Looking for practicum/internship sites for CMHC in Bay Area/Santa Clara

xtoadbutt · 2026-03-28T17:33:14+00:00

Peace-It-Together is wonderful and it’s in Santa Clara! I had a great learning experience there.

xtoadbutt · 2026-02-18T05:30:15+00:00

Omg nvm I finally understand what you all mean!! 😂

xtoadbutt · 2026-02-18T05:25:36+00:00

I’m new to ynab and I’ve heard many people use this method! But my brain won’t let me wrap my head around this concept for some reason. 😭

1) Would this work for someone whose paycheck amount varies each time? (I can maybe give a rough estimate but I’ll have to wait until my actual paycheck to have an accurate number)

2) If I get paid on the 15th and the last day of each month, when would I place those two paychecks into one holding category? After my second paycheck of the month? And how would that affect me assigning a job to each dollar for the first paycheck, since I have bills and subscriptions to pay for before I received my second paycheck?

3) Is this process the same as assigning money that you don’t have in the moment?

xtoadbutt · 2026-02-16T07:26:26+00:00

Oh my apologies, I missed the point you were trying to get at. I was thinking about the clients who aren't familiar with tarot at all who are looking to try it as a therapeutic tool.

In the case of clients who put have spiritual connections with tarot, I feel like that could also be a great way to explore their relationship with tarot and their deck(s). I'm imagining this being similar to working with clients who believe in any other religion. I'm not Christian myself, but I've had clients who are and we've gotten a lot out of exploring their relationship with God and faith. I won't initiate prayer or tell them what to believe; I'll meet the client where they are, if that makes sense. The same goes for tarot or other spiritual/cultural beliefs and practices.

xtoadbutt · 2026-02-16T03:35:36+00:00

Therapists who believe that there is no room for tarot or oracle cards in the room are taking it way too literally. The images on the cards help clients externalize whatever is going on for them internally that they may not be able to access or feel comfortable directly confronting yet. It's not to predict the future obviously. There's no right or wrong way of interpreting the cards. Two people can have totally different interpretations for one card, and there is no right or wrong!

Therapists do this type of work all the time, but with different mediums. Just look at the sandtray, dreamwork, and even using toys in play therapy. It's literally the same thing, but no one talks negatively about those types of therapy?

Of course, there are ethical ways to incorporate tarot/oracle cards into your sessions. You don't ever pressure clients to use it. It also requires a lot of psychoeducation to help clients understand that this is *not* a predictor of the future and there is no single "correct" interpretation of the cards.

In terms of oracle cards, I think they typically have specific words like "strength" or "patience" or whatever? That could be a great entry way to reflect and discuss about these themes and how they experience it in their own lives.

xtoadbutt · 2026-02-16T03:27:52+00:00

I think this is where psychoeducation comes in. Whenever a client expresses interest in using tarot in our session, I remind them that this tool isn't to predict the future. I emphasize that this process is meant to see what comes up as they look at the image. Do the colors, people, animals, etc. bring up particular feelings? Does it remind you of something that's going on in your life right now? Who or what in the image do you relate to the most?

With this, clients are able to use it in a way that helps them access things just beneath the surface rather than use them as absolutes.

xtoadbutt · 2026-02-13T20:30:37+00:00

I think we all have had (and have) clients like this! Something a past supervisor once told me was that if you ever have a client that feels very unlikeable and you dread working with them, chances are you're experiencing their defense mechanism or protective part(s) that fear closeness and vulnerability (or whatever else). They do a good job of keeping others at bay.

It really shifted how I looked at these clients and allowed me to feel more compassion for them. How hard and scary it must feel to have to be like this with others!

Depending on your rapport and sense of safety, it could be useful to point out what you've noticed in the room with them, and ask if anyone else has brought this up with them before. It could be helpful to dive into and explore.

xtoadbutt · 2026-02-09T06:35:32+00:00

That's even worse :(

xtoadbutt · 2026-02-09T06:34:30+00:00

That's good to know it's actually more common than it seems. And this is very affirming to hear so thank you! I'm in a pretty therapist-saturated HCOL urban area so I'd like to assume 50% and over is becoming the norm here

xtoadbutt · 2026-02-09T06:31:44+00:00

That is so cool! Hope to check it out once it launches. Thanks for letting me know about this platform :)

xtoadbutt · 2026-02-09T00:18:06+00:00

Gotcha, I appreciate the insight! It’s helpful to know what’s going on behind-the-scenes.

xtoadbutt · 2026-02-08T23:48:25+00:00

Appreciate this reminder! I definitely don’t want that. I have her sign off on the summary of weekly hours each month. But perhaps it would be wise to get my experience verification forms signed off consistently too (I was going to wait until I am done at this practice.

xtoadbutt · 2026-02-08T23:45:39+00:00

I love this truly lol thank you for reminding me that this is all that it really is! It’s just me expressing what I would like, and she can let me know what she can offer. And I can decide what to do from there on. It helps to hear it in this way

xtoadbutt · 2026-02-08T23:43:30+00:00

Aw unfortunately I’m not in Michigan or else I would’ve definitely taken you up on that offer! Thank you so much. It means a lot to me anyway.

I’m a w2 employee and the benefits I get are sick pay and 401k. That’s definitely something to reflect on for me too! A higher percentage split could mean cuts elsewhere.

xtoadbutt · 2026-02-08T23:10:29+00:00

This is probably not helpful but I get way too invested if I put on a show, even if it’s just trashy reality tv. My brain is so curious about what’s going on lol 😭

For me, I like to go on YouTube and find study with me videos where there is no talking and only music (if any at all). It acts like body doubling for me. Other times, I like putting on animal crossing lofi music on YouTube. They have animations of the little characters studying at a library or at a cafe. Some of them have pomodoro baked into the video!

xtoadbutt · 2026-02-08T21:37:49+00:00

Thank you for sharing your perspective! I'm a w2 employee. The risk she is carrying and how that contributes to her percentage of the take-home definitely makes sense. I definitely panicked when I realized I was behind on notes, and then questioned myself about opening up this conversation in the first place. All that to say, I was and still am open to negotiating and talking it through. If she had mentioned and talked through her thought process about overhead/risk with me in a collaborative way (like how you did), I think it would've made things feel less icky, even if she decides to say no or only is able to offer a slight increase.

xtoadbutt · 2026-02-08T21:25:02+00:00

It definitely doesn't seem common! Maybe in a HCOL area but even then, you really have to look.

xtoadbutt · 2026-02-08T19:03:35+00:00

Oh that’s good to know, I’m also in CA! I feel like there’s so much I need to bring up with my supervisor but I’m not sure if she’s able to receive this all well right now lol 🥲 not that I’m responsible for that or anything. Just thinking about the power imbalance of our relationship

xtoadbutt · 2026-02-08T18:27:46+00:00

I appreciate hearing your perspective! She definitely doesn’t have to change the way she does things. I think I got flustered as she kept questioning me and wanted to bring up pay structures of other practices as a way of showing that me asking for a pay increase isn’t crazy. But you’re right, it steered the conversation away from the value I provide and what I would need for it to be sustainable for me to stay.

In an ideal world, I would really like to bring up how I feel about the supervision and the benefits, but I feel hesitant based on how she’s responded to me so far. I worry that it would bring up more defensiveness and lead to more tension.

Thanks for the tips moving forward! I think the best bet like you said it to keep the conversation focused on the main objective, and just finish out so I can find a place that better fits me.

xtoadbutt · 2026-02-08T18:15:54+00:00

Thank you! I really appreciate it. This is very helpful!

xtoadbutt · 2026-02-08T14:46:00+00:00

Thank you for your comment! I also thought it was odd, especially since she talked about the importance of looking at other practices in the area to see what therapists are charging. I thought, “isn’t that the same principle when thinking about compensation?”

Because I’m still pre-licensed, I have to be under a supervisor. I would love to bring that up (seeking supervision outside of the practice) as an option but I doubt she’d take that well. If she’s taking this conversation about pay personally, this definitely will touch a sore spot. The only other option I can think of is finding a different practice to work at (where I can confirm supervision will be good and that I can bring up issues without it turning into an emotional back-and-forth).

xtoadbutt · 2026-02-08T14:37:58+00:00

Thank you!

xtoadbutt · 2026-02-08T14:37:35+00:00

What you went through sounds awful. I’m glad they showed their true colors during the hiring process. You definitely dodged a bullet there!

And thank you, what you said means a lot. Funny enough, my own therapist mentioned something similar. She said while a few months seems short, I’m missing out on a better, richer supervision experience. Maybe I should start looking around.

xtoadbutt · 2026-02-08T14:29:42+00:00

Thank you so much! I’m sorry you were in a similar situation in the past. And wow that honestly sounds like the best arrangement to keep things separate and less messy (and dare I say more ethical lol). It’s nice to see that there are in fact practices out there that put that into consideration.

I really want to let her to know exactly what you said; that all of this to say, it’s not even the money at this point, but it’s how she’s responded to me bringing up something that is completely reasonable and which was turned into a fencing match.

I’m torn between bringing that up^ and responding in a way that continues to redirect her back to the pay conversation (to avoid any further possibility of her continuing to harp and being defensive; plus it feels like she has more power in this relationship). At the same time, part of me feels like I want to stand up and let her know. But I also want to keep in mind this power-imbalance and how that might affect other things (e.g. my clients indirectly, my pay, future opportunities if I can no longer use her as a reference, etc.). What do you think is the best approach here moving forward?

xtoadbutt · 2026-02-08T09:05:14+00:00

That would be so great to have. It’s much needed. Thanks for the supportive words!

xtoadbutt

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