maintain lighter clinical caseloads in an effort to balance expectations outlined by graduate programs and space to enjoy life. 

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What is the cost to work with a Counseling Intern?

 

Working with a Counseling Intern is a great value! Insurance companies are not able to reimburse you for the services rendered by interns. Therefore, we are able to offer sessions with interns at the reduced rate of $50.00 per session (including intake session, late cancellations, and no shows). 

 

Cornerstone Counseling & Wellness believes that finances should never be a barrier to getting exceptional counseling services. Our Internship Program plays a huge role in Cornerstone  being able to welcome clients to the practice who are not covered by one of our in-network insurance providers, are uninsured, or otherwise unable to budget for professional therapeutic support.

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What is it like working with a Counseling Intern?

 

When working with a Counseling Intern, you get [two or three] clinical providers for the price of one intern! Our interns receive one hour of required clinical supervision from our on-site fully licensed Clinical Site Supervisor. Additionally, our interns are under the supervision of their professor and/or another clinical supervisor who holds a supervisor license within their specific licensure (LCMHC-S; LMFT-S; LCSW-S). Rest assured that everything discussed between the intern and supervisor remains confidential, abiding by HIPAA regulations at all times. 

 

Our Counseling Interns also attend regular consultations with the Cornerstone Team as well as quarterly didactics and group supervision with their on-site program manager. Consultations involve receiving HIPAA compliant feedback regarding casework which leads to exposure to many different therapeutic styles and techniques which translates to clients being met where they are no matter the concern. 

 

Remember, interns are current graduate students. This means these clinicians have access to the latest clinical research in their programs which is impacting their work with you directly in each session.

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How are Counseling Interns Reimbursed?

 

The Internship Program team takes their roles very seriously when it comes to equipping future clinicians to be quality mental health care providers. The fees collected for intern services are used completely (100%) to sustain the internship program  here at Cornerstone Counseling & Wellness. The price per session covers the costs of the interns’ supervision, professional training, membership to organizations, and other benefits to their clinical practice. By working with a Counseling Intern, you are directly contributing to the next generation of mental health professionals.

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Please contact April Lovelace, MA, LCMHC, ACS at april@cornerstonecounselingnc.net if you have questions about working with interns! 

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