Clinical Internship & Research

This being human is a guest house, every morning a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor. Welcome and entertain them all!
— Rumi

Download the Internship Brochure

Pacific Institute provides a unique 1-2 year internship program designed to promote a developmental process in which interns and trainees move into the role of existential facilitator and therapist. This internship is an important stage in the process of becoming a professional therapist, healer, and elder. Interns and trainees are encouraged to take an active role in carrying out the program's research and educational goals.

The Socratic dictum "know thyself" is in many ways the primal motivation to become a clinician in the human services field. Having said that, knowledge of self is inter-related to knowledge of other. Along with developing clinical skills and professional expertise, Pacific institute draws from the rich tradition of human thought and experience the help we need to struggle with the fundamental questions of being a human being: Why are we here? How are we here? What does life want from us? What do we want from life?

Interns and trainees from both the doctoral and masters level are trained in the phenomenological-existential and process-work approaches to therapy within which they are encouraged to develop and grow their own style of care and clinical support.

All events and meetings at the facility are based on and designed around communal and individual needs and requirements. Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) and Social Work interns and practicum students must be registered with the Board of Behavioral Sciences. Psychology interns or trainees must assure that they comply with the guidelines set forth by the Board of Psychology. Practicum students must comply with their school's requirements and have completed a number of counseling-related courses.

The internship is open to students in good standing enrolled in Ph.D. or Psy.D. clinical level and M.A. in counseling psychology graduate programs. Applicants must have completed at least one year of graduate work and be certified by their department or school as ready to begin internship level training.

The Internship includes:
  • Psychotherapeutic and assessment activities with a caseload drawn from the Residential Care Facilities for the mentally ill and the Elderly, which are own, managed, or served by Pacific Institute.
  • Individual supervision for this caseload.
  • Training seminars on theory and technique.
  • Demonstrations and clinical case conferences.
  • Clinical activities that encompass individual encounters and group activities.
  • Individual encounters: Each intern works with approximately 5-6 (up to 10) residents or outpatient clients over a one-year period. The intern is assigned a caseload and monitors the well being of these residents and clients.
  • Group activities: Each intern also creates and leads at least one weekly psycho-spiritual group and is available for crisis intervention.
  • One hour of individual supervision.
  • Two hours of group supervision.
  • Interns and trainees participate also in intake services and become involved in special projects within the Institute.
  • Research opportunities to explore non-verbal approaches to clinical interventions, gero-psychology issues, feminism and ageism, and other topics.
The Clinical Supervisor manages intern supervision and oversees all resident issues of a clinical nature. He/she is a licensed professional in the State of California and meets current supervisory requirements. The Internship Coordinator is the interns' primary administrative contact. He/she coordinates all aspects of interns' presence in the practicum-site facility, including orientation, logistical concerns, and any other issues of a non-clinical nature. The Clinical Coordinator works closely with the Clinical Director and the practicum site's staff (RCFE's, Mental Health Clinic, ICT's case managers and social workers) to insure a smooth operation of the program and to ensure program effectiveness.