What does a Counselor Internship do?
When it comes to Counselor Internship, among the primary responsibilities is to assist in dealing with various activities such as preparing and verifying necessary documentation, observing consultations and outreach programs, guide clients and help develop multiple helpful strategies, and provide assessments. Furthermore, one can conduct counseling and consultation only under supervision. It is also essential to track the information gathered and coordinate with assigned personnel to adhere to the company's regulations and policies.
Counselor internship responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real counselor internship resumes:
- Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
- Participate in weekly multidisciplinary team meetings and attend IEP meetings.
- Create a rehabilitation plan of juveniles through the investigation of background history.
- Work towards empowering juveniles and their families to support a positive lifestyle by providing strength base intensive intervention and rehabilitation services.
- Monitor academic performance and provide tutoring for one individual with untreat ADHD.
- Conduct psychological assessments for a diverse population including ADHD, memory, and achievement testing.
- Skil cognitive-behavioral (CBT) therapist.
- Design and development of CBT presentations, REBT groups, familiar with DBT approaches, and psycho-education presentations.
- Organize and complete all documentation as required by OASAS regulations.
- Develop client's occupancy agreement in accordance to OASAS contractual requirements.
- Plan and facilitate treatment group sessions while providing necessary coping strategies and future behavioral moderation to teens in crisis.
- Design and direct court order remedial education programs for DUI offenders.
- Ensure client safety and provide necessary intervention toward adolescent teens admit into an inpatient drug and mental health treatment facility.
- Facilitate group and educational sessions in accordance with the DUI philosophy and State/County guidelines.
- Organize and lead regular youth and college bible studies, teaching about prayer and promoting spirituality.
Counselor internship skills and personality traits
We calculated that 14% of Counselor Interns are proficient in Crisis Intervention, Intake Assessments, and Substance Abuse Issues. They’re also known for soft skills such as Compassion, Interpersonal skills, and Listening skills.
We break down the percentage of Counselor Interns that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Crisis Intervention, 14%
Experience in cognitive/behavioral/crisis interventions, family system dynamics, educational issues, case management, laws and ethics and clinical presentations.
- Intake Assessments, 14%
Performed intake assessments for adolescent clients and led individual and group counseling sessions focused on drug and alcohol recovery.
- Substance Abuse Issues, 10%
Performed individual counseling services to adults with substance abuse issues through predetermined treatment programs.
- Mental Health Issues, 9%
Facilitated individual, group and family sessions for individuals with addiction and co-occurring mental health issues.
- Group Therapy Sessions, 4%
Conducted individual intake and group therapy sessions in Intensive Outpatient Treatment program with adults diagnosed with a variety of addiction disorders.
- Community Resources, 4%
Coordinated and facilitated use of departmental and community service resources and referred clients to community resources or to specialists as necessary.
"crisis intervention," "intake assessments," and "substance abuse issues" are among the most common skills that counselor interns use at work. You can find even more counselor internship responsibilities below, including:
Compassion. The most essential soft skill for a counselor internship to carry out their responsibilities is compassion. This skill is important for the role because "marriage and family therapists often work with people who are dealing with stressful and difficult situations, so they must be compassionate and empathize with their clients." Additionally, a counselor internship resume shows how their duties depend on compassion: "worked with above mentioned populations and was able to provide therapeutic services with compassion and without judgment. "
Interpersonal skills. Many counselor internship duties rely on interpersonal skills. "marriage and family therapists work with different types of people," so a counselor internship will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways counselor internship responsibilities rely on interpersonal skills: "worked with issues of abandonment, physical and sexual abuse, and interpersonal relationships. "
Listening skills. This is an important skill for counselor interns to perform their duties. For an example of how counselor internship responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "marriage and family therapists need to give their full attention to their clients to understand their problems, values, and goals." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a counselor internship: "listen, validate, and coach clients in how to define, progress towards and maintain healthy relationships and goals. ".
Organizational skills. For certain counselor internship responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "organizational skills." The day-to-day duties of a counselor internship rely on this skill, as "marriage and family therapists in private practice must keep track of payments and work with insurance companies." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what counselor interns do: "provided individual counseling and support services to aid students with organizational, personal concerns, and academic performance. "
Speaking skills. Another crucial skill for a counselor internship to carry out their responsibilities is "speaking skills." A big part of what counselor interns relies on this skill, since "marriage and family therapists need to be able to communicate with clients effectively." How this skill relates to counselor internship duties can be seen in an example from a counselor internship resume snippet: "developed and presented therapeutic activities to children ranging from ages 3 to 5 suffering from severe mental illnesses. "
The three companies that hire the most counselor internships are:
- Management & Training20 counselor interns jobs
- Pico de Gallo
15 counselor interns jobs
- Meridian Behavioral Healthcare7 counselor interns jobs
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Compare different counselor interns
Counselor internship vs. Intensive in-home counselor
An Intensive In-Home Counselor conducts individual counseling sessions for parents and deals with delicate issues like sexual addiction. They also prepare progress reports for clients.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, counselor internship responsibilities require skills like "intake assessments," "substance abuse issues," "group therapy sessions," and "cognitive behavioral therapy." Meanwhile a typical intensive in-home counselor has skills in areas such as "intensive in-home," "therapeutic interventions," "out-of-home placements," and "medication management." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Intensives in-home counselor really shine in the utilities industry with an average salary of $56,398. Comparatively, counselor interns tend to make the most money in the finance industry with an average salary of $51,629.On average, intensives in-home counselor reach similar levels of education than counselor interns. Intensives in-home counselor are 4.3% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Counselor internship vs. Alcohol and drug counselor
A drug & alcohol counselor treats addicts in either one-on-one or group settings. They help by educating and developing possible treatment plans for patients to support them in coping with their addictive personalities. A drug and alcohol counselor will evaluate to determine the progress has been successfully made towards recovery. They help patients better understand and overcome their addictions. Counselors help through offering support, rehabilitation, and guidance by using various techniques. Drug & alcohol counselors seek to help an addict find the source of their addiction.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that counselor internship responsibilities requires skills like "intake interviews," "conflict resolution," "lpc," and "art therapy." But an alcohol and drug counselor might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "patients," "social work," "rehabilitation," and "substance abuse treatment."
Alcohol and drug counselors may earn a higher salary than counselor interns, but alcohol and drug counselors earn the most pay in the professional industry with an average salary of $44,333. On the other hand, counselor interns receive higher pay in the finance industry, where they earn an average salary of $51,629.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Alcohol and drug counselors tend to reach similar levels of education than counselor interns. In fact, they're 2.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Counselor Internships in the next 3-5 years?
Juleen Buser Ph.D.
Professor and Director, School Counseling and Coaching Programs, Rider University
Counselor internship vs. Community health counselor
A community health counselor typically provides health and welfare support to the disadvantaged members of a community. Their responsibilities revolve around devising strategies to reach out to community members, coordinating with schools and other institutions, and building positive relationships with the communities that they serve. They may also provide counseling sessions to individuals of all ages, conduct observations and assessments, perform interventions, and identify any signs of abuse or neglect, reporting to the authorities right away. Furthermore, they may refer families or individuals to other social services unit if necessary.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a counselor internship is likely to be skilled in "substance abuse issues," "psychosocial assessments," "relapse prevention," and "intake interviews," while a typical community health counselor is skilled in "social work," "behavioral health," "patients," and "rehabilitation."
Community health counselors earn the highest salary when working in the health care industry, where they receive an average salary of $41,674. Comparatively, counselor interns have the highest earning potential in the finance industry, with an average salary of $51,629.community health counselors typically earn similar educational levels compared to counselor interns. Specifically, they're 3.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Counselor internship vs. Substance abuse counselor
Substance abuse counselors act as a support system for people with drug and alcohol problems and other behavioral issues. They help the patients control their behavior until they achieve a full recovery. The mental health counselors aid patients to overcome their chemical dependencies and become self-sufficient individuals. Part of their duty includes meeting clients to evaluate their health and substance issues while creating goals and treatment plans. They teach clients coping mechanisms, refer them to support groups, and engage them in group therapy sessions. Once the patient is stable, they help them re-establish their careers and give updates and reports of progress to the courts. Requirements for the job include a master's degree in counseling and social work.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between counselor interns and substance abuse counselors, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a counselor internship might have more use for skills like "individual therapy sessions," "conflict resolution," "lpc," and "art therapy." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of substance abuse counselors require skills like "patients," "substance abuse treatment," "social work," and "rehabilitation. "
The non profits industry tends to pay the highest salaries for substance abuse counselors, with average annual pay of $41,273. Comparatively, the highest counselor internship annual salary comes from the finance industry.In general, substance abuse counselors hold higher degree levels compared to counselor interns. Substance abuse counselors are 5.1% more likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of counselor internship
Updated January 8, 2025
