Jenn and Stacy started the Clinical Training Program in 2018 in order to grow the accessibility of services to clients with Medicaid or those struggling financially. Connections Counseling works as an internship placement site for graduate schools such as Naropa University, Regis University, Northwestern, University of Denver and University of Colorado at Denver providing opportunities for students in their final year of learning to directly support clients while receiving ongoing training and supervision. This is a 12 month long program which involves the opportunity to work with individuals, couples, adolescents and families, depending on their areas of interest.

Interested applicants can provide a brief 3-5 minute video introducing themselves, why they are interested in Connections Counseling as well as unique skills they have to offer, in addition to their resume to connectionscounseling5@gmail.com starting January 1. Individuals will then be contacted for an in person interview.

*Please Note, we are an Internship only site and do not offer practicum placements.

FAQs

What qualities are important in this role?

We are looking for someone who is curious about themselves and others, interested in learning about working with trauma through a body-centered lens, is self aware and insightful, easy to sit with and be ourselves with, someone who has some clinical exposure to holding difficult emotions for another person, someone who is responsible and self-sufficient, and humor is a must. Connections Counseling values diversity in every way that can be defined and expressed. It is because of that value that we believe in hiring the most dedicated individuals who are willing to bring their full authentic selves into their work.

What is the time commitment?

This is a 12 month long, unpaid, internship averaging 15 hours/week.

What does an intern’s schedule look like?

Interns are able to see clients Monday - Thursday, with the first session starting around 10 or 11am and last session ending at 7pm. While we allow interns to create their own schedule, we do require them to be here at least one evening per week. On a daily basis, interns are expected to delegate time between seeing clients, completing treatment notes, running the social media pages, answering phone/email inquires, and creating content for the monthly blog.

Who is this placement ideal for?

Connections is an ideal placement for those interested in learning more about body centered psychotherapy approaches since both Stacy and Jenn use those types of modalities primarily. Individuals interested in trauma as well as attachment wounds will find an abundance of learning and training here. Some of our core values are respect, humility, kindness, self expression, compassion, curiosity, authenticity, autonomy, collaboration, and of course… connection. We also try not to take our selves too seriously so you must be able to let go and enjoy yourself a little bit!

Also, Stacy and Jenn do not work with children younger than 12 so if you are hoping for some child experience we would not be the best placement. There are times when we have requests for family therapy, but that is not a primary focus of our practice. We do get a lot of requests for couples therapy, so if this is something you are interested in, we could accommodate that.

How many interns do you accept?

We accept up to four interns at a time and start dates vary. There are opportunities for May and/or August start dates.

Since Connections Counseling works with individuals, couples, adolescents, and families, do interns work with all of them?

While there is opportunity to work with a wide array of clients, you are not required to. We want you to find comfort and confidence in this experience and have a choice in your area of interest.

How do clients hear of or find Connections Counseling?

Connections Counseling began in 2011 and Jenn and Stacy have a combined 40 years experience in the field so with that comes experience with other clinicians and word of mouth exposure. We also have a presence on Facebook, Psychology Today and Instagram as well as professional relationships with different referring agencies such as Judy’s House, The Blue Bench, Sandstone Care, Jefferson Hills, WINGS Foundation, Lutheran Hospital, Highlands Behavioral Center, Centennial Peaks, Peak Pediatrics, as well as various other group therapy practices in the area.

What does supervision and ongoing training look like?

Supervision occurs on a weekly basis alternating between Jenn and Stacy with group supervision happening once a month. We believe training occurs on the job so to speak so the first month of placement here involves doing co-therapy with Jenn and Stacy, experiencing in the moment skills training and feedback. Supervision is not just about getting support, it is about staffing cases and learning the modalities and techniques involved in finding your seat in the room with a client. Both Jenn and Stacy are trauma sensitive, body focused practitioners who will teach you how to learn to contact and track what is happening for clients in their bodies to help guide them to find support and relief within themselves. Connections will also provide a stipend to interns to put toward a training of their choice, as long as it can be applied to the clients that Connections Counseling works with.

What does scheduling and communication with clients look like?

To protect private contact information, we ask our interns to use a free Google Voice phone number and create a Connections Counseling email address when responding to direct calls/emails from clients. Interns will do their own client intakes, scheduling, fee negotiation and collection, and keep client files and records on each client they see.

Will Connections Counseling have enough clients for interns to reach their schools required direct contact hours?

Each school program varies with direct contact hours needed and we have never had an intern that did not complete their required hours. If there is a concern about this or for some reason client hours are low, there is always the opportunity for the intern to join sessions with Jenn and Stacy or one of the other 5 clinicians in the office, with the consent of the client.

Is there a recommended or required reading list or any other way I can prepare for internship at Connections Counseling?

For your professional growth and to best serve clients there are required and recommended readings. Stacy and Jenn both considered what texts have informed their work as psychotherapists and created this list: The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk, The Body Remembers by Babette Rothschild, Trauma & Recovery by Judith Herman, In an Unspoken Voice by Peter Levine, Trauma and the Body by Pat Ogden, The Mindful Therapist or Mindsight by Dan Siegel.

What does internship look like in terms of COVID?

Safety and security are important not only for our clients but also for all of our practitioners. While we are conducting in person therapy we are working under the department of regulatory agency’s and the states’ COVID-19 restrictions. We are offering telehealth services in addition to in person sessions, depending on clients’ preference and based on the appropriateness of each individuals’ circumstances.