Internship Experience

For many students, Internship is the capstone experience of their graduate studies at Southwestern College. It is an opportunity to function in a professional role with the benefit of clinical supervision to support their professional growth; a critical step toward becoming a professional Counselor or Art Therapist/Counselor and obtaining a license to practice.

The internship experience takes place after Practicum, during the last two quarters of the second part of the program. Students earn 100 hours during practicum and 600 hours during their internship during their program. Students may complete their internship in New Mexico or out of state; some even complete their internship in another country! Faculty and supervisors provide orientation to the internship selection process and help you make a decision that best suits your career aspirations. 

Community Internships
New Mexico offers a wide spectrum of possible sites where you can hone your skills and grow into your counselor and/or art therapist role. Southwestern College student interns provide over 40,000 hours of counseling and art therapy services to New Mexico residents each year through a network of 90 mental health agencies. This represents an annual contribution valued at $2.3 million of free counseling services to the community at large.

Since the majority of Southwestern College students come to the college from out-of-state, some choose to return to their home state for their internship experience. Licensure and supervision requirements vary by state. Check your state’s website. We have created this colorful Pinterest Board showing some of the many exciting internship settings of our students.