Careers and training
We train graduate students, supervise Residents in Counseling, and add licensed clinicians when the fit is right. Find your stage below.
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Being a therapist can be lonely work. Most of it happens behind a closed door, one hour at a time. Burnout drives many good clinicians out of the field, and one of the best protections is a team you can lean on.
So we treat the health of our team as part of the clinical work, not an extra. Therapists who are well supported do better therapy, and clients feel the difference. Here's what that looks like:
Supervision doesn't end when your license arrives. Every clinician here, at every stage, has ongoing supervision and consultation, led by our Clinical Director, who is an NBCC Approved Clinical Supervisor, and a team of Virginia board-approved supervisors.
Free continuing education. It's part of our monthly staff meetings, including the ethics hours Virginia requires.
Colleagues to call on. When a session stays with you, there's someone here to talk it through with.
Room to grow. There's a place on our team for every stage of a counseling career, and several of our clinicians first joined us as interns.
Who it's for
For master's students in counseling or marriage and family therapy. Practicum and internship work almost the same way here, and one leads naturally into the other. Social work students are welcome to apply too, though you'll likely need to arrange supervision outside the practice, since we don't have an MSW supervisor on staff.
What you'll do
You'll see adults, couples, families, and children and teens through our Institute, the practice's lower-cost care. Placements are in person: at our office in McLean, and at Cornerstone Schools of Washington, DC, a K–12 school in Southeast DC where our clinicians offer free counseling to students.
Support
Each week, you'll meet with a faculty supervisor from your program and a staff supervisor here. You'll have office space, clients referred to you through our intake team, colleagues to learn from starting on day one, and free continuing education at our monthly staff meetings.
When
Placements start in the fall, spring, or summer. Timelines vary by program, so apply whenever you're ready and tell us when you'd need to start.
Who it's for
For graduates who are eligible for licensure in Virginia. You don't need your residency registration from the Board before you apply. Any job offer depends on the Board approving it.
Supervision, included
Each week, you'll meet with a Virginia board-approved supervisor, alternating between one-on-one sessions and triadic sessions (you, one other resident, and your supervisor). Group supervision comes on top of that. It's more than enough to meet Virginia's licensure requirements, and it's free to you.
We add licensed clinicians only occasionally, and we're selective about fit. If you hold a Virginia license, or are eligible for one, and what you've read here sounds like the way you want to work, we'd like to hear from you. Any offer depends on holding a Virginia license by your start date.
For Residents in Counseling and licensed clinicians:
Pay: a share of what you collect, plus a retirement benefit
Office space in McLean
New clients, referred to you through our intake team
Billing and admin help, so your time goes to clients
Our electronic health records system, set up for you
Free continuing education at monthly staff meetings, including your Virginia ethics hours
You'll likely do well here if you:
welcome honest feedback on your work, and put it to use
take on hard cases, knowing your colleagues are there for guidance and consultation
stay curious about the field and about yourself, and keep learning
know your limits, and speak up before you hit them
own it when you get something wrong, and work to repair it
We're probably not the right fit if you'd rather work on your own island and keep your cases to yourself, or if you're looking for a caseload that won't stretch you.
Apply. Send the short application form. Our confirmation email will ask you to reply with your résumé.
Answer a few questions in writing. Eric McClerren, our CEO, reads every application and replies within a week. If yours looks like a fit, you'll get a short written interview, and he reads every one of those, too.
Meet with us. You'll have an interview, in person in McLean or by video, with Eric or with Sarah McClerren, our Clinical Director.
Meet a few colleagues. Residents and licensed clinicians also have a peer interview with a couple of our clinicians.
This is step 1. Your résumé can wait for our email.
You'll get a confirmation email right away. See our Privacy Policy.
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