LPC Practicum and Internship Question

[darksun48]

Hi all, I'm going to be starting a clinical Mental health counseling Masters to get my LPC soon and I have a question. I'm a career changer - I'm 32 and have been working in advertising for 11 years; my undergraduate degree is unrelated to mental health (BA Film and Media Arts), so this is a big shift.

I was accepted into the four CACREP programs I applied to already and I've chosen one. I know my second year in, I will need to procure a practicum site, as well as internship sites after that, in order to graduate and fulfill the LPC requirements. The school has a list of previous sites but it's up to the student to procure the field experience.

For my first year in the program, I'll be a stay at home dad while my wife works, since she can make more money where we moved to than I can. So my question is - will the fact that I was in another career previously, then was a stay at home dad for the first year of grad school instead of somehow working something in the mental health field, negatively affect my ability to procure practicum and internships during my program? Or does just the fact that I'm in grad school full time mean I'll likely find something? I know some people probably got their undergrad in psychology and will be already working in the mental health field during grad school, but this isn't an option for me.

I volunteered for a crisis hotline for a year and a half prior to starting grad school, so I did get a little experience for the resume.. but that's really it.. Would like to know anyone's experience with how hard it is to get practicum and internships in an LPC program if they're a career changer like me, or who isn't working in the mental health field during/before grad school.

Thanks in advance!!

Edit: I'm not referring to the 3,000 supervised clinical hours needed AFTER graduation, only the practicum and internships needed as part of the Masters program.

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[deleted861354]

Sorry not to be of help, but are you me? Worked in advertising for 5 years, undergrad in social sciences, going to be stay at home dad in LPC program . . .

 

[MAClinician]

Your interview skills are probably more important than whether you are working or not. Plenty of students go full time in grad school and can’t work or have other responsibilities so you likely won’t be the only one. I would ask the program you are entering if they have staff available to assist you with obtaining the placements, and also if there are students from other programs/schools competing for the same placement. For example, MSW and LPC students might be applying for the same position. So you want to have an idea of how competitive it might be, and if your program provides support. A local school near me has a director of fieldwork and her job was to maintain relationships with placement and assist students with any problems. A classmate was at a place and the licensed supervisor left suddenly. The fieldwork Director helped the student secure another placement mid semester. Something to ask about. Also, after you have taken your first year classes, try to identify how your previous work experience and skills can be useful in counseling, if possible. Are there qualities or aspects of being in advertising that can be applied to mental health? What do you hope to learn during field work that the site can provide for you? Etc.

 

[darksun48]

Thanks MAClinician, this is helpful. Changing careers at this point in my life with a family incurs some risk, and I'm just feeling a little apprehensive. Good to hear your take on it.

Therapistemology, what a coincidence haha. I'm definitely happy to be leaving advertising. When do you start your program? Best of luck with it all!

 

[flowchase]

It's a combination of luck, experience and what MAClinician mentioned. The availability of sites/agencies vs number of programs in your area matters, and having prior mental health experience would be an advantage (which you do have through the crisis hotline) but not a deal breaker. After all, the point of practicum/internship is for students to learn and practice skills so prior experience is just a bonus. If anything, stay open to working in various settings and apply early!