practicum /internship program

Mental health Intern services

Reduced-Cost and pro-bono mental health services

to community members in need

mental health Intern fees

Our Mental Health Interns offer reduced-cost and pro-bono mental health services to community members in need.

Our reduced-cost options are for our community members in need who are eligible and qualify due to financial challenges.

Our pro-bono (no cost) option is for our local unhoused women’s shelter guests.

Here at Summerville Women’s Mental Health Services (SWMHS), we are a teaching private practice. This means we allow Masters Level Graduate Students (Mental Health Interns) from accredited graduate programs to obtain real-life experience in the counseling/therapy profession alongside our more seasoned clinicians. This is very important to provide continued quality care in the mental health field, and it also allows us to provide therapy at a lower cost or no cost to clients in need.

We want counseling/therapy to be accessible to everyone who needs it, not just those who can afford it.

At SWMHS we know that professional counseling/therapy is a financial investment. We want to provide clients with high-quality mental health care that also fits their budget needs. We are proud to offer reduced-cost and pro-bono counseling/therapy by our Mental Health Interns. Mental Health Interns undergo vigorous training and are supervised by Senior Licensed Clinicians. 

To help meet the financial needs of community members in need, we offer an option that can help significantly lower the cost of ongoing counseling/therapy.

Reduced-cost therapy, also known as low-fee therapy, is an approach to making mental health care more accessible and affordable for everyone. At SWMHS, we understand that financial constraints can be a significant barrier to seeking help. That’s why we’ve developed a program that offers high-quality counseling/therapy services at reduced rates and no cost.

Our reduced-cost counseling/therapy service is designed to provide excellent care at rates that fit the client’s budget. We ensure that counseling/therapy is within reach for individuals from all walks of life.

Key Features of our Reduced-Cost Counseling/Therapy service:

  • No Waitlist: Start your healing journey without delay.

  • Low cost: All counseling/therapy sessions and assessments by Mental Health Interns are $30 if you are eligible and qualify. Our low fee makes mental health care accessible to those who might otherwise be unable to afford it.

  • Local unhoused women receive mental health care at no cost.

  • High-Quality Care: Benefit from the fresh perspectives of Mental Health Interns combined with the wisdom of experienced supervisors.

  • Receive the same dedication and support as our full-fee clients.

  • Flexible Scheduling: Find appointment times that work with your busy life.

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Our Practicum/Internship Program: Quality Care at Affordable Rates

Our affordable counseling/therapy services are provided by Mental Health Interns who are completing their graduate-level training in clinical programs. They undergo a rigorous selection process and receive extensive training before working with clients.

Professional Supervision 

Clients work with a Mental Health Intern and benefit from the expertise of a senior-level clinician supervisor. Every Mental Health Intern is closely supervised by a licensed professional with years of experience in the field. This dual approach ensures that you receive comprehensive, high-quality care at a fraction of the cost of traditional counseling/therapy.

Mental Health Intern counseling/therapy can be just as effective as standard-priced counseling/therapy but at a discounted rate. The key factor in counseling/therapy’s effectiveness is not the cost but the quality of care provided and the relationship between the counselor/therapist and client. At SWMHS, we ensure that all our counselors/therapists are well-trained and supervised to provide the highest quality of care.

How Does Reduced-cost Counseling/Therapy Work?

Our reduced-cost counseling/therapy program follows a structured process:

  • Counselor/Therapist Matching: You’ll be matched with a qualified Counselor Intern whose skills align with your needs.

  • Initial Assessment: We begin with an assessment to understand your specific needs.

  • Regular Sessions: You’ll attend regular counseling/therapy sessions, just as you would in standard-priced therapy.

  • Ongoing Supervision: Your Mental Health Intern receives regular supervision from a licensed, experienced clinician.

Work with a mental ealth Intern:

A Mental Health Intern is someone who is finishing the final portion of graduate school and works in the community to provide counseling under the supervision of a Licensed Professional to fulfill their graduation requirements. They can be finishing either a Master's or Doctoral Degree in counseling or a related field. They are generally well-trained and eager to apply their knowledge to the clients they help. Also, since they are actively in a graduate program, they are being trained on all the newest and best treatment options available and have access to cutting-edge research. 

At SWMHS, we interview and hire only the best interns and then train and supervise them as they learn how to work in a private practice setting. Because Mental Health Interns need to complete a set number of hours to graduate, they are willing and able to provide a very low fee for their counseling/therapy experience.

counseling/therapy reduced-cost:

A reduced-cost is when a Mental Health Intern offers a reduced fee for sessions for a client who has a financial need to help make counseling/therapy more affordable.  

If you would like to begin counseling/therapy but can not afford to pay the regular rate, please contact us and ask about The reduced-cost fee. If all our reduced-cost spots are full, we will be happy to put you on a waiting list until a spot opens up.

In Charleston and Summerville, South Carolina, Mental Health Interns typically charge between $30 and $80 per session; this price range reflects the standard for most Mental Health Interns, with the exact cost often depending on the specific practice, the intern's experience, and whether a reduced-cost is offered based on income. 

Many mental health professionals have stopped accepting insurance for payment and have moved to provide services only on a self-pay basis. There are many valid reasons for this. Insurance companies require that we assign you a “Diagnosis Code”, which becomes a part of your permanent medical record. 

Some people are uncomfortable with this and the potential impact it could have on them in the future. Insurance companies often require information to be sent to them about what happens in sessions to justify payment and can put stipulations on how many sessions they will allow a client to come before they will no longer pay for sessions. 

They also require lengthy billing processes and can be slow to reimburse providers for work they have already done. Due to these stipulations and the challenges that often come for providers regarding receiving payment from insurance companies, we prefer to work with clients on a self-pay basis only due to the reasons stated above.

Reference: https://favacounseling.com/affordable-counseling-services/

Key points to remember about mental health intern fees:

Lower than licensed therapists:

Due to their training status, Mental Health Interns usually charge significantly less than fully licensed therapists. 

Reduced-cost options:

Many practices allow Mental Health Interns to offer a reduced-cost fee, meaning the cost is adjusted based on the client's income. 

Supervision required:

Mental Health Interns must be supervised by a licensed counselor/therapist, which can influence pricing.

At SWMHS, we recognize that financial challenges can often be barriers to seeking important mental health services and support. To address this challenge, we’ve created a comprehensive, reduced-cost counseling/therapy program to offer community members who need it. We have Master’s Level Mental Health Interns at our center available at a reduced-cost to those who qualify. 

Our Mental Health Interns are supervised by senior licensed clinicians and receive comprehensive training from them. When you choose our Mental Health Intern services, you benefit from a collaborative and supportive approach to therapy that we hold to the highest standards of care while addressing and accommodating different financial needs in the community. 

The Benefits of Working with a Mental Health Intern

Ment Inal Health Interns are well-established graduate students with a wealth of psychological knowledge and ambition to help people

They usually come with reduced-costs fees, making them more feasible for clients who have tight budgets. This makes Mental Health Interns a great choice for uninsured or unemployed clients.

Why are mental health interns allowed to treat clients when they’re not fully licensed?

For people to become counselors/therapists, they must go through the process of clinical supervision. Mental Health Interns work under a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) as their Clinical Supervisor while they develop skills and real-world experience before taking their exam to become fully licensed.

They apply what they learned in school to real-life clients so they can adjust their technique as they go. To gain licensure, they must fulfill all required hours of clinical supervision and pass the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Exam (NCMHCE) or the National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification (NCE), depending on what state they are testing in.  

This journey is highly reflective for the intern, and it involves weekly meetings with their supervisor to go over that week’s caseload. Supervisors and supervisees may take turns actively working on a case vs. observing a case. This helps them compare techniques and adjust strategies to best suit each client’s needs.

Why should I trust a counselor/therapist-in-training?

Confidentiality

Clinical supervision has many fail-safes to ensure that Mental Health Interns treat clients appropriately and ethically. The first and most important standard is ensuring confidentiality between you, them, and their supervisor. It’s at the forefront of the client-therapist relationship. Your Mental Health Intern should make it clear during the first session that even though they’re in training, they still follow every standard that licensed counselors do.

Transparency

Everything you work on with your Mental health Intern is accessible to the licensed professional who’s mentoring them. To fulfill the requirements of their program, their supervisor must ethically monitor all of their work, from reviewing treatment plans to being present during sessions. This ensures that nothing gets missed if the intern makes a mistake because of their newness. Their supervisor has the power to adjust treatment plans and provide feedback as needed to keep the client’s needs in focus.

Wealth of Knowledge

Mental Health Interns are typically very up-to-date people in counseling/therapy practices. Coming straight from university, they have access to all the latest research, theories, and techniques. When you work with a Mental Health Intern, you’re working with someone who is on the cutting edge of therapeutic techniques. This is someone who currently devotes much of their energy toward being the best therapist they can be.

Excitement

Mental Health Interns train for this day through textbooks, essays, and tests, making them incredibly eager and excited to finally work with clients. You’re never going to work with a Mental Health Intern who seems apathetic, disinterested, or unwilling to work on your case. They’re very invested in the work they are doing. Anyone who commits to being a counselor/therapist long enough to get to clinical supervision can help you cope with life’s toughest battles.

Reference: Unload It Therapy, Roma Williams

https://www.unloadittherapy.com/the-benefits-of-working-with-a-counseling-intern/#:~:text=Interns%20work%20under%20a%20licensed,their%20technique%20as%20they%20go

Working with a mental health Intern

At SWMHS, we have Mental Health Interns as a part of our counseling/therapy team. Working with a Mental Health Intern can be a unique experience for clients. It offers its own set of advantages and considerations. 

What exactly is a mental health intern? 

A Mental Health Intern is usually someone who is completing their graduate degree (Masters, Doctorate, etc.) in the fields of counseling/therapy, marriage and family therapy, social work, or psychology. These interns have to complete multiple internships while completing their program to gain more relevant experience before they graduate and can pursue licensure. Typically, these internships occur at the end of a student’s graduate program, and they likely already have received some counseling experience through a practicum, as well as through their graduate studies.

What type of supervision and guidance does a mental health intern have?

A Mental Health Intern will be working under the close supervision of licensed mental health clinicians. Typically, they are required to have a supervisor at their internship site, as well as a university supervisor, both of which meet weekly with the Mental Health Intern. This means that they are typically getting 1-3 hours a week of dedicated supervision. 

Are there things mental health interns can and can not do?

Every graduate program has slightly different requirements, but in general, Mental Health Interns can not bill insurance for their sessions and can not provide superbills if their practice site is not in network with insurance. They also will require supervision to diagnose and treat. Their clinical experience falls largely under the license of their supervisor. The supervisor has to sign off on much of a Mental Health Intern’s paperwork, therapy notes, etc., which increases the oversight the Mental Health Intern receives. 

Are there positives to working with a mental health intern?

There are many great reasons why a client would choose to work with a mental health intern. Here are some of the benefits for clients to work with mental health interns during counseling/therapy sessions:

1. Fresh Perspectives:

Clients may benefit from the fresh perspectives that Mental Health Interns bring to counseling/therapy sessions. 

Mental Health Interns are often well-versed in the latest therapeutic techniques and approaches, which can offer new insights into their challenges and provide innovative solutions.

2. Increased Availability: 

Having Mental Health Interns as part of the counseling/therapy team can increase counselor/therapist availability, potentially reducing wait times and making it easier for clients to schedule appointments. This can be particularly beneficial for clients seeking immediate support.

3. Collaboration: 

Clients may find that working with a Mental health Intern introduces a collaborative element to their counseling/therapy. Mental Health Interns are typically open to client input and may be more receptive to exploring alternative therapeutic methods based on the client’s preferences.

4. Diverse Backgrounds: 

Mental Health Interns often come from diverse backgrounds, and this diversity can enhance the client experience. In addition, Mental Health Interns may be more sensitive to cultural and demographic differences because of the emphasis placed on diversity and multicultural competence through their current graduate studies, contributing to a more inclusive and culturally competent therapeutic environment.

5. Structured Learning: 

Mental health Interns receive structured supervision and guidance from experienced counselors/therapists. This ensures that the counseling/therapy provided by Mental Health Interns aligns with professional standards and ethical guidelines. Clients can have confidence that their treatment is carefully monitored.

6. Potential for Lower Costs: 

Some counseling/therapy practices offer sessions with Counseling Interns at a reduced-cost. This can make counseling/therapy more accessible to clients who may have financial constraints.

7. Potential for Future Collaboration:

A successful counseling/therapy experience with a Mental health Intern can lead to a future therapeutic relationship. Mental health Interns who complete their training may transition into licensed therapists and may continue to work with clients who initially started counseling/therapy with them during their internship.

Are there potential downsides to working with an intern counselor/therapist?

Yes. Despite all the positives to working with a Mental Health Intern, the main disadvantage is you are getting someone who does not have as much experience as a licensed counselor/therapist who has been working in the counseling/therapy field for a much longer time. You also may not get all the specialized training or certifications that someone who has been counseling for a long time has received. 

How can I know if working with an intern is right for me?

The best recommendation is to do your research. If you know a practice you are considering working with has Mental Health Interns providing counseling/therapy, ask questions of the practice's clinical director, or consider chatting with the Mental Health Intern directly before starting counseling/therapy. Here are some ideas on how to do that and what to ask:

1. Schedule a free consultation call with the Mental Health Intern. 

Most Mental Health Interns in counseling/therapy practices will offer free consultation calls, and this will give you a chance to talk with them about their counseling/therapy experience so far.

2. Ask about their experience level and if they’ve already completed any internships. 

Someone who is in their first internship versus someone who is in their third internship could have very different skill levels. In addition, many Mental Health Interns are getting experience through volunteer or other work opportunities, despite not being licensed yet. This all can add to the experience level of a Mental Health Intern.

3. Ask about specializations. 

A graduate program in Marriage and Family Therapy is going to include a lot of training in couples and family counseling/therapy. Some graduate programs have special emphasis on Addiction or Trauma, for example, and may provide additional classes and training for their students, making them very qualified to assist clients. Knowing about any specializations will help you decide if a Mental Health Intern will be able to help with what you are looking for. 

Working with Mental health Interns can offer clients a range of benefits, including fresh perspectives, increased availability, and a diverse and inclusive approach to counseling/therapy. While there are some limitations, clients can generally expect that their counseling/therapy with Mental Health Interns is structured, supervised, and in adherence to ethical standards. 

It’s also an opportunity for clients to contribute to the development of future counselors/therapists and potentially continue their therapeutic journey with the same individual once they become licensed professionals.

If you have more questions or would like to get started with one of our Mental Health Interns please schedule an appointment with our team.

Our reduced-fee counseling/therapy services are here to help. We’re committed to providing affordable therapy options without sacrificing quality or compassion.

Don’t let financial constraints hold you back from seeking the support you deserve. Contact us today to learn more about our reduced-cost counseling/therapy options and take the first step towards a healthier, happier you.