Purdue University Northwest > Couple and Family Therapy Center > About Us > Undergraduate Internship

Undergraduate Internship

At the CFTC, we select one undergraduate student each semester to participate in a truly one-of-a-kind and unique opportunity.

Undergraduate Internship

Any student enrolled at the Purdue University Northwest are eligible to apply for a semester long (10 hours per week) unpaid internship at the Couple & Family Therapy Center. This internship is a unique opportunity to see “behind the curtain” of the world of mental health and therapy, specifically from a Couple & Family Therapy specialty.

Interns will have the ability to observe live therapy sessions, interact with therapist and help with the development of cases. They will participate in supervision sessions and meetings each week, where a multitude of cases are presented by various therapists and advised on progress from a qualified supervisor. Additionally, the intern will have the opportunity to meet with the CFTC Director on a regular basis, to learn and discuss the intricacies of clinical case management and clinic administration.

While the internship is very clinical in nature, and comes with a lot of experience – there are also other duties such as data entry, clerical tasks, and general facility maintenance that are requested of each intern.

Previous interns have stated that this experience has been invaluable, and has solidified their desire to go on for advanced degrees in Couple & Family Therapy, Social Work, Counseling or other related fields.

How to Apply

Applications should be addressed and emailed to:

Christopher K. Belous, PhD LMFT
Director, CFTC & Associate Professor
ckb@pnw.edu
(219) 989-2938
7030 Indianapolis Blvd., IBCC-CFTC
Hammond, IN 46324

Application Deadlines

Applications are due on the following weeks for the semester immediately following:

For a FALL internship: Third week of July

For SPRING internship: Third week of November

Applications received after this time may not be considered.

Eligibility

Candidates must…

  • Be enrolled at Purdue University Northwest, in one of the HDFS, Sociology, or Psychology undergraduate internship courses
  • Have a desire to earn an advanced degree in couple and family therapy or a related field
  • Be available to sit in on supervision meetings on Wednesdays
  • Be available to participate in clinic meetings and supervision meeting with the Clinical Director weekly
  • Have at least 10 hours a week of availability to devote to all activities of the internship

All students will be required to abide by the code of ethics of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy available at AAMFT.org. Interns will be expected to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

Applications Should Include:

  1. A resume. Include references and an e-mail address.
  2. A cover letter describing your interest in this internship.
  3. At least one letter of reference, describing your character and skill set.

Candidates who are considered finalists for the internship will be asked to interview with the CFTC Director and potentially, other staff or faculty.