In order to help you practice and get ready for your interview, we’ll go over 30 total general, background-related, and in-depth therapist interview questions in this article. We’ll also give you eight sample responses.
- Why do you want this internship? …
- Tell us about a good and bad experience you’ve had with a client. …
- What is your professional philosophy? …
- Where do you see yourself in five years? …
- Do you have any questions for us?
Therapy Internship Questions| Cold-Calling, Interview Tips, and What to Ask Them!
6 Counselor Interview Questions and Answers
Tell us about how you approach counselling treatment and how you individualize treatment for a client.
If you want your counselors to provide customized treatment and not follow a cookie-cutter method, flexibility is paramount. This way, you can be sure your clients are able to benefit from a comprehensive approach to treatment that suits their needs and temperament. You know you can get this from your candidate if they talk about their love for the job and give you a spontaneous answer instead of a rigid and strict answer to treatment in general. What to look for in an answer:
- Genuine interest for the unique attributes of people
- Desire to continuously educate themselves
- Willingness to consult with other counselors when necessary
What has been your greatest accomplishment with counselling a client so far?
Prospective counselors should talk about how they’ve been able to help a client identify a problem in themselves they may have not yet been aware of and alternately positioned their perspective in order to provide successful counseling through changing the client’s mindset. Applicants should mention specific events and stories about clients they’ve personally helped. However, make sure they don’t provide specific details that would break client-counselor confidentiality rules. What to look for in an answer:
- Successful counseling stories
- a goal of assisting clients in learning something new about themselves
- Respect for client confidentiality
Have you ever had a case that was hard not to take home with you? How do you separate work and personal time to maintain your mental health?
Counselors work with a range of clients, including clients with mental illnesses and people recovering from traumatic experiences or life changes. Because of the nature of their job, counselors need to have coping strategies or habits that help them maintain their mental health. This question allows interviewers to gauge a candidate’s ability to separate work from personal life so they can continue to influence positive change in the lives of others. The candidate’s answer should emphasize:
- Compassion for others
- Acknowledgement of how the job can impact mental health
- Example of work-life balance
This is one example of how a great candidate might answer this question:
What is leading you to pursue a career in counseling?
It’s important to get a good idea about a potential employee’s motivation for a job. This is especially true for counseling psychology in which a counselor has to have the patience and perseverance to work with difficult clients. A prospective employee should demonstrate a strong desire to help others better themselves using motivation and personal experience. What to look for in an answer:
- A strong desire to help others
- The motivation to follow a challenging career path
- An understanding of what counselling entails
What would you do if you are unable to provide the level of counseling a client needs?
If a counselor encounters a client who they can’t personally help, it is crucial that they do not make the client feel as if they’re problems are unsolvable. Instead, they must explain to the client that the counselor doesn’t possess the necessary skills to help them and refer them to a specialist who has more experience with their particular situation. Prospective counselors should express how they’ll always work with their peers to help a client succeed. What to look for in an answer:
- An approach that puts the client’s needs first
- An inclination to work with specialists
- a readiness to blame the counselor’s shortcomings rather than the client for the failure
What qualities do you possess that, in your belief, would make you a good counselor?
There are many characteristics that make a good counselor, and it is important for a prospective counselor to be aware of these so that they may strive to implement them in themselves. This question tests an applicant’s maturity and ability to self-reflect as well as give you insight into their personality. Apart from being a good listener, candidates should mention patience, empathy or emotional intelligence as character traits they possess. What to look for in an answer:
- Honesty
- Self-reflection and introspection
- Non-judgmental attitude and empathy
Questions about a therapist’s experience and background
These inquiries assist interviewers in learning more about your training and experience, which demonstrates your suitability for therapist positions. You might be asked the following questions about your background during your interview:
Therapist interview questions with sample answers
You can use the following eight therapist interview questions and sample answers to help you come up with your own special responses.
Jobs similar to therapists
Many positions in the field of mental and behavioral health play similar roles to therapists. The top jobs in therapy are represented on this list of 10 careers:
Why Do You Want This Internship?
When asked why you want a particular position during an interview, you should have a concise and focused response. Don’t respond with cliches like “Because I want or need clinical experience,” “Because I want to learn more about the services your agency offers,” or other similar statements. The specific kinds of experiences that prospective interns want to have need to be able to be described. Say, for instance, that you’d like to know more about the agency’s particular strategy. Before responding, do some research on the company so that you can do so in a way that demonstrates your added value.
Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years?
This question can help determine whether you are a good fit for the agency and whether the agency can help you meet your future professional plans. You should have a clear idea of your future goals and the type of post-graduate practice youd prefer, but TopResume advises that you also do not have to have a crystal ball and know all the details. For example, if you want to focus on helping children and adolescents, an internship in an assisted living facility probably isnt going to be the right placement for you. However, if you hope to work with hospice one day, it might be just the right fit.
Why Did You Choose to Become a Counselor?
Interview questions for clinical psychology internships are likely to center on your reasons for choosing the field. People decide to become counselors for a variety of reasons. Some are drawn to the field because they genuinely love helping people solve their life problems, while others are drawn because they have had positive experiences with counselors in their personal lives. Admitting that you have used professional counseling services in the past is not shameful; in fact, many counseling programs encourage students to do their own counseling as part of the learning process. If you reflect on the real reasons you chose to work as a counselor, you may be less likely to become confused when asked to disclose potentially sensitive information.
FAQ
What questions are asked in an internship interview?
- #1: Tell us a bit about yourself.
- #2: Why have you applied for this internship?
- #3: What motivated you to apply for an internship with our organization?
- #4: Why do you want to work in this industry?
- #5: What are your strengths?
- #6: How do you prioritise your work?
What are the top 5 questions to ask an interviewer for an internship?
- Can you tell me about the onboarding process? …
- Can you describe the company’s culture? …
- What are the main day-to-day responsibilities involved in this internship? .
- What are some essential qualities for successful interns?
How do I prepare for a counseling interview?
What do you think are your top three strengths and weaknesses as a therapist? What do you think are the most critical qualities for a therapist to possess? Why do you want to work for us instead of someone else? What are your thoughts on confidentiality? These are some general interview questions for therapists.
What are the 10 most common internship interview questions and answers?
- Tell me about yourself. …
- Why are you interested in this internship? …
- What attracted you to our company? …
- What skills can you bring to the company? …
- Do you work better alone or with a team? …
- How would others describe you?
