Dear Future Christian Counseling Interns,

So, you’re looking to find a clinical counseling internship site. Not just any site, but one that will be the perfect fit for you. Graduation is right around the corner, so this is kind of a big deal! You’re finally going to be able to put into practice what you’ve been learning in those long, grueling classes.  

I get it, I was once where you are right now. There is a nervous excitement that comes with approaching this stage in our career. This is the beginning of a moment you will likely never forget.

I heard about Cornerstone Christian Counseling from one of my coworkers: “Oh dude, you’ve got to check out Cornerstone.” He couldn’t stop raving about how Cornerstone Christian Counseling teaches different modalities to help the various clientele they serve. The most interesting thing? He didn’t intern at Cornerstone! He had heard of CCC from a classmate and wished he’d been there too. This got me curious…I wanted to see what all the hype was about and applied! Needless to say, my coworkers were right and I am forever grateful to have this opportunity to first practice therapy at Cornerstone.

Christian Counseling Internship (I was worried) 

The clients at Cornerstone come from many walks of life even though Cornerstone is a faith-based environment. To be transparent, working at a Christian agency, I was worried that I would be seen as “just” a Christian therapist. However, Cornerstone teaches from the perspective of a therapist who happens to be a Christian. We accept and love people no matter where they are in life, just like Jesus does. But we are also trained to help our clients progress in their healing journey, rather than leave them stuck in whatever issues they may face. I’m so thankful for my time as a Christian counseling intern because it gave me the experience to work with multiple modalities and all types of clients. 

This is one of the biggest things I’m learning about the art of counseling as I work with the supervisors at Cornerstone–to always stay attentive to the progress and health of our clients.

I’m sure you have heard some of your professors say “trust your gut“ when it comes to dealing with difficult situations in a session. Although that feels incredibly ominous and probably upsets a lot of us students, the reality is that “trusting your gut” actually means “what tool do I use now?” Here at Cornerstone, the support that I’m given allows me to move freely in ways to treat my clients, and Cornerstone Christian Counseling provides extra tools and support when I’m not sure which tool is best to use in session.

I know that there may be some places you are looking into for your practicum and internship, and I understand how arduous of a task that can be. But if I were to give one piece of advice, look for a place where you feel supported and can truly learn. Half of the learning is from your supervisors and team, but you cannot forget that the other half comes from your clients’ stories. Embrace them. Fail well. Know that you are called.