Mental Health Graduate Clinical Training & Internships in Kalamazoo
Your graduate placement is where classroom learning starts to become clinical practice. You get to know a child, listen to a caregiver, and begin figuring out how to help. You also have questions. That is part of learning.
Kalamazoo Child & Family Counseling offers graduate clinical training and internship opportunities for counseling, social work, and psychology students interested in working with children, adolescents, and families.
We want students to develop thoughtful clinical skills, learn to use feedback, and understand the responsibility that comes with being invited into a family’s life.
A Decade of Training Graduate Clinicians
Over the last ten years, KCFC has trained more than 20 graduate students.
Students have come from universities including:
- Western Michigan University
- Michigan State University
- University of Michigan
- Grand Valley State University
- Other graduate programs
Each student brings different experiences, interests, and learning goals. We value the questions and perspectives graduate clinicians contribute to our practice.
Graduate Placements in Counseling, Social Work, and Psychology
We welcome inquiries from students enrolled in graduate counseling, social work, and psychology programs who are seeking an internship, practicum, or field placement focused on child and family mental health.
Programs have different requirements. Placement fit depends on your stage of training, required hours, supervision needs, university expectations, and the opportunities available at KCFC.
Students and university placement coordinators are welcome to contact us to discuss those requirements before making placement arrangements.
Learn in a Child and Family Mental Health Practice
KCFC is a pediatric mental health practice in Kalamazoo, Michigan, trusted by more than 4,000 families. Our team brings together professionals in counseling, social work, psychology, and nursing.
Our services include child and family therapy, psychological evaluations, pediatric medication management, and adolescent intensive outpatient treatment. Learning in this setting offers a broader view of how different professionals can contribute to a family’s care.
Children’s concerns rarely fit into one neat category. Their relationships, development, school experiences, culture, and family circumstances all matter. Graduate training is an opportunity to learn how to consider those pieces while keeping the child’s needs at the center of the work.
Build Skills in Evidence-Based Care
We believe graduate clinicians should learn how to build relationships and how to use treatment skills with a clear purpose. What are we working toward? Why are we choosing this approach? How will we know whether it is helping?
KCFC provides evidence-based treatments including Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).
Students can discuss opportunities to learn about these approaches during the placement inquiry process. Involvement in a particular service, formal training, or assessment activity depends on the student’s preparation, discipline, supervision, and placement availability.
Supervision, Feedback, and Professional Growth
Graduate training should give you room to ask questions, practice skills, and learn from feedback. We view supervision as an important part of developing clinical judgment and professional confidence.
Before a placement begins, we discuss supervision arrangements and your university’s requirements. Learning goals may include:
- Building therapeutic relationships with children, teens, and caregivers.
- Working collaboratively in a multidisciplinary setting.
- Learning to provide Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT).
- Facilitating and leading skills groups within our comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) program.
- Learning to coach parents in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT).
- Practicing ethical decision-making and culturally responsive care.
- Using supervision and feedback to improve clinical work.
Psychology students interested in psychological testing should ask specifically about assessment opportunities and the supervision required by their program.
Our Values in Graduate Training
Connection, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence—CARE—guide our work with families and with developing clinicians.
We value students who are curious, dependable, willing to receive feedback, and respectful of the different experiences families bring to treatment. You do not need to arrive knowing everything. You do need to be willing to learn, prepare, and follow through.
Inquire About a Graduate Placement
If you are interested in training at KCFC, contact our office at 269-615-7637 and ask about graduate clinical placements.
To help us explore whether a placement would be a good fit, please be prepared to share:
- Your university, degree program, and current stage of training.
- Your requested placement dates and required hours.
- Your program’s supervision and placement requirements.
- Your resume and a brief description of your clinical interests.
- Your university placement coordinator’s contact information, if applicable.
Tell us what interests you about working with children and families and what you hope to learn. We can then discuss placement availability and next steps.
Looking for an employee position? Explore Careers at KCFC.
