Practicums and Internships in the Online M.Ed. of Counseling and Development

For you to meet the standard of excellence set by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) in the Professional Practice category, you must complete internship and practicum hours to earn your degree. CACREP's standards provide rules to ensure consistency in programs that receive their accreditation, and they cover the following:

  1. Details regarding how you will work in professional practice and the support you will receive
  2. Your supervisor's qualifications
  3. Hours of practicums and the timeline to fulfill them
  4. How you will receive supervision on your practicum
  5. Internship hours and details regarding how you will be supervised
  6. The approved ratio between your course load and practicum or internship hours

Counseling Practicums I and II

In the graduate program in counseling, you'll complete two practicums. At your orientation meeting, and on the handbook posted to the website, you're provided with specific CACREP and program requirements for the placement sites. We encourage you to consider potential placement sites early in the program. We also advise you to discuss career goals with advisors and potential sites with the Field Placement Coordinator and your advisor as needed throughout the program.

Course Details of Practicum I and Practicum II

In Practicum I and II, you'll focus on the enhancement of the conceptual and relational skills of counseling and will further increase reflection on the development of self-in-role and supervised application of counseling skills to practice. You will focus on building therapeutic relationships, assessing client needs, goal setting, and intervention skills. 

In Practicum II, you'll continue building these skills as well as add advocacy and consultation skills.

Prerequisite: Admission to the CSDV program or permission of the instructor.

  • Practicum I:
    • This practicum can be conducted asynchronously using video, you do not need a site placement for it. However, you may wish to fulfill part or all of this obligation at the Community Counseling Clinic.
  • Practicum II:
    • This field-based experience includes 100 clock hours, which are supervised. You will need to find the clinical site and have it approved before you begin. All hours are expected to be in person.

Counseling Internships I and II

Once you've solidified your specialty and completed the practicums, you'll find a site where you can hold an internship and get approval for it. These two internships will deliver deep, real-world experiences in an applied counseling setting where you can build your skills to help clients.

Prerequisites: Admission to the CSDV program or permission of the instructor.

  • Internship I: 300 Hours with Weekly Group and Individual Supervision
    • To be completed within two semesters
  • Internship II: 300  Hours with Weekly Group and Individual Supervision
    • To be completed within two semesters

The Community Counseling Clinic

The Winthrop Community Counseling Clinic was founded to provide local communities with free counseling, consultation, and referral services to help them find their own emotional, behavioral, and spiritual balance. 

It also provides a place for the careful supervision of graduate students in the counseling program as part of practicums and internships.

As part of the practicum experience here, you'll be able to provide supervised counseling services to children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families in York County and surrounding communities. Working within the clinic you'll often provide:

Activity Therapy for Pre-Adolescents and Adolescents

  • Activity allows for creative techniques to be used in the treatment of mental/emotional difficulties

Family and Couples Counseling

  • Life transition issues/caregiver
  • Parenting skill building
  • Relationships/couples

Individual Counseling

  • Career indecision
  • Depression/anxiety
  • Family conflicts
  • Loss and grief issues
  • Low self-esteem
  • Relationship issues
  • School and work difficulties
  • Sexual concerns

Play Therapy for Children as Young as Five Years Old

  • Play allows a therapist to assist a child in coping with difficult issues
  • Play provides a non-threatening way for children to express their emotions

All sessions are recorded as a part of your supervisory experience. The confidentiality of the material is strictly safeguarded and the clinic is HIPPA-compliant. 

Students also offer parent and anger management courses. 

Licensure

Once supervised hours and all other requirements are completed you're eligible to sit for state exams to become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). You'll also have the education and experience you need to take the National Counselor Exam (NCE) or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Exam (NCMHCE) and practice as a professional counselor in the role you choose. 

Please realize the requirements for professional licensure in counseling vary from state to state. Winthrop’s School Counseling program is designed to meet SC and NC licensure requirements for school counseling and may not meet requirements from other states. We are unable to determine whether or not our program will lead to licensure in other states. Before beginning any academic program that leads to licensure, we strongly recommend you contact the state licensing board where you wish to seek licensure to determine whether the program you are considering will meet that state's licensing requirements.

Find Out More Now!

To learn more about the field experience required in Winthrop University’s online counseling development program, contact a program manager toll-free at 833/257-1704 or request more information today.