Chandra Vincent is a Counseling Intern completing her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Walden University. Chandra graduated from Colorado Technical University in 2017 with a Bachelors in Criminal Justice and Human Services.
As a counseling intern, Chandra is working towards full licensure as an LPC in South Dakota; this means she has undergone the necessary training and coursework to begin seeing clients under supervision. Supervision entails weekly meetings with two licensed and approved supervisors aiding her in this process. As always, a client’s information remains confidential. Supervision allows for advising and ensuring the proper treatment is provided to all clients. Chandra favors traditional therapy approaches such as Dialectical and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Her passion for personal growth and mental health advocacy empowers her to guide others through their unique struggles and overcome life’s challenges.
She grew up in the Black Hills, South Dakota, and has experience working with Domestic Violence and Crisis Intervention. Chandra enjoys writing, reading, hiking, camping, and nights at home with family.
Counseling Services with an Intern FAQs
Spruce Canyon Wellness is currently offering counseling services with an intern. We understand seeking mental health help can be difficult, and finding a mental health professional that you are comfortable with sharing the deepest parts of your life with is extremely important! We decided to address some FAQs about intern counseling to ease any hesitations you may have. Please contact our office if you have further questions/concerns about counseling interns that are not listed on this page.
Q: What is a counseling intern?
A: A counseling intern is an individual who is actively participating in a master’s level postgraduate program to earn full licensure to practice counseling independently. Counseling interns typically pursue licenses such as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), a Certified Social Worker (CSW) or a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). Counseling interns have undergone years of education/training before working directly with clients. Internship is a part of their graduate program.
Q: What is supervision?
A: Counseling interns are required to have a professional supervisor and an academic supervisor. These two professionals aid in the intern’s academic and professional development. Typically, interns are required to meet with both of their supervisors on a regular basis to ensure they are providing appropriate treatment and gaining experience while working directly with clients. During meetings with the intern’s supervisors, questions and concerns on how to better help clients are discussed. If a client has questions that the intern cannot answer, the supervisor is an ideal resource to help answer those questions.
Q: What are the advantages to scheduling with a counseling intern?
A: There are several advantages to scheduling with a counseling intern. Here are 5:
- Frequent Supervision: Clients who schedule with counseling interns are receiving a care team of therapists to help with mental health concerns. Two therapists for the price of one! A counseling intern refers to their supervisors if they need additional information to aid a client’s treatment and progress. Clients of the intern are also able to contact the intern’s supervisors regarding questions or concerns related to treatment.
- Smaller caseloads: Counseling interns often have smaller caseloads as they are building clientele. Smaller caseloads mean the intern is able to provide an increased level of individualized attention to each client. This gives them time to ensure they are prepared for each session, such as gathering helpful handouts, quickly consulting with their supervisor or other experienced clinicians, or reading up on approaches to certain disorders or mental health concerns.
- Energy & enthusiasm: Counseling interns are excited to apply the skills and knowledge learned during years of schooling. Working directly with clients allows them to further develop and refine their professional skills. Their newly acquired knowledge is just waiting to be used, which makes their energy for helping their community contagious. We hope you will sense their enthusiasm in each session as you embark on your own mental health journey!
- Up to date knowledge: Because counseling interns are often still in school when they begin working directly with clients, they typically have the most up-to-date knowledge and training in newer therapy modalities, treatment approaches, and the recent research that supports it.. Some basic therapy principles have not changed for decades but psychology is an ever-evolving field with new innovations and treatments developing every year.
- Provider expansion in your community: By scheduling with a counseling intern, you are helping expand the number of skilled mental health professionals in your community. The number of people seeking mental health treatment is increasing every year, but the supply of professionals does not always match the demand, especially in rural communities such as our own. Allowing a counseling intern to help with your mental health concerns helps them grow and develop in the field of psychology.