Relate Counseling Center is a community mental health center located in the western suburbs of Minneapolis/St. Paul. Relate Counseling Center provides comprehensive outpatient and co-located (e.g. early childhood programs, schools, and area food shelf programs) mental health services, including assessment, therapy, and psychiatric medication management for adults, adolescents, and children in individual, couple, family, and group formats. Our goal is to provide high quality care, working collaboratively with each client.

During this 9–12-month practicum, students will have a generalist training experience with the opportunity to work with clients across the life span who have a wide variety of presenting concerns. You would have the opportunity to provide individual, couple, family and group therapies depending on interest and client need.

During your practicum experience at Relate, you will manage your own cases, gain direct experience with all aspects of diagnostic assessment and clinical documentation, and experience the daily life and routines of an outpatient therapist. Relate is a rare practicum experience in that we provide many opportunities to work with children, adolescents, couples, and families in addition to adults. Relate is very often able to provide a therapy practicum experience for students hoping to work exclusively with minors.

Relate additionally provides opportunities for training experiences beyond seeing your clients.  This can take the form of practicum specific education opportunities throughout the year, staff-wide training, topic-focused consult groups, or involvement in interest- or action-oriented groups.  For example, we have had a staff engagement group, a BIPOC only consultation and support group (which is ongoing), a reflective supervision consult group, a play therapy consult group, and an EMDR/ART consult group to name a few.  Students are welcome to participate in nearly all aspects of our clinic.

We work collaboratively with all graduate programs to help you meet licensing board and graduate program requirements. Students typically work between 16-20 hours a week depending on their needs and preferences. The length of practicum is based on student preferences or school requirements. Supervision typically involves 1-2 hours of individual supervision and 1-2 hours of group supervision. Informal supervision is also available and encouraged as needed.

Placement

Relate offers two options for practicum placement. An office-based therapy practicum takes place at one of the two Relate office locations (Eden Prairie or Minnetonka). The office-based placement offers the potential to provide outpatient therapy for children, adolescents, and adults.

Relate also offers a school-based therapy practicum, which takes place within a school setting at one of our many partner districts. A school placement gives practicum students the opportunity to do individual and family work while also being able to collaborate with the school team as necessary.

Application Process

Applications are accepted at any time, provided your application is sanctioned by your graduate program. For those graduate programs who participate in the uniform practicum application processes or matches, we adhere to the parameters for application dates, application review periods, and interview timelines. We are able to start practicum students year-round, noting that the majority of practicum students start in September, January, and May. Onboarding training typically occurs the week before your practicum starts.

For more information or to apply to Relate’s Therapy Practicum, please submit a cover letter and CV or resume via email to practicum@relatemn.org.