Clinical/Therapy Practicums
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 gain a generalist training experience and work with clients across the lifespan who present with a range of concerns. Depending on interests and client needs, students may provide individual, couple, family, and group therapy. Students who are excited to work with children and can offer evening hours tend to thrive in this placement.
We work collaboratively with all graduate programs to help you meet licensing board and graduate program requirements. Students typically work between 16-24 hours a week depending on their needs and preferences. 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.
Students manage their own cases and gain direct experience with diagnostic assessment, clinical documentation, and the daily routines of outpatient therapy. Relate offers two practicum tracks: a traditional office-based placement and a school-based placement. Both tracks allow students to practice individual therapy and build the therapeutic skills needed for competent practice after their placement with Relate.
Relate prides itself on being a comprehensive training institute for our students. Numerous training opportunities are available to students, including practicum-specific training relevant to new clinicians. In addition, students can take part in consult groups to supplement their learning and experience. Examples of the groups offered include a BIPOC-only consultation and support group, a reflective supervision consult group, a play therapy consult group, and an EMDR/ART consult group. Practicum students are also provided with one hour of group supervision with other students at the clinic. In addition to the many training opportunities, individual supervision is provided at a minimum of one hour per week.
Relate works with graduate programs throughout the country to provide students a strong internship and practicum experience. Students are welcome and encouraged to participate in nearly all aspects of our clinic.
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, adults, couples and families.
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 work with children while collaborating with school staff.
Application Process
Applications may be submitted at any time before the deadlines listed below, if your graduate program has approved your application. If your program uses a standardized practicum application or match process, we follow their required timelines for application submission, review, and interviews. Because we operate on a cohort model, practicum placements begin only in the fall (August/September) or winter (January). Required onboarding training takes place during the week before your practicum begins.
Application Windows:
- Winter Cohort: July 1- November 1
- Fall Cohort: January 1 – June 1
For more information or to apply to Relate’s Therapy Practicum, please submit a cover letter and resume along with your program’s practicum manual via email to practicum@relatemn.org.
