Internship

Offering Autonomy, Flexibility, Support and Earning Opportunities for Associates Seeking a Private Practice Model Internship

Grateful Heart Holistic Therapy Center is a nonprofit organization and offers psychotherapy (currently in the form of tele-therapy) to individuals, couples and families throughout the Greater Bay Area and California. We also offer a supportive internship program for pre-licensed clinicians, including Associate Marriage Family Therapists, Associate Social Workers and Associate Professional Clinical Counselors. Unfortunately, we cannot assist individuals seeking practicum placements as trainees. Post-graduate trainees ARE welcome to join however Grateful Heart does not currently have Live Scan Operator status so only persons registered as associates can count their hours with us. Additionally, we can not admit current clients of a Grateful Heart therapists.  

Want to Apply? 

Our fall 2022 application cycle has closed. We will be in communication about our next application period, expected sometime mid-year 2023. 

Here is a reference document for the application. 

If you have questions about the process, please see below for the reference document or you can email questions to admin@gratefulhearttherapy.org.

We offer many unique benefits, including opportunities to: 

• Develop the clinical and entrepreneurial skills required for success in private practice
• Create an actual practice that is yours once you are licensed
• Enter your post-licensure career with a higher income earning potential than many of your peers
• Retain your client caseload
• Earn an income while accruing hours for licensure
• Earn more as your practice grows

In addition, we will provide: 

• Guidance and support to launch your private practice career
• Assistant with business skills development
• Assistance in procuring a professional office in one or multiple locations
• Clinical enrichment and support, including monthly training and other workshops
• An integrative or holistic philosophy
• Six months of no-cost weekly group supervision
• The freedom to choose your own supervisor/s
• Access to 45+ clinicians willing to provide reduced fee supervision
• Access to a network of 70+ fellow interns, including your own cohort
• Potential low-fee referrals
• Marketing support
• Inclusion on Grateful Heart’s website
• Use of SimplePractice
• Opportunities for volunteerism and professional development
• Coordination with other agencies
• Tax-free employee reimbursement for expenses, such as the cost of psychotherapy or training
• The opportunity to continue at Grateful Heart once you become licensed
• Attentive service by a dedicated staff

To help you launch a successful private practice 

During your first six months as an associate, you will receive weekly supervision with other associates new to Grateful Heart, as well as the support of our staff to launch a practice that truly reflects your personal aspirations and goals. You can also choose to participate in the workshops, training opportunities and community events, as well as the other professional support and development opportunities we offer. You can choose how much you wish to participate, depending on your interests and needs. Our internship offers flexibility, autonomy and support, custom tailored to your particular situation, interests and needs.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

Can I retain my current caseload if I am transferring from an agency or school clinic? Your current clients can join you at Grateful Heart after you leave your current placement site. In addition to providing continuity of care for your clients, this will allow you to begin Grateful Heart with an established caseload. It will also provide you with opportunities for longer term client retention: a benefit for both you and your clients.

How is your internship structured financially? Our internship is structured to provide you with the maximum opportunity for earning. We collect a monthly fee from each associate to cover our costs, but operate on as lean a budget as possible, so as much of what you collect in client fees can be disbursed to you as income once you become an employee.

How much of the client fees I generate will be deducted to offset my internship costs? To subsidize the cost of offering our internship, we will collect a monthly administrative fee from you each month. This fee will be drawn from the fees you collect from your clients or donations from family and friends. In addition to the monthly fee, any pay you receive will be subject to the standard deductions for federal and state withholding.  They will also be subject to a 12.5% payroll expense and a $10 payroll processing fee per month. Beginning as of February 2021, our fee is $525/month.

Where is the internship located? We are not a typical brick and mortar agency. Typically (pre-pandemic) our associates practice throughout the Bay Area in more than 60 private satellite offices, primarily in San Francisco, Marin, the East Bay and Contra Costa County. Each new cohort meets for the first six months for our introductory group supervision and then one Sunday a month for our monthly clinical workshops and trainings. In 2023, we assume most activities will continue remotely. 

How long is the internship? The length varies from associate to associate, however most associates stay with us from one to three years. If an associate is at the beginning of their internship process, and can devote 10 – 16 hours per week to their internship, they typically stay with us an average of two years, however we can also accept interns mid-way or nearing the completion of their hours acquisition, as long as they can stay with us a minimum of six months. 

Can I earn more as my practice grows? Most internships allow you to accrue hours towards licensure. Some internships also allow you to earn an income during the accrual process. The potential for earning varies widely from internship to internship, ranging from small stipends to hourly wages for interns who are retained as employees. Grateful Heart is designed to offer you much more than the compulsory minimum wage required by law. Once you qualify to become an employee, your income will increase in proportion to your practice. The more you generate in client fees, the more you can earn.

How will your program prepare me for private practice? Many clinicians begin their professional careers without the financial or business skills to begin and sustain a private practice. By participating in our program, you will enter your post-licensure years with the basic financial, operational and marketing skills necessary for success as a private practice clinician. You will acquire these skills experientially as well as by accessing the no or low-cost opportunities for mentoring, training and professional development we offer in our Private Practice Resource Guide.

How flexible is your program? We understand that managing an internship can be stressful, especially when you have other significant commitments. We also realize that after years as a student, many individuals prefer some modicum of autonomy as interns. For this reason, we’ve developed an internship that offers flexibility, autonomy and support. Although some major decisions must be approved by our staff, you choose your office location, schedule, fee scale, supervisor and modality. As long as you meet our standard clinical and administrative requirements, you can also choose how actively you wish to participate in our program. The choice is yours.

What kind of training do you offer? We provide monthly to twice-monthly training workshops focusing on contemporary approaches to the therapeutic process, trends in trauma, neurobiology and attachment, psychotherapy with couples and marginalized persons as well as other clinical and practice support topics of interest to our community. Facilitated by a variety of senior or master clinicians, our trainings are intended both for clinical enrichment and skills development. In addition to training, we offer 1:1 coaching on clinical program development for associates wishing to sponsor groups, workshops or peer trainings. We also offer an extensive library of clinical articles, access to a referral directory, plus a variety of clinical tools, such as assessments and forms, to all our interns.

How is your internship and agency holistic? As an agency, we are committed to offering programs and services that integrate somatic, transpersonal, humanistic, psychodynamic and contemporary psychoanalytic approaches to the practice of psychotherapy. Many of our supervisors and associates work eclectically, bridging across modalities, some focusing on social justice as a particular interest. Whether informed by these focuses or others, we are joined in an important commitment to providing ethical, respectful care to both our interns and clients.

What kind of community does your program offer? You will begin your orientation and supervision process as an associate with a cohort of up to seven other associates. If you want to become more involved, you can join one of the process or study groups we offer, participate in our monthly clinical training workshops or attend the community events hosted by Grateful Heart and our Associates four times per year.  As a member of our network, you can find other clinicians with similar interests, engage in collaborative learning, secure vacation coverage for your practice, exchange information about resources or find an office or suite-mate or study partner. The options are plentiful, depending on your needs. Since the onset of the Coronavirus, we have shifted to online formats for all meetings.

Testimonials

“I think Grateful Heart is unique in that it really supports interns in developing in a way that they choose. There are lots of opportunities for autonomy, growth and support, but minimal blanket requirements.”

“I have felt very grateful to have found a space that is as supportive and available for feedback.”

“The wonderful and dedicated staff went above and beyond at every turn.”

“This agency is truly focused on supporting interns and building a cohesive community.”

“I’m so happy! I love the clinical guidance, the respect for self-as-therapist concerns, and the group feeling.”

“I would recommend this as the best place to develop a private practice because of the great supervision, business support, ongoing training opportunities, and support groups.”

“Sweet freedom! Independence/autonomy. Marketing support. A chance to earn and to expense.”

To Apply – 2022 (CLOSED)

All meetings and interviews will take place via zoom.

Groups are assigned and scheduled based on availability.
If you have any questions about our unique internship program or cannot download the application package available above on this page, please email  admin@gratefulhearttherapy.org.