A counseling practicum is a work experience at a school, hospital, church, or mental health agency that is required for many undergraduate and graduate degrees in psychology and counseling. A practicum can last more than one semester, and it usually requires a certain number of field hours in order for a student to obtain a counseling license. Direct client interaction, including individual and group counseling, meetings with a practicum supervisor, classes, and group workshops are all part of the field hours. The entire practicum is tracked to ensure that the student completes the required number of hours, and the student is given feedback throughout.
A student must usually complete prerequisite college courses in counseling theory and professional ethics before participating in a counseling practicum. If the student is enrolled in a program that teaches a specialty, such as student or marriage counseling, he may be required to take specialization courses in these areas first. However, some degrees require students to complete a practicum as their final course. The number of hours of experience a student is expected to gain through a practicum is determined the credential sought and the student’s location. Because the student will be counseling clients throughout the process, professional liability insurance is usually required before the practicum begins.
Under the supervision of a licensed counselor, a student may perform group counseling, individual counseling, career counseling, and student counseling, depending on the location of the counseling practicum. An intake interview with the client, the actual counseling session, and the documentation of case notes and the client’s progress are typically included in each counseling session. Calling a client who misses an appointment and closing a previous client’s file are two other administrative tasks. The required practicum hours include a large amount of direct client contact, and the student will be evaluated throughout the process to receive feedback on his sessions.
Workshops and classes are also an important part of a counseling practicum because they allow the student to learn new counseling techniques, improve his current skills, and review feedback from counseling sessions. Students may have homework assignments and exams, just as they would in a traditional course, and classes usually include group interaction and role playing. Meetings can take place at the counseling center as well as at the student’s university.