Alexandria, Falls Church, Glen Allen, McLean, Richmond
Posted 4 months ago

Our internship program is part of our commitment to both the professional field of counseling and to our community. Graduate Interns receive in-person weekly supervision from licensed therapists and through weekly peer consultation groups. The internship program exposes interns to a variety of client populations and clinical issues. Clients, in turn, benefit from reduced session rates and access to professional counseling services, which may otherwise have been inaccessible due to financial restrictions.

Sunstone strives to provide a supportive and collaborative workplace where students can develop their careers. Our practice is designed to help all counselors develop a strong caseload of preferred clients, as well as cultivate their clinical skills and competencies.

Students may fulfill practicum requirements at Sunstone if they are completed along with an internship semester.

Job Responsibilities

  • Perform 16-20 hours/week of clinical (direct) and administrative (indirect) functions
  • Conduct intake sessions with potential clients
  • Conduct 55-min counseling sessions (minimum of six to eight hours of psychotherapy per week)
  • Attend weekly supervision to gain clinical support and feedback
  • Attend weekly peer supervision groups and cohort meetings
  • Conduct relevant assessments and mandatory reporting as necessary
  • Participate in individual and practice development
  • Please note we require two weekday evenings and/or one weekend day in order to meet university hour requirements

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

  • High degree of ethics and a practice of discretion and confidentiality
  • Strong written and oral communication skills. Excellent listening skills required
  • Ability to consider internal and external resources to develop a client treatment plan
  • Possess high levels of patience, empathy, and respect

Supervision and Support

Individual Clinical Supervision

Weekly 1-on-1 meeting with Licensed Supervisor

Weekly Intern Group Supervision

Weekly group meeting with Clinical Director (all interns participate)

Weekly Peer Group Meetings

Optional peer consultation (peer groups offered daily; join as many as you wish)

Monthly Cohort Meetings

Discussion of specialized interests (e.g. Eating Disorders, Race and Identity, Women’s Issues)

Additional Benefits

  • Paid psychologytoday.com membership
  • Online counseling bio/profile, including professional headshot
  • Marketing of counseling profile via social media
  • Flexible scheduling


While we accept applications year round, these are the windows of time that our program reviews applications:

  • January 1st – February 28th: Summer Internship Placements
  • Feb 1st – March 31st: Fall Internship Placements
  • September 1st – October 31st: Spring Internship Placements

Job Features

Job Category

Graduate Internship Program

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