SCS Internship Program Description

Founded in l969, Seattle Counseling Service is the oldest gay and lesbian mental health agency in the nation.  Seattle Counseling Service is a community resource that advocates, educates and serves to advance the social well being and mental health of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered communities.

We provide case management; crisis, individual, couples and group therapy.  We have both a psychiatrist and a nurse practitioner that prescribe and monitor the medications of our clients. In addition, we have both abstinence based and harm reduction chemical dependency programs.  We offer: a day milieu program; domestic violence victim’s group; HIV/AIDS counseling/support; and therapy for victims of sexual assault.  Our clients range from adolescent to older adults, who vary from individuals who are highly functioning with adjustment issues to individuals who are low functioning severely chronically mentally ill.

The toughest internship you ever loved.

For over twenty-five years Seattle Counseling Service has offered a Masters level internship that has developed into one of the most rigorous and rewarding internships in the Pacific Northwest. This one year program for second year students in either applied psychology, counseling or social work provides the intern with a thorough knowledge of how to work with and use the DSM-IV, how mental health agencies work and how to work in them, exposure to experts/mentors in all areas of mental health specific to the LGBTQI community. Individual and peer supervision is weekly as well as weekly case consultations with the entire SCS staff.

Purpose of the internship program:

  • Provide graduate students a well supervised clinical experience within a community mental health agency.
  • Provide clients with low income access to quality services. 

Student Requirements:

  • 2nd year of Master’s program and meet school requirements for practicum/internship
  • A twelve month commitment
  • 24 hours a week
  • Development and facilitation of a client/peer/staff potluck
  • Attendance every Tuesday between 11:00 and 2:00 for:  Consultations; staff meetings and trainings
  • Maintain a caseload of up to 25
  • Co-facilitate one or more groups
  • Affirm Gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered/transsexual/queer/intersexed lifestyles
  • Willing to work in a supportive, open-communication environment
  • Two intakes per week
  • Minimum of one video or audio taped therapy session a month to be reviewed with your supervisor (total of 12 for the year)

Seattle Counseling Service will provide:

  • One-hour of weekly individual supervision with a supervisor who will monitor and support the internship
  • One hour of weekly group supervision/training with all clinical staff and fellow interns
  • Two hours of weekly consultation with a psychiatrist or ARNP
  • Individual, couples and group psychotherapy training
  • Intake training
  • Diagnostic training
  • Mental health case management training
  • Specialized training in crisis intervention
  • Specialized training in sexual orientation and gender issues
  • Multi-cultural training
  • Individual and group therapy hours
  • Consultations regarding special populations:  ethnic, sexual minority, youth, transgendered, disabled, deaf and hard of hearing
  • All mental health issues required by the State of Washington
  • Continuous support
  • Understanding of the functioning of a community mental health center
  • Audio and/or video record sessions for evaluations
  • Ethics Training

Internship start dates are early September and early January. Please feel free to fill out our Internship Application and send us your resume and cover letter.