A counseling internship should be more than a place to collect clinical hours.
It should be a place where you are challenged to grow.
At Graceful Balance® Wellness, we believe the internship experience is an important season of professional formation. Our goal is to help emerging counselors develop not only clinical knowledge, but also confidence, discernment, professionalism, self-awareness, and the ability to care for the whole person.
We offer counseling internship and practicum opportunities within our multidisciplinary wellness practice serving clients in Hanover, Pennsylvania and Westminster, Maryland. But we want to be transparent from the beginning:
Graceful Balance is not the right internship site for everyone. We are looking for strong, highly motivated counseling students who want to learn, are willing to work hard, can take initiative, and are genuinely teachable. If you are looking for a place where you can simply complete your required hours, we may not be the best fit.
If you are looking for a place where you can be challenged, supported, stretched, mentored, and invited into a different way of thinking about mental health and whole-person care, we would love to learn more about you.
A Different Kind of Counseling Internship
We believe people are more than a diagnosis, collection of symptoms, or presenting problem.
Emotional health is influenced by what is happening throughout a person's life—including their thoughts, experiences, nervous system, physical health, nutrition, relationships, daily rhythms, environment, sense of purpose, and spiritual life.
Because of that, our approach extends beyond traditional talk therapy.
Our multidisciplinary team includes professionals in areas such as:
- Mental health counseling and psychotherapy
- Trauma-informed therapy
- Nutrition and physical wellness
- Nervous system regulation
- Somatic and yoga-based support
- Life, relationship, and spiritual coaching
- Faith-integrated care when desired by the client
Our interns have the opportunity to learn within this broader model of care and begin developing the ability to see the whole person sitting in front of them—not simply the symptoms that brought them into counseling.
The Graceful Balance Whole-Person Care Model
Someone may enter counseling because of anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship difficulties, grief, overwhelm, or feeling stuck. While psychotherapy may be an important part of treatment, we also ask:
- What else could be contributing to what this person is experiencing?
- Is their nervous system living in a chronic state of protection?
- Are sleep, nutrition, hormones, energy, or other factors affecting emotional resilience?
- Are unhealthy relationship patterns or boundaries keeping them stuck?
- Does their body continue to respond as though danger is present even when they intellectually know they are safe?
- Are questions of identity, purpose, faith, shame, or spiritual disconnection part of their story?
Our interns learn to become curious about the connections between mind, body, relationships, rhythms, and spirit. This does not mean one provider attempts to do everything. Quite the opposite. One of the most important things we teach is how to recognize the limits of your role, collaborate appropriately, and understand when another discipline may be an important part of a client's care.
At Graceful Balance, one person does not have to carry the entire healing journey.
Our Foundational Model
Adult individual therapy clients at Graceful Balance are introduced to our interdisciplinary Foundational Model early in their care. The model provides opportunities for clients to explore several important dimensions of wellness, including:
Therapy
Understanding the client's story, symptoms, emotional patterns, relationships, past experiences, and clinical needs.
NUTRITION & PHYSICAL WELLNESS
Exploring how nourishment, energy, sleep, physical wellness, and other body-based factors may intersect with emotional health.
COACHING
Identifying areas related to relationships, life transitions, habits, purpose, spiritual growth, identity, and forward movement.
YOGA THERAPY & SOMATIC REGULATION
Helping clients develop greater awareness of their nervous system and practical tools for regulation, embodiment, and connection with the body.
Interns learn within a culture where collaboration is expected and whole-person thinking becomes part of clinical conceptualization.
Who Thrives Here?
Clinical ability can be taught. There are other qualities we value just as deeply. We are looking for interns who are:
TEACHABLE
You can receive feedback without immediately becoming defensive. You are willing to ask questions, admit when you do not know something, and try again.
HIGHLY MOTIVATED
You take ownership of your learning rather than waiting for someone else to create every opportunity for you.
HARDworking
Graduate internship requires significant investment. You understand that becoming an excellent clinician takes more than completing minimum requirements.
CURIOUS
You want to understand why. You are interested in the person beneath the symptoms and willing to consider perspectives outside of traditional talk therapy.
SELF-AWARE
You recognize that your own story, triggers, strengths, biases, and areas for growth affect the way you show up in the counseling room.
DEPENDABLE
Clients and team members need to be able to trust that you will follow through on commitments, communicate appropriately, and conduct yourself professionally.
COLLABORATIVE
You value being part of a team and are willing to learn from professionals in disciplines other than your own.
Initiative-driven
You look for opportunities to learn, contribute, observe, participate, and grow rather than waiting to be told what to do next.
CULTURALLY ALIGNED
You respect our Christian worldview and are interested in learning within a whole-person, faith-informed wellness model.
What We Expect From Our Interns
Internship at Graceful Balance is an active learning experience.
Depending upon your academic program, semester, supervisor, clinical readiness, and available opportunities, your experience may include client care, individual and group supervision, case conceptualization, clinical documentation, team collaboration, trainings, staff meetings, workshops, groups, community events, observation, professional development, and other opportunities within the practice.
We expect interns to take responsibility for making the most of those opportunities.
That may mean volunteering to participate in a group. It may mean attending a training that is not required by your university. It may mean asking to observe another discipline. It may mean seeking feedback on a difficult case. It may mean stepping outside your comfort zone.
We will invest in your development.
We expect you to invest in it, too.
What You Can Expect From Us
Our goal is not to create perfect interns. Our goal is to help develop thoughtful, ethical, competent clinicians who are increasingly confident in who they are and how they practice. Interns can expect an environment committed to:
- Clinical growth and professional development
- Ethical practice
- Constructive feedback
- Appropriate supervision
- Whole-person case conceptualization
- Trauma-informed care
- Nervous-system awareness
- Interdisciplinary learning
- Professional identity development
- Exposure to private-practice operations and culture
- Opportunities to learn beyond the counseling room
- Encouragement toward greater confidence and independence
We want you to leave your internship with more than completed hours.
We want you to leave as a stronger clinician and stronger professional than when you arrived.
Before You Apply: Is Graceful Balance the Right Fit?
- Am I willing to work hard even when something is not required for a grade?
- Can I receive constructive feedback and use it to grow?
- Do I take initiative, or do I typically wait for someone to tell me what to do?
- Am I interested in understanding mental health through a whole-person lens?
- Am I comfortable learning in an organization founded and led from a Christian worldview?
- Do I want to be part of a team rather than simply have a location where I see clients?
- Am I willing to stretch beyond what I already know?
- Can I follow through consistently on commitments to clients, supervisors, and the team?
If you find yourself thinking, “Yes—this is the kind of environment I have been looking for,” we encourage you to apply.
Counseling Internship Application Process
Because culture and character matter to us, our internship application process goes beyond submitting a résumé. Please complete all steps of the application process before your application will be considered.
STEP 1 - Complete the DISC Assessment
Complete the designated DISC personality assessment and save a copy of your results. There is no "right" DISC profile for Graceful Balance. We use this information to better understand how you naturally communicate, work, respond to challenges, and interact with a team.
STEP 2 - Complete the Five Fold Assessment
Complete the Five Fold assessment and save your results. This assessment helps us understand more about the ways you may naturally be wired to lead, serve, equip, encourage, and contribute within a team. Again, we are not looking for one particular result.
STEP 3 - Record a short video
- Who you are
- Where you attend graduate school and what program you are completing
- Why you are interested in Graceful Balance Wellness
- What you hope to learn during your internship
- What you believe you would bring to our team
- One area in which you know you still need to grow
- Anything else you would like us to know about you
This does not need to be professionally produced. We would much rather meet you than watch a perfectly edited video. We are interested in getting to know you.
STEP4- Complete the Application
- Your current résumé
- Your DISC results
- Your Five Fold results
- Your introduction video
- Relevant information regarding your university's practicum/internship
What Happens After You Apply?
- Alignment with Graceful Balance's mission and culture
- Professionalism
- Teachable attitude
- Initiative and motivation
- Communication
- Availability
- University requirements
- Current supervision capacity
- Client and scheduling needs
- Location needs
- Overall fit with the team and internship season
Selected candidates may be invited to participate in an interview with members of the Graceful Balance leadership and/or clinical team. Additional interviews, references, documentation, background checks, university agreements, or onboarding requirements may be requested before a placement is finalized. Please do not consider an internship placement confirmed until you have received formal written confirmation from Graceful Balance Wellness.
Internship Locations
- Hanover, Pennsylvania
- Westminster, Maryland
Internship opportunities, location availability, schedules, and supervision capacity vary by semester. Because clinical placements depend upon both educational requirements and the needs of the practice, we cannot guarantee that every location, semester, schedule, population, or number of clinical hours will be available.
Applicants should carefully review their university requirements and communicate them clearly during the application process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to be a Christian to intern at Graceful Balance Wellness?
Graceful Balance is an explicitly Christian organization, and our organizational culture and leadership are shaped by a Christian worldview. Interns need to be comfortable working within and respectful of that environment. At the same time, our ethical responsibility is always to the client. Spiritual or faith integration in clinical care is based upon each client's preferences, values, and treatment goals.
Will I receive enough direct client hours for my program?
We cannot guarantee a specific number of clients or direct clinical hours. Caseload development is influenced by season, referrals, client needs, availability, location, clinical fit, and an intern's readiness. Interns should understand their university's requirements before applying and discuss them with us during the interview process.We are interested in getting to know you.
Can I apply just for practicum?
Available placements vary by semester and supervision capacity. Include your exact practicum and/or internship requirements on your application so our team can determine whether we may be able to accommodate them.
WHAT POPULATIONS WILL I WORK WITH?
Client populations depend upon the intern's training, program requirements, clinical readiness, supervisor, location, and current needs within the practice. Placement with Graceful Balance does not guarantee access to a particular population or specialty.
WILL I LEARN ABOUT PRIVATE PRACTICE IN ADDITION TO COUNSELING?
Yes. One of the benefits of training within Graceful Balance is exposure to a multidisciplinary private-practice environment. While your primary responsibility is developing as an ethical and competent clinician, interns may also gain insight into collaboration, community outreach, groups, workshops, professional development, and the systems involved in providing excellent client care.
ARE INTERNSHIPS PAID?
Please note that our internships are UNPAID, however, supervision, mentoring and networking is included in your experience as well as credit towards your college internship/practicum. There is no guarantee of employment once your internship is completed. The internship lasts for the agreed upon semester(s) while you are in graduate school.
Ready to Apply?
Your Internship Is More Than a Requirement. It Is Part of Who You Are Becoming.
The transition from graduate student to counselor is significant.
You will learn techniques. You will learn theories. You will learn documentation, assessment, ethics, case conceptualization, and treatment planning. But you will also learn about yourself.
You will discover where you feel confident and where you hesitate. You will encounter situations that challenge what you thought you knew. You will make mistakes, receive feedback, grow in discernment, and gradually begin finding your own voice as a clinician.
We believe that process deserves to happen in an environment that takes your growth seriously.
If you are teachable, motivated, hardworking, curious, and ready to grow, we invite you to apply for a counseling internship with Graceful Balance Wellness.
APPLICATION CHECKLIST
Before submitting your application, make sure you have:
☐ Completed the DISC assessment
☐ Completed the Five Fold assessment
☐ Saved copies of both assessment results
☐ Recorded your 3–5 minute introduction video
☐ Updated your résumé
☐ Reviewed your university's internship/practicum requirements
☐ Confirmed your anticipated semester and availability
☐ Completed every section of the Graceful Balance Internship Application
Applications will only be reviewed once all required materials have been received.
