Finding and Selecting a Practicum/Internship Site
Orientation
Students are required to attend the Practicum and Internship Placement Orientation meeting one year prior to beginning the field experience, to learn about the placement process. The orientation is coordinated by the Clinical Coordinators (i.e., School Counseling and Community Counseling Program Directors). The Field Placement Liaison will also be present at the orientation meeting to help explain the placement process to students. The next orientations will be held:
School Counseling
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Community Counseling
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Database of Possible Sites
Community Counseling
School Counseling (coming soon)
Students can request permission to intern at other sites by contacting coun@seattleu.edu to be connected with the current Field Placement Liaison.
Application Deadlines
Winter Quarter (School Counseling): October 25
Spring Quarter (School Counseling): January 10
Summer/Fall Quarter (Community Counseling): February 7
Application Process
The Counseling Programs seek sites with quality supervision and in-service training, a variety of clientele and presenting problems, a philosophy of supervision which encourages respectful and responsible risk-taking by the intern, and a placement which seeks to help the student integrate theory with practice via case conceptualization. The student counselor must be provided a broad range of clientele, counseling orientations, and counseling experiences. In keeping with the mission of the Counseling Programs, the student's site should include experiences with diverse populations.
The process for obtaining a practicum or internship site is as follows.
- During student orientation, the student and advisor determine a tentative quarter to begin practicum and internship.
- At candidacy, the student reserves a space for practicum and internship.
- A practicum and internship orientation is offered twice a year (see dates above).
- The student determines whether a prospective site meets the student's needs as well as the requirements for group counseling, practicum and internship as outlined by the CACREP standards and Washington Administrative Codes. The student completes the Practicum/Internship Intent Form. All placement sites must be approved by the Practicum/Internship Coordinator.
- Once the prospective internship site has been approved, the student reviews the requirements for field-based group counseling, practicum and internship with the prospective site supervisor(s).
- The student completes and submits appropriate agreements to the Counseling Program Office (Loyola 218). When the Practicum/Internship Coordinator has also signed the agreement, the original will be filed and a copy will be returned to the student.
For questions and information regarding practicum and internship, contact coun@seattleu.edu to be connected with the current Field Placement Liaison.
Program faculty and advisors, and internship instructors and supervisors can also answer questions about the practicum, internship or group counseling class.