Internships
Internships at Modern Therapy Alliance in Chicago
What This Internship Is About
Our internship program is designed for students who want to understand how a real private practice operates. Many graduate programs focus heavily on community mental health environments, where interns are often placed into systems with large numbers of free clients. Private practice works differently.
At Modern Therapy Alliance, our goal is to give interns meaningful exposure to the full picture of clinical work in a small, growing practice. That means you will gain experience not only with therapy work when opportunities are available, but also with the operational side of a practice: intake, documentation, marketing, and client communication.
We believe that understanding these elements is essential for anyone who eventually wants to build or work in a private practice.
How Clinical Hours Work
Many graduate programs require a certain number of direct client hours during practicum or internship placements. We understand and support this goal, and we make a genuine effort to help interns pursue clinical opportunities wherever possible.
However, private practices do not typically have large numbers of unpaid or low-cost therapy clients readily available. Because of that, we cannot guarantee a specific number of clinical hours within a fixed timeframe.
Instead, we work with interns to identify opportunities and use all available resources to help them build those hours. This may include providing guidance on where to find potential clients, helping interns promote reduced-fee services, and supporting outreach efforts to connect with people who are open to working with a supervised intern.
These opportunities may include:
- ✓ Participating in supervised client sessions when available
- ✓ Supporting intake conversations and client onboarding
- ✓ Learning how clinical documentation and notes are structured
- ✓ Observing and learning the billing and insurance process
- ✓ Assisting with outreach and marketing efforts to help build a caseload
- ✓ Becoming familiar with the systems and tools used in a functioning therapy practice
What You’ll Learn
Our goal is not simply to give interns hours, but to give them a deeper understanding of how therapy work actually functions in the real world.
During your time here you will gain exposure to:
- ✓ The intake process and how practices capture new clients
- ✓ Clinical documentation and professional note-writing
- ✓ The relationship between marketing and building a caseload
- ✓ How billing and insurance affect private practice operations
- ✓ The practical realities of working with adult therapy clients
For students interested in eventually opening their own practice or joining a private group practice, this experience can provide valuable context that is often missing from traditional graduate programs.
We Will Help You:
- ✓ Complete required school paperwork
- ✓ Communicate with program coordinators about internship structure
- ✓ Provide documentation regarding internship responsibilities and supervision
- ✓ Coordinate expectations regarding clinical and non-clinical work
- Before beginning an internship, we encourage students to confirm that this structure aligns with their program’s requirements.
What Makes This Experience Unique
Modern Therapy Alliance is a small boutique practice rather than a large therapy organization. That means interns are able to see the real day-to-day operations of a growing clinical practice and interact directly with the people running it.
Instead of being one of hundreds of interns in a large system, you’ll gain exposure to the actual decisions and systems that shape a practice as it develops.
For students interested in private practice, this type of experience can provide valuable perspective early in their careers.
Interested in an Internship at Modern Therapy Alliance?
If you’re a graduate student interested in learning how a real private practice operates while gaining supervised clinical experience, we’d love to hear from you.
Frequently Asked Questions About Internships
Do interns get clinical hours?
Yes, when opportunities are available. We support interns in building clinical experience, but we cannot guarantee a specific number of hours within a set timeframe due to the nature of private practice.
What if my program requires a certain number of hours?
We encourage students to confirm that this structure aligns with their program’s requirements. While we help interns pursue hours, this setting may differ from placements that guarantee a fixed number of clients.
What makes this internship different from others?
Most internships place students in large systems with high client volume. This experience focuses on understanding how a private practice actually operates, including how clients are acquired, how systems are built, and how a practice grows over time.
What will I actually learn during this internship?
You’ll gain exposure to both clinical and operational aspects of private practice, including intake, documentation, marketing, billing, and how therapists build and maintain a caseload.
How do I apply?
You can apply using the button above. If it feels like a good fit, we’ll follow up with next steps and a conversation about your goals and program requirements.