Our internship program offers graduate-level counseling and social work students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience providing trauma- and attachment-informed therapy with children and families. Interns learn to deliver care that is grounded in neurobiology, centered in relationship, and supported through experiential therapeutic modalities within a collaborative, growth-oriented learning environment.
Program Benefits
Hands-On Experience
Gain a well-rounded foundation in supporting the mental health of children and families through individual therapy, group facilitation, workshop development, and other therapeutic services.
Specialized Training
Begin with a structured pre-internship curriculum, then continue building clinical knowledge, reflective capacity, and therapeutic use of self through complimentary registration to all CTHC-hosted play therapy trainings during your internship, along with ongoing readings and experiential learning activities focused on trauma, attachment, play therapy, and neurodevelopment.
Comprehensive Supervision
Receive individualized support through weekly individual and group supervision with Demi Banchs, MA, LPC, RPT-S™, an EMDRIA Approved Consultant in Training (CIT). Expand your learning through monthly joint group supervision with our community partner, providing the opportunity to learn alongside and from additional clinicians. Interns also receive complimentary supervision toward the Registered Play Therapist™ credential, complimentary EMDR consultation toward certification (for those who complete EMDR training), and weekly opportunities for additional drop-in supervision.
Is This Internship the Right Fit for You?
This internship is designed for someone who doesn’t simply want to try working with children and families impacted by trauma, but who feels called to this work.
The interns who thrive at Children’s Trauma Healing Center are deeply curious, eager to learn, and ready to immerse themselves in every opportunity for growth. They seek out challenge, ask thoughtful questions, and approach learning with humility, openness, and genuine enthusiasm.
Effective therapy begins with self-awareness. The ideal intern is committed to ongoing self-reflection, understands that their own experiences, beliefs, and patterns inevitably enter the therapeutic relationship, and is actively engaged in their own personal growth.
This is an intensive learning experience that asks a great deal of our interns while providing extensive support along the way. The interns who thrive here are resilient, relational, and able to build meaningful connections with children, families, and colleagues. They embrace feedback, value cultural humility, and are committed to becoming the kind of therapist children and families deserve.
Program qualifications & Requirements
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Must be enrolled in a graduate-level counseling, social work, or related mental health program that requires internship hours.
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Must be able to commit to in-office availability on Monday and Friday afternoons/evenings and Saturday mornings for a minimum of 12 months.
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Passionate about working with children and families impacted by trauma.
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Strong desire to become a play therapist and specialize in child and family therapy.
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Prior experience working with children and/or families preferred.
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Demonstrates a commitment to ongoing self-reflection and personal growth; engagement in personal therapy is strongly encouraged.
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Willing to invest significant time, energy, and financial resources into ongoing learning and professional development.
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Open to feedback and able to thoughtfully integrate it into clinical practice and professional growth.
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Committed to cultural humility, neurodiversity-affirming practice, and trauma-responsive care.
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Comfortable with, or open to learning, experiential and expressive therapeutic modalities.
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Attend required trainings as scheduled.
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Complete the Internship Preparation Curriculum prior to beginning clinical work.
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Complete ongoing educational requirements, including assigned readings and learning activities, throughout the internship.
what to expect
Step One
PREPARE
Read through the entirety of this page to familiarize yourself with the program.
Step two
APPLY
Complete the intership application in full and send all required documents to info@cthcnj.com.
Step three
INTERVIEW
You will be contacted via email to inform you whether you have been selected to move forward with an interview.
Step FOUR
ONBOARDING & INTERNSHIP PREPARATION
Applicants will be notified via email regarding the final internship decision. Accepted interns will then complete onboarding requirements, orientation, and the Internship Preparation Curriculum before beginning clinical work.
Note: Use of artificial intelligence (AI) to write or edit any required application materials will result in automatic disqualification.