The Intern’s Couch
Fresh voices. Honest reflections. Real growth from the next generation of therapists.
From Imposter Syndrome to Inner Confidence: My Journey as a Thrive Intern
Meet Collin Kosiba
Collin joined Thrive Counseling Services as a Master of Social Work intern with a focus on trauma-informed mental health care. A proud Cheyenne native and veteran of both the Marine Corps and Air National Guard, Collin brings a calm, thoughtful presence to the therapy room. With a background in Philosophy and a deep appreciation for client-centered work, Collin integrates mindfulness, DBT, and CBT to support clients in becoming their best selves.
In this post, he reflects on the lessons, challenges, and personal growth he experienced during his internship, and shares what it means to him to now continue on as a provisionally licensed therapist with Thrive.
Finding My Voice as a Therapist
As I prepare to graduate with my MSW, my time as an intern at Thrive is over. I’m extremely grateful for the past seven and a half months and everything I learned. Being part of an amazing team of fantastic and caring people is the cherry on top. I’ve grown from nervous first week intern to being more comfortable both in what I know as well as my limitations–having a growth mindset has been important in fighting imposter syndrome.
I owe a lot to each one of my clients as well, and I’m thankful for their patience, understanding, and for the lessons they’ve taught me. It may sound cliche, but it’s been an honor to support and be there for people as they share their struggles, experiences, and stories. Finding my style as a therapist has been fun too–using DBT, ACT, and CBT more and more and how these complement one another nicely to make a positive difference for people is great to see. The importance of taking a trauma-informed approach has been made even more apparent; the safety, trust, and collaboration that comes with this approach is crucial to helping people heal.
I’m excited to continue this adventure at Thrive as a provisionally licensed therapist. I’m deeply grateful for the mentorship and collaboration I’ve received from the team and I look forward to many more great times with them!
