The Intern’s Couch

Intern Reflection

As an intern, I came to Thrive not sure what to expect. I had been a Lead Behavioral Health Technician and a Certified Peer Specialist at a local Community Health Center working in crisis, but going from crisis work to private practice was a big jump. I knew within the first five minutes of speaking with Laura during my internship interview that I would learn a lot here. That didn’t change the fact that walking through that front door on my first day, even with all my experience, I was terrified.

I had survived some really rough situations in a previous job, along with experiences in school that made me question whether I was in the right profession. I was almost starting to believe it myself. I knew a lot of people live with imposter syndrome, especially in the behavioral health field, but it still felt like it was only me.

Within my first week at Thrive, I learned that it wasn’t just me. Everyone has similar thoughts, similar reactions, and similar moments of self-doubt. Experience, supervision, and a positive work environment help you work through those feelings.

Thrive truly lives up to its name. They want individuals to thrive in their goals, and that includes their interns. Mistakes or things done incorrectly are treated as learning opportunities. They are genuinely used to teach you, not to belittle you or make you feel stupid. Every clinician has a different approach and different strengths and weaknesses, and they aren’t afraid to acknowledge where those weak spots are.

I learned something from every therapist I observed, sometimes indirectly. The way one therapist used a skill in therapy might inspire me to use the same activity, video, or resource in a completely different way for Behavioral Skills Training or recovery work. That willingness to share ideas and different perspectives has been invaluable.

Weekly supervision is something I genuinely look forward to, especially group supervision. It’s a time when all of the clinicians and interns come together to review training topics and discuss cases in ways that make everyone better. Even when the discussion was at a master’s level, I never felt like I couldn’t speak up and contribute a thought, an idea, or an answer. Even if something wasn’t yet within my scope of practice, I was encouraged to participate because it helped me grow into the clinician I hope to become.

Thrive offers a wide variety of treatment modalities, and if you’re willing to put in the work, it’s very unlikely you won’t find a therapist who is a good fit. If one approach or clinician isn’t the right match, another one in the building likely will be. And if not, there is no judgment. The focus remains on helping the client, whether that means referring them to another practice or connecting them with services that better meet their needs.

In particular, I have been impressed with Thrive’s commitment to maintaining a full internship program. Interns do not inherently generate revenue—they require time, supervision, resources, software licenses, and a significant investment from the practice. Despite that, Thrive does its best to keep its internship positions filled because they truly believe in developing the next generation of social workers and therapists. That is not a mission they take lightly.

As I near two-thirds of the way through my 400 internship hours, would I recommend Thrive for an internship? Absolutely. Everyone is welcoming, eager to teach, eager to learn, and genuinely committed to helping interns succeed.