Counselling Internship Opportunities in Abbotsford & Chilliwack
Are you searching for a counselling internship in Abbotsford or Chilliwack that offers real clinical experience, supportive mentorship, and meaningful client work?
Our growing group practice in the Fraser Valley provides counselling internship opportunities for graduate students completing practicum placements in counselling psychology, clinical psychology, or related programs.
About the Internship/Practicum Supervisor at Achieve Balance Counselling
Achieve Balance Counselling is a growing group counselling practice with locations in Abbotsford and Chilliwack. Founded by Kim Kendall, RCC-ACS, SPT-S, BCRT, and NSST therapist and trainer, Achieve Balance Counselling provides counselling and play therapy for children, youth, adults, parents/caregivers, and families. If you’d like to learn more about Kim please check out her bio page.
A significant part of our practice is working with children and youth, including many neurodivergent clients. We believe strongly in meeting clients where they are and adapting the therapeutic approach to the individual rather than expecting every client to fit within one particular model of therapy.
Our supervision philosophy is relational, collaborative, and developmental. We believe that interns and practicum students learn best when they feel safe to ask questions, explore their critical thinking, and acknowledge the areas where they are still developing. Supervision is therefore not simply about reviewing what happened in a session; it is an opportunity to develop clinical reasoning, strengthen therapeutic skills, explore the therapeutic relationship, and gradually build confidence and professional identity.
Developing Your Clinical Voice and Confidence
We also believe that supervision should provide both support and appropriate challenge. Students are encouraged to think critically about their work, consider different perspectives, and develop their own clinical voice while remaining grounded in ethical and evidence-informed practice. We discuss cases, clinical decision-making, documentation, therapeutic relationships, boundaries, and the practical realities of working in private practice.
The practicum environment at Achieve Balance Counselling is warm, supportive, and collaborative. Students become part of a team rather than functioning in isolation. At the same time, we recognize that every student comes with different experiences, strengths, interests, and learning needs. We therefore work with students to identify areas where they would like to grow and look for opportunities to support those goals.
Students interested in working with children and families may have opportunities to learn about play therapy and other child-centered approaches. They may also gain experience supporting parents & caregivers and developing an understanding of how family systems, development, attachment, and neurodiversity can inform therapeutic work.
Our goal is for students to finish their internship/practicum with more than completed hours. We want them to develop greater confidence, stronger clinical skills, a deeper understanding of themselves as therapists, and a clearer sense of the kind of clinician they want to become.
A Supportive Experience
At Achieve Balance Counselling, we believe that counselling is first and foremost about relationship. Our approach is warm, relational, strengths-based, trauma-informed, and individualized to each client. Depending on their training ands interests, internship & practicum students may have opportunities to develop skills in approaches such as play therapy, Synergetic Play Therapy, Sandtray Therapy, EMDR, Somatic Attachment, and other evidence-informed therapeutic approaches.
As part of your counselling internship, you can expect:
Weekly clinical supervision that can be used towards RCC or CCC designation. Supervision can also be used towards the hours needed to become a BC Registered Play Therapist if this is something that you would like to work towards.
Monthly group supervision
To work with child and teen clients and their parents
Experience working with diverse clients, including those with ADHD, anxiety, ASD, and FASD
Experience with documentation and ethical practice
Opportunities to grow your clinical confidence
Students are supported in gradually developing their clinical confidence and professional identify. We value the opportunity for internship & practicum students to bring their own interests and strengths to their placement while learning within the culture and values of Achieve Balance Counselling. Our goal is to provide a meaningful learning experience where students can develop their clinical skills while gaining an understanding of what it is like to work in a private practice setting.
Who We’re Looking For
We welcome applicants who:
Are enrolled in an accredited graduate counselling program
Carry student liability insurance
Are passionate about working with children, teens, and/or families
Have experience working with people who are neurodivergent ie. ASD, ADHD, FASD etc.
- Value warmth, professionalism, and ethical care.
If you are seeking a counselling internship in Abbotsford or Chilliwack, where you can grow within a supportive team environment, we would love to hear from you
Scheduling and Client Hours
To support students in building their clinical hours, we are particularly interested in students who have availability on weekdays between 2:00-8:00 p.m., Saturdays, and Sundays. These are the times when there is typically the greatest demand for counselling sessions, particularly for children, youth and families.
Having availability during these higher-demand times can provide students with greater opportunities to develop a consistent caseload and accumulate their required client hours throughout their internship/practicum. Students who are able to offer evening and/or weekend availability may therefore have more opportunities to build their clinical experience and reach their internship/practicum hour requirements.
Placements are available at our Abbotsford and Chilliwack offices, depending on the student’s interests, availability, and the needs of the practice.
Apply for a Counselling Internship
Students interested in completing their internship/practicum at Achieve Balance Counselling are invited to submit their application by email.
Please send the following:
A current resume or CV
A cover letter or brief letter of introduction outlining your interest in completing your practicum at Achieve Balance Counselling
- Your current program of study and anticipated internship/practicum dates
- Your expected internship/practicum hour requirements
- Your availability, including preferred days and whether you are seeking placement in Abbotsford, Chilliwack, or either location
- Any specific clinical interests, populations, or therapeutic approaches you are hoping to develop during your internship/practicum
Once an application has been reviewed, selected students will be invited to an interview. The interview is an opportunity for us to learn more about the student, their experience and interests, and what they are hoping to gain from their internship/practicum. It is also an opportunity for the student to ask questions and determine whether Achieve Balance Counselling feels like the right environment for their learning and professional development.
If we feel that there might be a good fit, we will discuss the placement requirements, supervision, scheduling, and next steps. Students are expected to complete any internship/practicum requirements established by their educational institution and to provide the necessary documentation before beginning their placement.
Applications can be sent to internship@achievebalancecounselling.com with the subject line “Practicum Application – [Student Name]“.
Because we receive many internship/practicum applications, we recommend contacting us about 3 months in advance of your anticipated placement start date.