Internships

Program Highlights

• Full-year of clinical training (July through June)
• 500 hours of Clinical Service Experience (individual, couples/relational, family, and group psychotherapy)
• 11 core competency trainings, resulting in approximately 33 hours of clinical training)
• Weekly individual supervision from a clinically licensed therapist (LCSW, LMFT, LCPC, Licensed Clinical Psychologist), resulting in approximately 48-50 clinical supervision hours.
• Weekly group supervision with Live Oak trainees (fellows and graduate-level interns) facilitated by Live Oak’s Clinical Development Manager, resulting in approximately 70-75 clinical supervision hours.
• Capstone presentations: 1-hour case conceptualization related to the clinical work completed with an individual client, couple, or family throughout the course of the training year.

General Overview of the Program

Live Oak graduate interns are on-site for a full year of training, beginning in July (interns will be oriented to the program in the last week of June) of the year in which the student is accepted, and running through June 3oth of the following calendar year. With the direct support and supervision of clinical supervisors, interns will provide 500 hours of direct clinical services (individual, couples/relational, family, and group psychotherapy). This model emphasizes high-quality, intensive clinical training and ensures continuity of care for the clients we serve. Unfortunately, Live Oak will not accept any applicants who cannot fulfill this commitment, and partial year internships will not be provided, regardless of the specific requirements or academic calendar of the graduate program.

Live Oak offers a unique internship experience, unlike any other in the Chicagoland area. In addition to weekly individual supervision and group supervision, graduate interns will have access to a broad range of clinical experience and training. Training include but are not limited to monthly, 3-hour trainings on Live Oak’s core competency areas (trauma-informed care, LGBTQ affirmative practice, and intersectional practice); access to over 25 full-time staff with a variety of backgrounds and experiences; and opportunities to co-facilitate group therapy with a full-time staff member.

Core competency trainings include the following themes:

• Introduction to Trauma-Informed Practice
• Understanding Systemic Privilege & Power: Personal Identity
• Understanding Systemic Privilege & Power: Clinical Practice
• Introduction to LGBTQ Affirmative Practice
• Introduction to TGNC Affirmative Practice
• Introduction to Attachment Theory & Clinical Practice
• Introduction to Non-Monogamy & Relational Diversity
• Sex Diversity, Sex Positivity, & Kink-Aware Practice
• QTPOC Cultural Competency
• Vicarious Trauma & Compassion Fatigue
• Ethical Rebellion

Graduate interns spend 24- hours per week, on-site, and engage in Live Oak activities such as community meetings, informal peer-to-peer consultations, monthly consultation groups, and summer and winter parties. Interns are also able to access monthly public trainings offered on-site at no-cost, pending space and availability.

Historically, trainees have primarily provided clinical services to an adult population, however, there may be opportunities to gain experience working with children and adolescents (pending current referral base).

The internship concludes with a capstone presentation for a panel of Live Oak staff members in which interns will facilitate a 1-hour case conceptualization related to the clinical work they have done with an individual client, couple/relationship, or family throughout the course of the training year.

Qualifications

• Completion of all academic requirements necessary to engage in clinical field placement (specific to student’s graduate program)
• Flexible schedule, with an ability to be on-site Wednesday mornings (for meetings), the first Friday of the month (for trainings) and some evenings (for clients). While we have many interns who have completed the program while working part or even full-time, we expect your commitment to Live Oak to be prioritized
• Commitment to the underlying philosophical values of Live Oak
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Ability to be in placement for a full year
• Maturity and self-direction
• Willingness to engage in self-reflection
• Previous clinical experience, or other involvement in areas related to our values, a plus

To Apply

Live Oak will not be offering an Internship program for the 2026-2027 training year. We are in the process of updating the program so it can better attune to the needs of the field and the organization at this moment in time. Please check back in late 2026 for more information regarding our 2027-2028 cohort. If you have any questions, you are welcome to reach out to our Clinical Director, Corina Teofilo Mattson, at cmattson@liveoakchicago.com.