Ryan Thomas Neace

You CAN find an internship. Really!!! To some, this is the height of obviousness. They are well-connected by their academic program, family or personality, hard work, good politics, or just sheer luck. They’ve got any number of options come internship time. To others, this is the height of optimism. They are less-than-connected, by virtue of their online studentship, youth or senectitude, years spent in some other career, or just plain old bad luck. But even so – you can find an internship!

In my work with counselors-in-training, I see common mistakes in attempts to land internships. At my practice, I regularly receive undergraduate and graduate internship applications from 5 institutions within a 3-4 hour radius, and handful of applications from across the US. Also, I’m fortunate enough to be privy to the shared experiences of students in my care. Certainly, not all students (or programs) are created equally, but the kinds of mistakes I see in attempts to secure internships don’t discriminate – State vs. Private, Small vs. Large, Well-known vs. Obscure, etc. No matter from which kind of program counselors-in-training come, they’re mis-stepping to the beat of the same drum. Here are 3 of 10 reasons why you keep getting turned down for counseling internships:

People are returning to school in record numbers. Graduate counselors-in-training are no exception. According to the American Council on Education, 62% of graduate and professional students are enrolled in Master’s programs. This should really come as no surprise. The economy’s in the tank. The phrase “job security” is increasingly an oxymoron. And the advent of online education promises to let you keep your current job and acquire new skills from the comfort of home with just a laptop and a dream.

A client walks into a practice. More specifically, he walks into a session with you. After a brief initial interview, he says to you, “I have problem X.” Now is the moment of truth. That $100,000 education and all those years of clinical experience are called upon for effective goal setting. Your client looks up at you with those dewy, expectant eyes. You give it to him straight. “Do the opposite of X.”

Running a private pay practice sounds so dreamy. People walking in off the street, surrendering cash or credit card numbers. Consenting to paying out of pocket as if money was no object. Oh, how sweet it sounds! With all of the hemming and hawing you hear about insurance these days, you’d think running a private pay practice was the most straightforward, easy step toward easy street. But reality is far more daunting, and it is easy to get discouraged. Here are some implications to being private pay only, and a few suggestions for success.