The X-Podcast: Real Conversations About Mental Health
A Conversation About: Mental Health Interns
May 16, 2025
The X-Podcast: Real Conversations About Mental Health
A Conversation About: Mental Health Interns
Episode #54
In this episode, the X-Podcast team discusses mental health interns. They explain the importance of mental health interns to the mental health profession. They get into what their purpose is before graduation, and how they significantly contribute in all areas of the field. In addition, Xiomara gets into the current challenges and systemic issues she believes are problematic in their ability to succeed and to secure internship sites for their programs. The team also explains what the different counseling specialties are for mental health interns and how that affects their internship placements and experience.
Xiomara A. Sosa
Creator, Host, and Executive Producer
JRoc Co-host and Technical Advisor
Nichole Myles, Mental Health Intern
Listen to all episodes at https://blubrry.com/studio_talk_mental_health/
#TheXPodcast #MentalHealth #Counseling #Therapy #MentalHealthInterns #Internship #Practicum #Interns
Counseling specialties for mental health interns
The professional counseling field offers a variety of specialties. These specialties require specific training and focus on different aspects of mental well-being and personal development.
This is separate from being a psychiatrist, psychologist, or clinical social worker, who are also mental health professionals/clinicians.
This is the list of CACREP-accredited professional counseling specialties within the counseling profession.
Clinical Mental Health Counseling
This specialty focuses on diagnosing and treating a wide range of mental health issues in individuals, families, and groups. Clinical Mental Health Counseling – Clinical Mental Health Counseling programs prepare graduates to work with clients across a spectrum of mental and emotional disorders, as well as to promote mental health and wellness. Clients may be seen individually, in couples, families, or group settings. Clinical Mental Health Counselors are knowledgeable in the principles and practices of diagnosis, treatment, referral, and prevention, and often work in interdisciplinary teams with other health professionals (e.g., psychiatrists, social workers, MDs). Employment opportunities may include private practice, community-based mental health centers, hospitals, and other treatment centers.
Also known as Substance Abuse Counseling. This specialty deals with individuals struggling with substance addiction and related issues, providing guidance and support. Addiction Counseling – Addiction Counseling programs prepare graduates to work with persons and families affected by alcohol, drugs, gambling, sexual, and other addictive disorders (e.g., food-related). These programs focus on models of treatment, prevention, recovery, and relapse prevention of addiction, along with the appropriate application of interventions. Graduates of Addiction Counseling programs may choose to work in private practice or may work in a variety of community agencies offering counseling services for substance abuse.
Rehabilitation Counseling programs prepare graduates to work collaboratively with individuals with disabilities, their support systems, and their environments to achieve their personal, social, psychological, and vocational goals. Graduates are prepared to maximize levels of independence, integration, and participation of all individuals with disabilities through the use of counseling, technology, advocacy, support, and the development and application of services that eliminate barriers to their clients’ development. Rehabilitation Counselors may work in a variety of settings, including rehabilitation facilities, hospitals, universities, schools, and/government agencies.
Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling
This area focuses on improving relationships within couples and families, addressing communication problems, and conflict resolution. Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling – Graduates of Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling programs have been prepared to work with individuals, couples, and families from a family systems perspective across a variety of mental and emotional disorders, relationship issues, or communication issues. They also work in a variety of settings, including inpatient facilities, community mental health centers, private practice offices, and social service agencies.
This specialty assists individuals in making career choices, developing job skills, and exploring career paths. Career Counseling – Career Counseling programs prepare graduates to help persons wanting to make career decisions and explore the intersection of their education, skills, interests, and personality to determine and plan for possible career paths. Career Counselors often make use of inventories and other assessment tools to assist persons in making decisions. Career Counselors may work in a variety of settings, from private practice to career resource centers or employee assistance programs associated with specific industries or organizations.
School counselors focus on supporting students' academic, social, and emotional well-being within the educational environment. School Counseling – School Counseling programs prepare graduates to work with students ranging from kindergarten through high school. School Counselors are prepared to promote the academic, career, and personal/social development of all K-12 students through understanding how to design and implement comprehensive school guidance and counseling programs that include time for individual Counseling, group Counseling, classroom guidance, family and teacher consultations within the school setting.
School Counselors work within both private and public school systems at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
College Counseling and Student Affairs – College Counseling and Student Affairs programs prepare students to assume a variety of positions in higher education and student affairs offices after graduation. Such positions might include working at a college or university’s housing and residential life office, assisting with management activities at a student union, offering student leadership activities and orientation sessions, or providing Counseling, career services, and multicultural support services. Students acquire a strong professional Counseling knowledge base, including: history of the profession, philosophy, ethics, theory, and assessment, while simultaneously learning about the culture of higher education, its organizational dynamics, and administrative structure to enable them to provide leadership in student development issues and policy-making in student affairs.
Counselor Education and Supervision
Doctoral degree programs in Counselor Education and Supervision are intended to prepare graduates to work as Counselor Educators, supervisors, researchers, and practitioners in academic and clinical settings. A doctorate in counselor education and supervision includes CACREP foundational curricular standards and CACREP professional practice standards (which are the same standards that are obtained in a CACREP-accredited master's degree program). Doctoral students are required to complete internships that total a minimum of 600 hours, which include supervised experiences in counseling.
Other Specialties
Other specialized areas may include grief counseling, educational counseling, and military and veteran counseling.
DSM-5 specialties
These are the issues within the DSM that are diagnosable disorders, such as anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, gender dysphoria, trauma and stressor-related disorders, etc., that mental health interns work with as they are honing in on what their specialty area within the DSM will be as licensed clinicians.
Specializations/specialty issues
These are issues that are outside of a diagnosable DSM disorder or separate from it, such as women’s mental health, multicultural counseling, and integrative counseling, etc.
Ideal client
This is the specific population or client, such as women dealing with trauma, teens dealing with substance alcohol abuse or addiction, veterans transitioning from active duty, nurses coping with burnout, struggling families, etc., that the mental health interns will work with as licensed clinicians.
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Resources
https://www.thex-studio.org/resources
References
https://www.cacrep.org/counseling-specialties/
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