by Jessica Heymann, LSW
Reaching out for support and beginning your therapy journey is often daunting. So, if you have recently decided to start going to therapy, way to go! We hope you can give yourself the pat on the back that you deserve for taking such a big step. Unfortunately once you decide to go to therapy, the next steps of finding a therapist can feel scary. One option is to work with one of our Master’s level interns at Therapy for Women. There are many benefits to working with an intern, either to begin or continue your therapy journey! Here are just a few.
Interns have smaller caseloads.
If you see an intern, they will have a smaller caseload than any of our other therapists. We design the smaller case load to accommodate interns’ part time schedules while in school. It also allows for more supervision and clinical support from their supervisors. This means they have significantly more time to plan for sessions and research new techniques that may be helpful for your specific situation. It can also potentially mean they more flexibility to work within your schedule.
Working with an intern costs less.
As interns, we are not allowed to take insurance. However, we offer our sessions at a significantly lower sliding scale rate of $40 per session. This can help make therapy a more affordable option. With an intern, you get the benefit of expertise from all of the professionals educating and supervising them at a fraction of the cost. That’s at least 2 therapists’ insight!
Each intern has the opportunity to seek support from other professionals.
Now, you may be thinking that we are avoiding the obvious: interns may have limited experience (or no experience). But, this can also benefit you in several ways! As interns we often don’t have a long history of working with a specific issue or population. So, we may be more inclined to think outside of the box rather than utilizing treatment plans that have worked for clients in the past.
As mentioned above, our interns also more time to devote to each individual case due to smaller caseloads. This means utilizing the most up to date research and techniques available, while also benefiting from the experience and wisdom of those supervising us, and the treatments that have worked for their clients in the past.
As interns, we are also accustomed to asking questions and seeking support from those with more experience than us. You can be assured that if you are working with an intern, there is more than one clinician working with them behind the scenes. This is to ensure that you are receiving the excellent care and support that you deserve.
Interns are enthusiastic!
As interns some of us have been working hard for years to get to this point where we can finally begin doing what we are passionate about and work to support our clients and provide mental health care. Some of you could even be an intern’s first ever client! Although our therapists are dedicated to providing quality care and support for every single client at Therapy for Women, there is a special level of enthusiasm among our interns. We are so excited to get to learn your story, and provide support as you work towards whatever changes or goals brought you to Therapy for Women in the first place. We can’t wait to work with you as you continue on your journey to living a more healed, happy and fulfilling life!
Jessica specializes in anxiety, depression trauma, and self-esteem. To learn more about Jessica, read her bio here.
Looking for a therapist, want to see an intern, or unsure where to begin? Get started on our booking page.
