Graduate Practicum and Internship

CAPS accepts up to three graduate internship or practicum students each semester for supervised masters level counseling opportunities. Our Internships and Practicums are open to masters level counseling students from Longwood or other colleges.

Practicum and Internship Overview

CAPS is IACS accredited and provides a supervised experience that contributes to the LPC process.

The experiences you will be exposed to at CAPS will help you develop clinical skills to work at other counseling centers and learn transferable skills for a diverse array of professional work environments.  

As part of your professional and clinical development, you'll attend weekly case conferences and have individual supervision. 

Practicum Experience

Practicum students serve primarily as intake counselors.

In your practicum you can expect to:  

• Conduct initial consultations  and intake assessments
• Counsel two clients for individual therapy
• Develop clinical skills
• Learn clinical skills to assist with transition into a variety of clinical settings
• Attend weekly staff meetings and case conferences

Internship Experience

Your internship responsibilities will include:

• Individual and group counseling
• Outreach opportunities to the Longwood community
• Consultations to the campus community
• Communicate information about CAPS services at campus events
• Conduct Initial Consultation & Intake Assessments - Develop clinical skills

Application Process

Applications must be submitted to davinodf@longwood.edu a semester in advance of the planned practicum or internship.

Applications submitted early are given priority consideration. Positions stay opened until filled. 

1. Complete and submit the Applicant Cover Sheet (pdf)
2. A resume
3. Two professional references with contact information (if applying to practicum only)
4. Two professional or academic letters of recommendation that include contact information (if applying for internship only)
5. An interview with the Assistant Director of Training & Supervision, Dr. David Davino, and one other senior staff member

Nicholas Shomo, Practicum, Spring 2019

I am a second-year graduate student at Longwood University. I worked as a Life-Enrichment assistant and a Registered-Behavior Technician before deciding to pursue a graduate degree.

I earned a Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders from James Madison University in 2013, and I am projected to graduate with a Master of Science in Counselor Education with a concentration in college counseling and student affairs from Longwood University in 2020.

I completed my practicum hours with CAPS during my first year in the graduate program and gained valuable experience providing one-on-one and group counseling services for students. I learned skills in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Humanistic approaches from my supervisor to improve the quality of my counseling techniques. I also gained more confidence and understanding of my personal theory of counseling through supervision as well as weekly meetings with all members of the CAPS team. The CAPS team made themselves available to answer questions about best practices and provided feedback when I needed assistance.

I had the opportunity to co-facilitate the Advocacy, Communication, and Transition (ACT) group, which is a collaboration between CAPS and the Office of Disability Resources (ODR). This collaboration emphasized taking a holistic approach to providing support for students registered with ODR. I enjoyed co-facilitating the ACT group weekly throughout the semester because of the growth and skills students gained from their involvement in the group. My experience at CAPS provided an exceptional foundation for me as I move forward in developing my skills as a counselor.