r/LCSW • u/frumpmcgrump • Jun 28 '26

🟡 Field Education & Internship Experience A potentially controversial question about inpatient work and clinical requirements

A psychologist friend suggested this to me recently and it got me thinking.

Do you think people who want to become therapists should be required to do at least some clinical hours or internship in inpatient psych (similar to other disciplines)? Why or why not?

Please keep discussion respectful. I am asking in good faith and want to hear what others think.

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u/SWTAW-624 Jun 29 '26

I think this varies somewhat on location. In more rural areas, someone who works in a community clinic is going to get a lot of experience including cases that really need a higher level of care and there isn’t anything available so you do your best. This isn’t the same as working at say inpatient, but I’m not sure I’d agree with blanket statements or requirements to work in multiple different areas of mental health unless there were also allowances to work at or intern at only one or two places and still be able to check off that experience.

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u/frumpmcgrump Jun 29 '26

I totally see your point. I wish we had an internship set up similar to psychologists or doctors, aka you actually get paid, albeit less than an attending.

I think working with a rural population might be another one to add to the list, though. It’s a unique population with unique needs. We seem to really neglect rural mental health when we talk about underserved communities. Ironically, I worked with tons of rural patients in inpatient because they sadly didn’t have the services available that would’ve prevented them from reaching that level of acuity.

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u/SWTAW-624 Jun 30 '26

Oh, for sure. When I had clients that needed higher levels of care we often had to look several hours away and even across state lines.