MFT SF BAY

Occupy Student Debt

2011-10-29T15:11:00.000-07:00

Many psychotherapists are dealing with being un(der)employed and having massive student loan debt. If you personally are not then I'm guessing you have friends who are. In my experience people often deal with these fears privately which leads to less chances for solidarity. I'd like to live in a world where people aren't alone with highly emotional and highly complex issues. Here are stories of other people facing student loan debt pressures. Feel free to submit your own.

OccupyStudentDebt.com

African American Psychiatric History

2011-10-10T21:15:00.000-07:00

Vanessa Jackson discusses her research on African American psychiatric history and the importance of creating opportunities for marginalized communities to tell their own stories. She shares the lessons she learned from her conversations with mental health consumer/survivors/ex-patients and the potential for creating new healing strategies.

She talks about three "magic questions" she asked psychiatric survivors: 1) What happened to you? 2) How has what happened still affecting you now? 3) What do you need to heal?

National Health Service Corps Database

2011-06-20T21:15:00.000-07:00

National Health Service Corps

A searchable national database of mental health jobs in high-need areas. Not sure if they have positions for interns but it may be a useful resource nonetheless.

New Jobs/Internship Organizations Posted

2011-06-20T21:08:00.000-07:00

New organizations posted:

Horizons Family Counseling

San Francisco Therapy Collective

Adolescent Counseling Services

Intern Process Group Forming

2011-05-19T15:32:00.000-07:00

Alexis Kalikman is starting a process group for interns and asked if I would let people know about it. Here's the info:

It will be a process group covering issues specific to pre-licensed therapists and the intern experience.

The group will run 8 weeks on Tuesday evenings 6-7:30p, June 7th through
July 26th. The group counts toward personal psychotherapy hours for BBS
licensing for MFT interns. The cost of the group is $30.00 a session. We
require an 8 week commitment.

If you know anyone who might benefit from attending this group, please pass
this information on. Thank you.

--
Alexis Kalikman, MFT
KalikmanLloyd Therapy Group
415-674-1996
2302A Fillmore Street

Gerry Grossman or AATBS for MFT Exam Prep?

2011-04-19T17:09:00.000-07:00

In short: Gerry Grossman by far.

First off, the people I've talked to all said that the practice exam test bank questions were the most helpful part of the exam prep.

AATBS lets you use their testbank questions for only three months! Gerry Grossman lets you access their test questions for an entire year. AATBS did not make it very clear that they had a three month policy. I've talked to others who were surprised and angry about it after already paying the $700 to $1000 fee.

AATBS has less practice exams than Grossman for both the written and clinical vignette exam. I think the AATBS written exam has five or six sample tests and Grossman has nine. Since most of the exam prep involves taking and retaking lots of practice exams Grossman wins here too.

AATBS questions seemed to have a lot of quality control issues. A lot of questions were confusing, unnecessarily difficult, and ended up being less helpful than Grossman for getting a feel of the actual exam. Especially for the cinical vignette exam, AATBS test questions were extremely confusing and people I've talked to say they learned very little from them. Those who used both methods relied almost exclusively on Grossman.

Some people thought the actual exam was harder than the Grossman practice exams and some thought it was easier. For the clinical vignette, however, everyone I know thought it was more confusing than Grossman but less confusing than AATBS.

One person said they thought AATBS had better study books than Grossman. Like I said, I thought the study books played a small role in the actual exam preparation process.

I haven't heard a comparison between Grossman and AATBS on their workshops so I can't speak to that.

If you had other experiences please leave a comment.

Hope this helps!

From MFTi to MFT!

2010-12-28T16:35:00.000-08:00

That's right! I passed the clinical vignette exam on September 23rd and officially entered into the licensed world October 14, 2010!

I plan on writing some tips about the exam process on here in the coming months.

MFTSFBAY Empowerment League on Facebook

2010-06-10T18:25:00.000-07:00

After hearing too many stories of MFT Interns becoming discouraged by the licensing process the Hulk got mad and made me start a Facebook group based: the Mftsbay Empowerment League. Become a member today!

I don't have a plan of how we all can build solidarity and support each other but there is a need so let this be a first step towards getting organized. If you have ideas please email them or post them to the group.

If there's a bunch of us in the group then if you have a question you could send it to me and I'll post it to the entire group. Also, you can post articles, jobs, etc. that would be of interest to interns.

See you in camp and remember: Smash!

Shadow Aide with CBT Experience Needed

2010-04-14T14:50:00.000-07:00

Shadow Aide with CBT experience Needed

Unique opportunity to provide self-regulatory assistance to an 11 year old, mainstreamed 6th grade twice-exceptional tween in the San Jose area. We are seeking an intuitive, MFT or MFT Intern with training and some experience in Cognitive Behavior Therapy who can apply CBT techniques and strategies throughout the day as a shadow aide. Preference will be given to those who have experience with children who have Asperger’s Syndrome. The opening is immediate and compensation is between $22-$28 (commensurate with experience) and the hours are approximately 30 hours/week, M-F, 8:15-3:00. Please email cover letter and resume to mommyhugs@me.com

Mental Health Loan Assumption Program

2010-03-08T13:02:00.000-08:00

If you are already working in the public mental health sector and can commit to working full-time for another year, then you can apply for the Mental Health Loan Assumption Program. If your application is accepted you receive $10,000 towards your student loans!

Less you think that many apply but few get accepted, this year they extended the deadling to March 16, 2010 "due to availability of funds."

CAPIC Internship Listing

2010-03-08T12:52:00.000-08:00

Shane David, MFTI was kind enough to send me the CAPIC internship agencies list meant for PhD. and PsyD. students. However, many of these agencies also accept MFT interns so take a look:

CAPIC Internship List

Find Your MFT Intern Number Quickly!

2008-12-02T21:23:00.000-08:00

I came across a very useful section of the BBS website that can give you your intern number sooner than waiting for it in the mail:

BBS MFT Intern Number Verification Section.shtml

1) scroll down to the link "VERIFY LICENSE OR REGISTRATION"

2) Enter your information and press find.

3) Click on your name (if it comes up) and get more info.

Seven days after submitting my intern application my number was available online. It didn't come in the mail for another three weeks.

Developing as a Therapist Group

2008-08-24T22:02:00.001-07:00

Jodi Perelman, MFT is forming a new group and she's set the date for it:

DEVELOPING AS A THERAPIST
a group for MFT Interns and psychology graduate students

Becoming a therapist is a rewarding and challenging process that can be enhanced by an atmosphere of safety, camaraderie, emotional support and intellectual exploration. This is a practical and depthful group, providing support for interns and graduate students in addition to current supervision and clinical work.

The group will include:
* useful and engaging readings
* information on the licensing and exam process
* exercises for increasing comfort and skill with client work
* bringing your own unique expression to the work

Thursdays 10:30am-12 noon, beginning September 11 for 5 weeks. Please contact Jodi at (415) 435-7559 to register and for more information.

Jodi Perelman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a private practice in the Potrero Hill neighborhood of San Francisco. She received a Masters degree from CIIS and had a variety of internships over the years, including private practice, school counseling and community mental health. The idea for this group came from her own experience and those of friends and colleagues as they navigated the school and licensing process.

Jodi Perelman, MFT
Counseling & Psychotherapy
257 Connecticut Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 435-7559
http://www.jodiperelman.com

MFT Handbook

2008-06-28T14:48:00.000-07:00

Cris Walker Roskelley, MFT has written an e-book helping MFTs navigate the entire process of getting licensed and building a successful practice. I haven't read the book myself but the table of contents looks thorough. She also has discounts to popular psychotherapy resources on the links section of her website. www.MFTHandbook.com

SF-CAMFT Mentoring Program

2008-06-28T14:44:00.000-07:00

I asked the coordinator of SF-CAMFT's mentoring program Marty Cooper, MFT to write a description of the program. I signed up for a mentor recently because I felt like I could really the support of someone who knows what it's like out there after graduation. If you've felt the same look into this:

THE SF-CAMFT PRIVATE PRACTICE

MENTORING PROGRAM

By Marty Cooper

Who is a Mentee :

A mentee is any newly licensed MFT, or experienced MFT newly interested in private practice who would like to learn from seasoned private practitioners about the nuts and bolts of running a psychotherapy business. Interns interested in private practice are also welcome, however, we urge you to check out the Intern Committee first, since we have found many matters of interest to interns can best be answered there.

What Mentoring is:

Mentoring is very different from supervision, and no supervisory activity or therapy is intended. Mentoring is for providing information, support , and encouragement. How the relationship is established and shaped is totally up to the mentor and mentee. Some people meet once, or once a month for coffee, maybe go to CAMFT meetings together, or just chat on the phone. A mentoring relationship can be for a limited or extended period of time. A mentor could talk to many mentees, a mentee could talk to many mentors . It all starts with an introductory telephone conversation.

How to sign up:

If you are interested in being either a mentor or a mentee , please contact Marty L. Cooper, MFT, by e-mail: (martycooper@mlcooper.com). For mentees, please send your name, phone, and email, as well as whether you have any preferences (remember, everyone is a volunteer). Also, please send a few words about your clinical orientation/populations served, or anything you think is important about yourself. For potential mentors, please send your name and contact info, and any critical restrictions or needs in regards to possible mentees.

So far, almost all mentees have been placed immediately, though in the future there may be a waiting list (just to forewarn you).

I Found My Internships!

2008-06-18T22:07:00.000-07:00

After a long search and several interviews I've finally signed up with The Link to Children in Oakland doing play therapy at a preschool and Oak Creek Counseling Center seeing adults for psychotherapy in San Francisco. I feel good about both of them and I am glad to be set up after graduation.

Other MFT Blogs

2008-04-18T23:13:00.000-07:00

I came across these two blogs for MFTs:

MFT Interns is a relatively new blog written by struggling MFTIs. Frankly, it's pretty bleak in tone so don't expect to be inspired. It seems more like a place to vent and commiserate with others.

A California Psychotherapist Blog
Stephanie Elliott, MFT set this up to help mental health professionals build their careers.

Career Networking Sites

2008-04-10T05:53:00.000-07:00

LinkedIn and Jobster are two similar sites that a lot of people use to keep in contact with colleagues, look for new jobs, and network with people in the field. You can post your resume and recommend other people you've worked with.

LinkedIn has an easy system of making connection with others and searching for people in your school or organization.
You can check out my profile here.

Jobster has more job postings and search features than LinkedIn but has less to do with social networking.

TrackYourHours.com

2008-04-05T09:24:00.000-07:00

I found a sponsor for this site! TrackYourHours.com is a very helpful resource to keep track of all the hours you accrue on your way towards MFT licensure. The most helpful part for me is printing out my completed weekly experience verification forms in a neat orderly manner. I've heard horror stories of the BBS returning forms that had crossed out numbers or messy entries. TrackYourHours also shows you through graphs how many hours you have accrued and how many you still need. It's free for 30 days to try out.

Books for Developing Your Therapy Career

2008-03-22T08:27:00.000-07:00

CIIS Professor Michael Klein, during his talk on setting up a private practice, highly recommended the following two books:

* Getting Started in Private Practice - The Complete Guide to Building Your Mental Health Practice, by Chris Stout and Laurie Grand, (c) 2005

* The Successful Therapist - Your Guide to Building the Career You've Always Wanted, by Larina Kase, (c) 2005

Unpaid Internships

2008-02-23T18:38:00.001-08:00

Stepping Stones Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders, Inc. - (Multiple Locations)
Most of the clientele are between 18 months and 22 years of age. With the recent implementation of family and individual therapy in the program, family and individual adult hours will be possible. Clients are located in the South Bay, Peninsula, East Bay and North Bay. Part-time and Full-time intern positions are available on an as needed basis. If you are interested in finding out more about our MFT supervised internship program, please call Jerred Jolin or Roxane Tuason at (650) 357-0571.

San Francisco

California Pacific Medical Center - (San Francisco)
1) Integrative Health Services
Call Kate Rose Kriner at (415) 600-3788 for more info.
This placement is part of CPMC's Institute of Health and Healing. They provide a holistic complementary approach to the treatment of breast cancer in women. They use are, dance and music in a traditional group therapy setting. Co-lead therapy group for women with breast cancer
2) Post-Acute Services
Call Craig Garfinkel the training coordinator at (415) 600-2537 for more info.
The Activities Department at CPMC provides individual and group expressive arts therapy to hospitalized medical patients and their families and caregivers. The average stay at the hospital is two weeks. Please refer to agency file for additional information and how to apply.Great opportunity to work with an Expressive Arts Team, who is actively developing an approach to therapy that includes somatics and the transpersonal.

C.G. Jung Institute of San Francisco - (San Francisco)
Their James Goodrich Whitney Clinic is apparently now taking MFT interns for their two-year program. On the website it says they accept only to doctoral students but someone emailed me and said she's heard from two sources that they're taking MFTIs.

Haight Ashbury Psychological Services - (San Francisco)
HAPS has lots of clients and lots of rooms available to use. They are also a practicum site for pre-masters trainees.

Marina Counseling Center - (San Francisco)
This counseling center is in a relatively wealthy part of town and has a good reputation for helping interns get enough clients to move into private practice afterwards. You pay for the first year of training and in your second year you can keep some money from your clients.

New Perspectives Center for Counseling - (San Francisco)
Counseling center that trains you in DBT, Hakomi, EMDR, and expressive arts among others. You pay for training the first year and in your second year you can get money from your clients.

San Francisco Therapy Collective - (San Francisco)
We are offering the opportunity to participate in an exciting and fast growing LGBTQI focused mental health practice, two hours of group supervision a week as well as a small stipend. We are looking for a year commitment and a 10 hour/week time investment, as a minimum.

Seton Medical Center Outpatient Clinic - (Daly City)
Work with acutely mentally ill patients. I've heard they have an internship but I could not find any info on their website. Also, not sure if there's a stipend or not.

Sutter VNA Hospice Bereavement Program - (San Francisco)
Part-time internship doing bereavement counseling with relatives of people who've died in the hospice. Good training. Call Aimee Tomzak at 415-600-0467 if interested in their San Francisco program.

East Bay

Crisis Support Services - (Alameda)
Unpaid internship with the opportunity to work on a crisis line, with seniors, with grief clients, with children in schools, and to lead groups.

Horizons Family Counseling - (Livermore)
Horizons Family Counseling is offering a new, expanded Internship program. We are opening up our Internship to MFT and Social Work Trainees as well as post-graduate Interns. Horizons Family Counseling has been in existence for 37 years. Our agency is in partnership with the Livermore Police Department. We handle crisis situations when needed; we work with families as they face a range of challenges, from a youth who is beyond parental control, running away,
truant, etc., to a first grader encountering socialization issues.

Mythago Child and Family Guidance - (Alameda)
One year training (or longer) for graduate and post graduate students who are placed two days each week in schools in the East Bay. We utilize many approaches in our work with children and are broadly based theoretically. This includes but is not limited to Jungian, Archetypal, Modern/Post-Modern Analytic, Somatic, Transpersonal, Cultural and Sociological points of view. Please send resume and RSVP if interested to Anthony Guarnieri at aguarnieri@ciis.edu

The Pacific Center - (Berkeley)
Primarily working with people in the LGBT community. 20 hours per week.

Native American Health Center - (Oakland)
Native American Health Center is a holistic health care for Native Americans providing medical, mental and substance treatment. Clinical strategies attempt to understand problems from a non-pathological viewpoint. American Indian cultural healing includes prayer, singing, drumming and other spiritual ceremonies. Please see agency file for more information.
Interns perform assessments, psychosocial treatment plans and individual case managment and outpatient counseling. Primary population is Native American. Provide intake assessments, attend trainings and supervision. 10-15 hours per week.

The Psychotherapy Institute - (Berkeley)
A two-year post-masters internship centered around psychodynamic therapy.

We Care Services for Children - (Concord)
They offer a variety of unpaid college internships working with children. Home of the Autism Family Support Project.

North Bay

Community Institute for Psychotherapy - (San Rafael)
Psychodynamically oriented internship requiring two-year commitment. Also a pre-doctoral internship.

Family Service Agency of Marin - (Marin)
15-20 hours/week internship with several different tracks to choose from: child, adult, and family counseling; suicide prevention; childhood trauma pregnancy and early parenting; school-based programs.
Stipend: only for bilingual interns.

Family Works - (Marin)
Training in many different therapy modalities while doing adult, couple, child, family and group psychotherapy.

Hospice of Petaluma - (Petaluma)
Working with children around bereavement/terminal illness.
Review: Great work environment. Very good training and supervision. 9 out of 10.

The International Center for Attitudinal Healing - (Sausalito)
Running groups with children around bereavement, living with illness, hospice work counseling children who are dying. Very white population. Very good supervision and training.
Review: 9 out of 10.

South Bay

Adolescent Counseling Services(ACS) - (Palo Alto)
Adolescent Counseling Service’s (ACS) provides school based therapy and substance abuse treatment for teens.

Bay Area Family Therapy Training Associates (BAFTTA)
BAFTTA offers a 9 month long field placement training. Interns provide a wide range of services to local schools in exchange for supervision, consultation and training in narrative therapy.

College of San Mateo Office of Psychological Services - (San Mateo)
Submitted Review: This is a site that is influenced by Rogers and carry on a humanistic tradition. You'd do the internship approximately 10 other interns and have weekly group check-ins and training. You're on site at CSM about 16 hours a week. The trainings are poor but you get a decent diverse caseload, you also get to sign off on at least 5 client hours each week when you're the counselor on call. Contact Makiko Ueda at (650) 574-6125 if interested.

The Community Health Awareness Council - (Mountain View)
CHAC's primary focus is working with kids in the Mountain View and Los Altos area schools.

Youth and Family Enrichment Services - (San Carlos)
Work with youth and families.

Internships with a Stipend or Share of Client Fees

2008-02-23T13:02:00.000-08:00

San Francisco

Access Institute
Two year internship training in psychoanalytic therapy or psychotherapy with elders.
Stipend: $6,000/year.

Aids Health Project - (San Francisco)
The counseling internship program provides comprehensive clinical training to mental health students seeking experience in the practice of Brief Psychotherapy and includes training in Time-Limited Dynamic Psychotherapy, couple's work, and group facilitation. Trainees work primarily with gay and bisexual men and address issues including HIV and other health-related concerns, intimacy, gay identity, communication, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. The traineeship requires a 20-hour per week commitment from July though June of the following year. Applications are due in February.
Stipend: $100/month.

Balboa Teen Health Center
Call (415) 469-4512 for the general line.
Balboa Teen Health Center is a free clinic for adolescents, funded by the Department of Public Health. It is located in Balboa Public High School, in the Excelsior district of San Francisco. Clinicians provide individual, family, and group psychotherapy especially around substance abuse and mental health issues.
Stipend depending on experience.

Creative Health Services
Each intern will serve as a Mental Health Consultant in after-school programs at two
SFUSD elementary, middle, or high school sites in San Francisco’s Richmond District.
This internship carries an annual stipend of $3000.
16 hours/week.
Interns can expect to accrue approximately 500 children’s hours towards MFT licensure.
For more information contact Craig Garfinkel, Ph.D.
Director, Creative Health Services
creativehealthservices@gmail.com

Edgewood Center for Children and Families
Edgewood has a number of different internships doing family and child therapy. They generally take applications in the Fall and early Winter. They have no listing of internships on their site but if you contact them and ask human resources they should point you in the right direction.
Stipend: $4,000/year

Holos Institute - (San Francisco and Oakland)
Training in ecopsychology while seeing clients in psychotherapy. You can also facilitate group vision quests and shamanic journeying I think. They rent out blocks of time at their center and you keep some or all of the fees from your clients.

Oak Creek Counseling Center - (San Francisco, Berkeley, Pleasant Hill)
They give you office space to see clients for psychotherapy. You pay for training and supervision and they take a portion of your client fees. You work pretty autonomously.

St. Anthony's Foundation
Internships available doing individual, child, and family therapy. Working with the homeless and those in drug and alcohol rehab among others. Also there's a pre-masters practicum and an expressive arts internship available. You may have to email someone to get the internship description.
Stipend: $1,000 per semester for a second year graduate counseling psychology student or $1,000 per six months for a post-graduate registered MFT intern.

San Francisco Child Abuse Prevention Center
Part time internship with an adult focus or a child focus. Interns do play therapy or individual therapy, counsel on a parent talk line, and drop in counseling. Has a reputation for providing great training and being a great organization to work for. The website has no mention of the internship so you have to contact someone there.
Stipend: around $300 a month.
Review: "Two thumbs up."

San Francisco Unified School District
Working with K-12 graders in underperforming STAR schools. There are probably other internships within SFUSD but I found their website difficult to navigate.

USF Center for Child and Family Development
Interns act as counselors through the school year in SF/Bay area schools. 1 1/2 to two days a week. 10 client hours a week. Took 1 and a 1/2 school years for one intern to get their hours. I'm not sure if there is a stipend or not. "Quality seems to vary w/school assignment. Quality of group supervision good. Don’t expect good facilities though – being a self-starter valuable. May or may not include family hours."
Review 1: "Recommended: Yes!"
Review 2: "Wasn’t great but had some advantages."
Review 3: "8 out of 10."
Review 4: "Not an ideal container for therapy and little access to families, but a good way to get hours quickly. (7 out of 10)"

East Bay

Alameda Family Services - (Alameda County)
Formerly Xanthos, inc. Non-profit agency puts people in schools in Alameda. Ten hours a week/2 days a week. People who worked at AFS were very helpful. Good supervision. Decent work experience. Flexible, not a lot of requirements.
Stipend: full-time internship is $7,200.
Review: Recommended.

Ann Martin Center - (Piedmont)
Two year part-time or full-time internship doing play therapy with children. Very comprehensive psychoanalytic training and supervision. Lots of writing and reading involved. Has a very good reputation for training solid child therapists. Most of the interns are from doctoral programs but they do accept MFTs.
Stipend: $9/client hour for the first year. $13/client hour for the second year.
Review: "Highly recommended."

Blue Oak Therapy Center - (Berkeley)
The website does not have any information on their internship program but I saw a flier saying interns get paid some for each client hour. You provide brief and long-term psychotherapy and can take clients with you into private practice.

City of Berkeley: Mental Health - (Berkeley)
Two different training programs: a family, youth, and children program and an adult program. I heard it pays but I couldn't dig up any information about whether it paid a living wage or a stipend.

Earth Circles Counseling Center - (Oakland)
Psychotherapy with individuals, couples, groups, families, and children. They have no details about the internship on their site but I was told they do pay something.

Family Paths - (Oakland, Hayward, Fremont)
One year 15-20 hour/week internship/practicum working with children and families.
Stipend: $1250/year for interns, $750/year for trainees.
Review: I'm a trainee there (From the [CIIS] EXA program) and am loving it...I'm continuing on as an intern next year despite the very small stipend! I work with kids, adults, and sometimes families or couples in the TIPS program on an outpatient basis.

Holos Institute - (Oakland and San Francisco)
Training in ecopsychology while seeing clients in psychotherapy. You can also facilitate group vision quests and shamanic journeying I think. They rent out blocks of time at their center and you keep some or all of the fees from your clients.

Horizons Family Counseling - (Livermore)
Horizons Family Counseling is offering a new, expanded Internship program.
We are opening up our Internship to MFT and Social Work Trainees as well as
post-graduate Interns. They are placing Trainees/Interns in the five middle schools in Livermore. They don't say if there's a stipend or not.
Contact: Ileana Soto, MFT and Clinical Supervisor
Livermore, CA 94550
925-371-4747; isoto@ci.livermore.ca.us

The Link to Children - (Oakland)
Two year part-time internship doing play therapy with 0-5 year olds, parent and teacher consultation. Interns are trained in attachment theory, systems theory, behavioral interventions, and cross-cultural competency.
Stipend: $910/month.

Women's Therapy Center - (El Cerrito)
A 2-year program training MFTIs and PsyDs in psychodynamic, relational therapy with women. This internship has been recommended by a former employee.

North Bay

Novato Youth Center - (Novato)
Mostly child therapy, a little family work. Poverty/crisis related issues. Mixed white, A-A and latino population. Low income, on site at youth center. (Medi-cal). Dark building. Transpersonal element to training. Pays $15 per client hour.
Review: Supportive wonderful staff. Got almost all hours in that year. 10 client hours a week, 17 hours total. Definitely recommended if living in Marin.

South Bay

Adolescent Counseling Services - (Palo Alto)
Positions in adolescent substance abuse treatment program and an on-campus counseling program.

The Process Therapy Institute - (Los Gatos)
PTI has a mirror training program for which you must pay a monthly fee, and lets you set up your own private practice internship under their auspices. They take a portion of your clients fees and you keep the rest.

Teen and Family Counseling Center - (Campbell)
A part-time practicum and internship site working with teens and children.

Tips on Establishing a Successful Private Practice

2008-02-15T19:15:00.000-08:00

Private Practice- Jody Blackley's Experience
An MFT who put up some audio files of some classes she's given on private practice work in California.

Uncommon Practices
A business devoted to helping therapists with marketing, business planning, websites, etc. Several free articles and they say they even give a free assessment of one's private practice strengths and weaknesses.

Be a Wealthy Therapist
This site has several helpful free articles and audio files on marketing and articulating your work to people. There are also classes and individual coaching available as well to members.

The Stress-Less Path to Licensure
Miranda Palmer is an MFT based in Modesto who offers a free study group for those taking the BBS licensure exam as well as a free newsletter helping California interns through the licensing process. She's also available for individual coaching.

Mission Statement

2008-02-09T21:46:00.000-08:00

This site was created to contribute to the well-being of MFT trainees and interns. As a current MFT Trainee at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco, I found that there were surprisingly few resources that gave a thorough overview of my options for jobs and internships after graduation. I have also become much more concerned about living frugally since payment of my student loans will start soon. On this site, I intend to include resources on finding jobs and internships as well as tips for living on a budget in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Ideally, I would like people to contribute their experiences at various organizations and any advice or resources they have come across. I have thought about starting an email list for those who would like to network if the site reaches a certain level of popularity. I’ll be happy to respond to any emails or comments.

Also, although I am focusing primarily on the MFT Intern experience I hope that a lot of these tips and resources will be helpful for our MSW and PhD brothers and sisters.

Money Management

2008-02-08T21:45:00.000-08:00

Learning how to manage one's money and becoming financially intelligent is an important part of most people's lives. I've found a few resources to help:

The Simple Dollar
Trent has focused his blog on a variety of topics related to money management: eating cheaply, investing, budgeting, debt management and loads more. He also has a section at the top of his blog called "31 days to fix your finances" which seems loosely based on the extremely influential book Your Money or Your Life.

Wesabe
This is an online program that once you register can automatically track your spending by reading your online bank statements. It also tells you about better deals on credit cards and has a host of features to give you info on how you spend your money.

ClearCheckbook.com
Another online program that you can use to track your spending. You cannot set it up to automatically download info from your bank account so this may be a good choice for those uncomfortable with a website having that kind of access.

Free Therapy Training Online

2008-02-08T18:03:00.000-08:00

I've found a couple of interesting sites that offer free trainings for those working the mental health field:

Hypnosis Motivation Institute
This Southern California organization offers a certification program in hypnosis free through their website. I've completed it myself and it entails 6 2-hour videos with a short quiz after each one. Once you've completed the quizzes you make a half-hour phone appointment with a trainer who asks you some final questions and asks you for a demonstration of hypnotic induction. When you pass they send you a certificate saying you are a "certified hypnotist." You must complete the whole process in 30 days which is not that hard to do. They hope that by completing the training you will get interested and pay for more advanced trainings whereby you can become a "certified hypnotherapist" or even further. I found the training videos pretty interesting for the most part. I don't feel comfortable doing hypnosis with my therapy clients but it was interesting to learn a new modality and get a sense of what it would be like to work that way.

Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
This is a web-based learning course for evidence-based TF-CBT with children and adolescents. They give video examples, readings, and quizzes detailing the different stages of the therapy. It would helpful for certain job applications to say you have some experience in TF-CBT as many agencies are looking for evidence-based practices these days.

Using Craigslist to Find Jobs

2008-02-08T18:02:00.000-08:00

Craigslist.org can be a good resource to find current jobs especially the rare private practice or small agency job with limited openings. It can be discouraging when you don't know where the jobs postings are and what to search for. I have learned a few important tips in my own search:

1) It's best to use a combination of searching and browsing the "nonprofit" job section to find out what's available.

2) Searching just for "MFTI" or "MFT Intern" misses a lot of jobs.

Many employers don't put "MFT Intern" in their list of qualifications but instead say "MFT license or license eligible" (or "registered with the BBS"). Good search terms are: mft intern, mfti, therapy, psychotherapy, counseling, BBS, license eligible, etc.

2) A lot of postings can be found by browsing the "nonprofit jobs" category.

You have to wade through a lot of jobs that are not relevant to you but this consistently brings up jobs that don't come out in the searches.

3) There are jobs posted in other categories.

One of the best opportunities I found on craigslist was for an MFT psychoanalytic private practice internship that was entered in the therapeutic services section not the jobs section. This is why it's important to do the searches as well as browsing.

Finding a Paid Job/Internship

2008-02-06T11:50:00.001-08:00

A lot of internships are unpaid or pay only a small stipend but I have found some paid positions especially in the East Bay. I'm only listing positions here that marriage and family therapist interns are qualified for. I'm not sure if all the jobs give supervision hours but most of them do. Please leave a comment if you know more about these positions or if you know of other opportunities. I'll add more as I find them.

San Francisco

A Better Way, Inc.
Contact by sending an email to jobs@abetterwayinc.net
"A Better Way, Inc. offers a comprehensive approach to foster care, and adoptive and psychotherapeutic services for children and families. A Better Way serves almost 200 children and their families in seven bay area counties. We offer competitive salaries and excellent benefits. We are currently seeking an EPSDT Therapeutic Visitation Clinician to join our team. Under the supervision of the Clinical Supervisor, the Therapeutic Visitation Program Clinician has the primary responsibility for providing clinical support to assigned children and parents in the San Francisco, Reunification Services Program, and the San Francisco outpatient mental health program."

Baker Places, Inc.
Baker Places, Inc. is a non-profit corporation providing an array of community based services to the residents of San Francisco with mental health, substance abuse and/or HIV/AIDS related issues. They generally have open positions for residential counselors but I believe they have well-paid internships at the post-masters level as well.

Edgewood Center for Children and Families - (San Francisco and San Carlos)
A large agency with lots of different of programs. You may not be able to get hours for the paid positions but they do have internships with stipends. They offer tuition reiumbursement and full medical, dental, and vision benefits if you work 20+ hrs/wk.
Review: I've worked here personally in both the residential and the community based programs. The residential work was very challenging and I burned out quickly but I know others who could do it for years. I transferred to a GREAT job (the PIP Program) working in elementary schools doing nondirective play with shy, withdrawn children with mild-moderate adjustment problems. PIP usually hires around Aug. and Dec. The only issue is that I could not get clinical hours for it because they don't consider it therapy. Still a great job especially for the pre-Masters level.

Jewish Family and Children Services - (San Francisco, Marin, Peninsula, and Sonoma Counties)
"Founded in 1850 by Gold Rush pioneers, JFCS is the oldest social service agency west of the Mississippi." They provide therapy focusing on individuals, children, families, seniors, and new immigrants.

Kaiser Permanente
Chemical Dependency Program
Wage: $10.30/hr for pre-Masters Trainees and $12.36/hr for post-Masters Interns
20 hrs/week from Sept. to Aug.

Richmond Area Multi-Services (RAMS)
RAMS, Inc. is a private, non-profit mental health agency that is committed to advocating for and providing community based, culturally-competent, and consumer-guided comprehensive services, with an emphasis on serving Asian, Pacific Islander, and Russian Americans. They are based in San Francisco's Richmond district. Although they have no job listings online they do frequently put job listings on craigslist for "behavior health consultants" doing short-term therapy, assessment, and case management work. They also have a doctoral internship and a clinical practicum program (I don't know about what they pay).
Salary: Behavior Health Consultant pays $40,000 to $45,000 DOE.

San Francisco Department of Public Health
SFDPH frequently needs mft interns for various positions in child crisis, juvenile justice, and foster care work. Check out the Professionals/Clinicians subcategory at the link above.
Salary: $65,000-$80,000/year for full-time and around $30/hour for part-time.

San Francisco Unified School District
SFUSD has several job openings for Master's level counselors from elementary school to High School. Do a search or an advanced search for certificated counselor positions.

Seneca Center - (San Francisco and East Bay)
Lots of different programs working with children and families especially those considered severely emotionally disturbed. They say they'll sit down with you and chart out how you'll get your hours and even help you study for the MFT licensing exam.
Salary: Generally around $40,000/year for a full-time position.

Sharper Future/Pacific Forensic Psychology Associates, Inc.
contact Mary-Perry Miller or Shana Burns at (415) 397-6622 (voice), (415)397-6666 (fax), or Email: mpmiller@sharperfuture.com or sburns@sharperfuture.com.
"These full time, 40-hour per week positions are responsible for providing both short-term and long-term therapeutic, recovery-oriented services to a post-incarcerated, adult, outpatient population (federal & county probation sex offenders and other mental health/substance abuse federal probationers), which includes: individual therapy, group therapy facilitation, and administering intake assessments with written reports and monthly treatment plans. Prior training in addiction treatment is required (forensic experience most preferable), along with knowledge of cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic therapeutic interventions. This position primarily provides services in San Francisco, Oakland, Hayward, San Jose, Richmond and Pleasant Hill, of which the candidate may work in 2-3 different clinic site locations."

Walden House - (San Francisco)
Working with substance abuse issues. Paid jobs and practicum placements.

East Bay

Cal State East Bay - (Hayward and Concord)
MFT Internship
Working with culturally diverse students - individual, couple, and group therapy.
Wage: $14/hour
Up to 20 hrs/week for 9 months starting late Sept.
Must apply by mid-Feb.

Catholic Charities of the East Bay - (Pinole, East Oakland, San Leandro)
Review: Pre-K through 8th grade. Always work with the parents, but I can’t do family therapy in the internship – concentrate on the kids. Work environment: Catholic schools. Pretty conservative people there, kind of a mix. I can do whatever I want at the school. At first nerve wracking because you don’t know what you’re supposed to be doing, but once I coordinated with the principles, it was great. No regular training program. Two hours of group supervision (good) one with indiv. Supervisor (not as good).Training, when it does happen, has been good. 3 days a week 7 hour day – two full years plus a couple of months to get child hours. No summer work. Paid job, $16.50 hr.

Contra Costa County Human Resources Dept.
Click on jobs and do a search in the mental health category. Last time I looked there were ongoing positions for Mental Health Clinicians in areas of crisis, day treatment, inpatient care, and others. Salary started around $50,000.
Contra Costa County Headstart - (Richmond)
Interns (prefer bilingual) to work with children ages 3-5. 20hrs/week, partial benefits through County. Prefer MFTIs or trainees in last year of Masters program. Contact Inge Lembeck,LMFT @ (925) 646-1444 ext.60991
Wage: $10/hour.

Early Childhood Mental Health Program
They have various positions providing child and family therapy as well as consultation in child-care settings.

Eden Counseling Services - (Alameda County)
They've had postings on craigslist.org for paid part-time therapy work with children, adults, and families. You may need to call them to ask about openings.

Employment and Human Services - (Contra Costa County)
Wage: $57,000-$74,000 depending on experience.
(Not sure if you can get mft hours for the work though. It looks like a lot of case management.)
East Bay Agency for Children
"EBAC provides individual counseling and education services for children ages two to 14 who demonstrate severe emotional, behavioral, and/or learning problems." They also have a Therapeutic Nursery program for kids 2-5 with severe emotional disturbances.

East Bay School Districts - (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties)
The districts gave several job openings for Master's level counselors from elementary school to High School. Do a search or an advanced search for certificated counselor positions in the counties.

Fred Finch Youth Center - (Oakland, Vacaville, and Other Areas)
Lots of different positions working with foster care and severely emotionally disturbed youth in residential, school, and other settings.

Jewish Family and Children Services of the East Bay - (Berkeley, Walnut Creek, Albany, Livermore)
JFCS "provides multilingual services to older adults and their families, Holocaust survivors, children and their parents, refugees and immigrants, people with disabilities, and an array of adults and children who come to us for high-quality affordable mental health services."

La Cheim TBS - (Richmond)
(No web site, but the phone number is 510 222-3946) Working with emotionally disturbed youth in danger of losing their placement because of their behavior. May work in the home, group homes, in schools or in the field. Flexible hours and opportunity to get child hours towards licensure.
Wage: $14/hour for pre-masters, $16/hour for masters degree.

Lincoln Child Center - (Concord, Hayward, Oakland)
Opportunities working with severely emotionally disturbed children and their families at a residential facility and school.

New Bridge Foundation - (Berkeley)
Jobs treating adult and adolescents with addiction issues. Both outpatient and inpatient.

Pathways Counseling Centern - (Alameda County)
A variety of positions working with youth including mental health consultation, working in schools, etc. They don't mention if the positions are paid or not but I assume they are.

Seneca Center - (San Francisco and East Bay)
Lots of different programs working with children and families especially those considered severely emotionally disturbed. They say they'll sit down with you and chart out how you'll get your hours and even help you study for the MFT licensing exam.
Salary: Generally around $40,000/year for a full-time Masters-level position.

Sharper Future/Pacific Forensic Psychology Associates, Inc. (Oakland, Hayward, Richmond, Pleasant Hill)
contact Mary-Perry Miller or Shana Burns at (415) 397-6622 (voice), (415)397-6666 (fax), or Email: mpmiller@sharperfuture.com or sburns@sharperfuture.com.
"These full time, 40-hour per week positions are responsible for providing both short-term and long-term therapeutic, recovery-oriented services to a post-incarcerated, adult, outpatient population (federal & county probation sex offenders and other mental health/substance abuse federal probationers), which includes: individual therapy, group therapy facilitation, and administering intake assessments with written reports and monthly treatment plans. Prior training in addiction treatment is required (forensic experience most preferable), along with knowledge of cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic therapeutic interventions. This position primarily provides services in San Francisco, Oakland, Hayward, San Jose, Richmond and Pleasant Hill, of which the candidate may work in 2-3 different clinic site locations."

Stepping Stones Center for Autistic Spectrum Disorders, Inc. (SSCASD) - (East Bay, North Bay, Penninsula, South Bay)
Paid jobs and traineeships with stipends working with people with autism age 18 months to 22 years. They provide training and supervision in using their method, Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA). Call Heidi Thauberger at (650) 357-0571 for more information on the MFT supervised internship.

Thunder Road, Adolescent Treatment Services, Inc. - (Oakland)
Jobs and paid internships working with adolescents with substance abuse issues.

Westcoast Children's Clinic (Oakland, El Cerrito)
WCC has community based services in homes, schools, and their clinic for children and families. They have paid jobs as well as doctoral training programs.
Salary: Around $45,000/year for the jobs MFTIs qualify for.

North Bay

Jewish Family and Children Services - (San Francisco, Marin, Peninsula, and Sonoma Counties)
"Founded in 1850 by Gold Rush pioneers, JFCS is the oldest social service agency west of the Mississippi." They provide therapy focusing on individuals, children, families, seniors, and new immigrants.

Marin School District - (Marin)
The district has several job openings for Master's level counselors from elementary school to High School. Do a search or an advanced search for certificated counselor positions in the county.

Stepping Stones Center for Autistic Spectrum Disorders, Inc. (SSCASD) - (East Bay, North Bay, Penninsula, South Bay)
Paid jobs and traineeships with stipends working with people with autism age 18 months to 22 years. They provide training and supervision in using their method, Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA). Call Heidi Thauberger at (650) 357-0571 for more information on the MFT supervised internship.

South Bay

Bill Wilson Center - (Santa Clara)
Lots of different programs working with youth and families. Residential facility, living with dying program, and a counseling center among others.

Edgewood Center for Children and Families - (San Carlos and San Francisco)
A large agency with lots of different of programs. You may not be able to get hours for the paid positions but they do have internships with stipends. They offer tuition reiumbursement and full medical, dental, and vision benefits if you work 20+ hrs/wk.
Review: I've worked here personally in both the residential and the community based programs. The residential work was very challenging and I burned out quickly but I know others who could do it for years. I transferred to a GREAT job (the PIP Program) working in elementary schools doing nondirective play with shy, withdrawn children with mild-moderate adjustment problems. PIP usually hires around Aug. and Dec. The only issue is that I could not get clinical hours for it because they don't consider it therapy. Still a great job especially for the pre-Masters level.

Pyramid Alternatives - (San Mateo, Pacifica)
Jobs at different positions.
(Reviews are for the job in the school)
Review 1: Definitely recommend it. Requires experience. Paid $20/hr. $10 towards supervision and $10/hr for paperwork. Travel time – driving paid for. 10 –20 or more hours a week. For every half and hour with a child – four hours you can dock with BBS! 9 months to get the hours. Elementary up to high school. Kids are wonderful. School setting – horrible little room. Very basic. Have to set most of it up yourself. Only see kids – elementary school. No parents.
Review 2: "I would definitely recommend the job to people who have some experience. Internship offered at Pyramid which seems great too."

Rape Trauma Services - (San Mateo)
Interns get trained to be Sexual Assault Counselors then work around 20 hours a week. Interns do a shift on the crisis line as well as individual and group therapy with survivors. They pay $15 per hour (60 minutes) for direct clinical services, study group attendance and Victims of Crime billings.

San Mateo School District - (San Mateo)
The district has several job openings for Master's level counselors from elementary school to High School. Do a search or an advanced search for certificated counselor positions in the county.

Sharper Future/Pacific Forensic Psychology Associates, Inc. (San Jose)
contact Mary-Perry Miller or Shana Burns at (415) 397-6622 (voice), (415)397-6666 (fax), or Email: mpmiller@sharperfuture.com or sburns@sharperfuture.com.
"These full time, 40-hour per week positions are responsible for providing both short-term and long-term therapeutic, recovery-oriented services to a post-incarcerated, adult, outpatient population (federal & county probation sex offenders and other mental health/substance abuse federal probationers), which includes: individual therapy, group therapy facilitation, and administering intake assessments with written reports and monthly treatment plans. Prior training in addiction treatment is required (forensic experience most preferable), along with knowledge of cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic therapeutic interventions. This position primarily provides services in San Francisco, Oakland, Hayward, San Jose, Richmond and Pleasant Hill, of which the candidate may work in 2-3 different clinic site locations."

Stepping Stones Center for Autistic Spectrum Disorders, Inc. (SSCASD) - (East Bay, North Bay, Penninsula, South Bay)
Paid jobs and traineeships with stipends working with people with autism age 18 months to 22 years. They provide training and supervision in using their method, Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA). Call Heidi Thauberger at (650) 357-0571 for more information on the MFT supervised internship.

General MFTI Job and Internship Postings

East Bay CAMFT Listings
Sometimes this has listings on it.

CAMFT Classifieds
This always seems surprisingly sparse especially in the SF Bay Area but check it out just in case.

Craigslist.org
I've written a few tips on finding jobs through craigslist.

Myspace Jobs
Easy keyword search, lots of paid positions.

National Health Service Corps
A searchable national database of mental health jobs in high-need areas.

SocialService.com
Searchable employment postings from around the country that can be emailed to you daily.