[hopealwayz]

Has anyone seen an intern T and would be willing to share their experiences?

[88Butterfly88]

I've seen two. One was an LPC who finished school but was still collecting clinical hours under supervision. I could tell she still had things to learn. She was not emphatic and almost seemed cold though I think that was more her personality rather than her level of experience. I ended up switching ts. Then I had an art therapy intern. She was an older woman with more life experience and also had some previous experience working with mentally ill people in other settings but not as a therapist, I'm not exactly sure what she did with them. I met her toward the end of her internship. She was wonderful and I miss her. She was actually better than my current t who is not an intern.

[hopealwayz]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I know there are downsides. I’ve decided against seeing an intern.

So I emailed a few LPCs and 2 psychologists.

I actually think I prefer to take some time off of therapy but I don’t know what my psychiatrist will say about that when I see him on the 11th.

[scorpiosis37]

What happened with the T you were seeing earlier this month? Why did you decide to stop working with him?

[DP_2017]

Ya what happened to old T? I was curious on that too?

[SummerTime12]

I saw an intern when I was like 13. She was really nice and helpful for
me at the time!

[ScarletPimpernel]

I saw an intern (masters) in college, and an intern (also masters) for a DBT group. Both sucked. However, one of my counselors at a crisis house I stayed at, who was working on her doctorate, was awesome. If I didn't have my T, I'd try to see her individually.

[hopealwayz]

Actually, it’s a weird story. I decided that I wanted to end therapy and we seemed to reach a natural stopping point.

However, we’re still on good terms and will keep in touch.

I have the option of seeing him for one more session on Monday but I’ve never had a scheduled ‘final’ schedule so I don’t know how to make the best use of those 55 minutes.

[SummerTime12]

I just remembered — aside from the individual t I saw when I was younger, I’ve worked with intern Ts in other aspects. One led a trauma group I was a part of last school year, and she was amazing and working towards her masters. The other 2 I saw were both my individual Ts in different eating disorder partial hospitalization programs (getting doctorates). One was awful, the other was a great therapist who I was very sad to stop working with when I left the program. I made a lot of progress with her.

[Echos Myron redux]

Honestly I think therapists should only work with clients who match their competence level. From what I know of your situation I would think you would benefit from a more experienced therapist. I'm not saying that in a disparaging way, I wouldn't have done well with an intern because of my complex attachment stuff.

[hopealwayz]

I agree with that.

[DP_2017]

Did either of the new ones you email reply?

[mindmechanic]

Yeah; I saw a clinical psychology PhD student therapist at my college. She terminated me, and my case was passed on to her supervisor. She didn't feel that she could handle me. I think that she would have made a great friend. It seems, however, that student therapists could be more open-minded and invested because they're in the learning process. Would I see an intern again? Hmm; probably not. I need consistency and for therapy to end on my own terms - not when the intern leaves the clinic and I wouldn't be able to see him or her in private practice or wherever s/he ends up working at.

[Anne2.0]

No experience with an intern, but I used to mentor freshly minted lawyers, and some of them were better on their first day than lawyers I've known who had practiced many years. Better interviewing skills, and a more up to date knowledge of the law.

As this applies to psych interns, they might be more familiar with current topics and research, although I'm not sure that knowledge per se makes a good T. I appreciate that my T is very knowledgeable about current research, especially in neuropsych and neuroscience of trauma, and he can explain things to me that can be useful for me to see if it applies to me.

[Deejay14]

Hope, great to read here that you are happy and not tormented waiting for a reply from your T. Hope you enjoy this extra time you will have for yourself.

[annielovesbacon]

My first ever T was an intern, she was a doctoral student finishing up her last year of internship hours. Now she's in private practice.
Unfortunately I don't really know how to be reflective on this time because I didn't know what to expect of therapy or what I should be getting out of it. Maybe that speaks of her -- maybe she should have explained it better.
I remember that I liked going to see her, though. And she suspected I had bipolar years before I was actually diagnosed.