Internship Standards from the Point of View of Graduate Students in Psychology and Counseling

Aim: One of the main challenges for psychology and counseling students to start their careers is the lack of skills in managing meetings and communicating with clients. On the other hand, most of the academic units in universities are assigned to the theoretical part and practical courses are neglected; meanwhile, the role of the internship unit for psychology and counseling students cannot be ignored. The purpose of this research was to identify the necessary standards for completing internship courses from the point of view of psychology and counseling graduate students. Methods: The present research was conducted using a qualitative method utilizing thematic analysis. The studied sample were 13 psychology and counseling masters and doctoral students in Tehran. Targeted sampling was used. A semi-structured interview was conducted, then it was transcribed verbatim, and the data was analyzed using the seven-step Colaizzi method. Findings: In this study, 3 main themes were identified, including the necessary criteria for the supervising professor, the necessary criteria for the educational-therapeutic environment and student assignments, and 11 sub-themes were identified. Conclusion: The results of the research show that improving the quality of internships for psychology and counseling students requires strengthening the three elements of the supervising professor, the appropriate educational-therapeutic environment, and the active participation of the student. This can pave the way for better training of future therapists by providing quality supervision, adequate facilities, and educational and professional support.