Training & Internships
Training
IHI Competency Courses
Our Competency Courses help strengthen your skills and understanding to provide affirming, supportive services and environments to LGBTQ+-identified people.
IHI Advanced Clinical Internships
IHI’s advanced clinical internship program includes seminars in education, training, and direct client-facing experience in providing psychotherapy.
IHI Competency Courses
All live trainings are currently offered via video conference
Our courses are accessed via live virtual and in-person training formats. All courses offer continuing education units (CEUs) for social workers and mental health counselors licensed in New York State*. View our current course offerings below and reach out to us at training@ihitherapy.org. to get started.
If there is a training topic related to LGBTQ+ adults that you would like IHI to consider offering, or if you would like more information on customized trainings and program development for your personal practice, agency, or organization, contact us at training@ihitherapy.org.
*IHI Competency Courses are offered with or without continuing education unit (CEU) credits. IHI is authorized by the state of New York to provide CEUs to licensed master social workers (LMSW), licensed clinical social workers (LCSW), and licensed mental health counselors (LMHC) who complete our trainings. Certificates of completion may be submitted to your respective professional state board for approval.
LGBTQ+ Affirming Care: Core Concepts, Risks, and Bias
In this training, participants will learn the basic information, terms, concepts, and ways of understanding LGBTQ+ patients that provide the foundation for queer- and trans-affirming psychotherapy. This will include risks, impacts of minority stress, as well as an exploration on personal biases that may impact clinical care.
Objectives:
- Understand the foundational terms, theory, and concepts related to LGBTQ+ cultural competency, humility, and responsiveness
- Identify the elevated risks that queer and transgender individuals regularly face in their daily lives
- Understand the negative impacts of minority stress on LGBTQ+ individuals
- Develop awareness of personal biases, countertransference, and concerns that may impact affirming psychotherapy
- Share learnings and insights through critical discussions
Helping Gender-Diverse Clients Thrive in Therapy: What Therapists Need to Know
In this training, participants will learn affirming approaches to support transgender and gender-diverse patients inside and outside the psychotherapeutic frame. This will include learning about the unique mental health needs this community faces, as well as gender dysphoria and gender euphoria, gender-affirming care, letter writing and other forms of advocacy, and care coordination. Participants will also have the opportunity to think about ethical considerations, as well as explore personal biases that may impact clinical care.
Objectives:
- Understand the foundational terms, theory, and concepts related to LGBTQ+ cultural competency, humility, and responsiveness
- Identify the elevated risks that queer and transgender individuals regularly face in their daily lives
- Understand the negative impacts of minority stress on LGBTQ+ individuals
- Develop awareness of personal biases, countertransference, and concerns that may impact affirming psychotherapy
- Share learnings and insights through critical discussions
Affirming Sexuality and Relationship Diversity in Clinical Care
In this training, participants will learn about sex-positive approaches to clinical care, as well learning foundational concepts and terms regarding non-traditional relationship styles. This will include depathologizing non-traditional sex practices or relationship styles, learning supportive clinical approaches and attachment theory, as well as an exploration on personal biases that may impact clinical care.
Objectives:
- Understand the foundational terms, theory, and concepts related to LGBTQ+ cultural competency, humility, and responsiveness
- Identify the elevated risks that queer and transgender individuals regularly face in their daily lives
- Understand the negative impacts of minority stress on LGBTQ+ individuals
- Develop awareness of personal biases, countertransference, and concerns that may impact affirming psychotherapy
- Share learnings and insights through critical discussions
Why is Cultural Competency Important?
It is critical that all mental health professionals and organizations ensure that clients receive culturally-responsive care. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (opens in a new tab):
“LGBT individuals face health disparities linked to societal stigma, discrimination, and denial of their civil and human rights. Discrimination against LGBT persons has been associated with high rates of psychiatric disorders, substance abuse, and suicide. Experiences of violence and victimization are frequent for LGBT individuals, and have long-lasting effects on the individual and the community. Personal, family, and social acceptance of sexual orientation and gender identity affects the mental health and personal safety of LGBT individuals.”
IHI Competency Courses offers a variety of foundational and advanced culturally-responsive trainings for mental health professionals, private practices, organizations, agencies, and other groups. We deliver our trainings live via tele-health or in-person, and our courses are comprehensive with practical application to your practice and training needs. CEUs are available for social workers and mental health counselors licensed in NY State.
IHI Advanced Clinical Internships
The internship program includes experience in providing individual, couples/partners, and group psychotherapy; individual and group supervision; a weekly seminar program with guest lecturers; and experience in professional development through internship projects. Interns are expected to establish and maintain an assigned caseload of ten clients and must be available to conduct evening sessions and attend the Monday morning group seminar.
Program Structure
Advanced clinical interns receive individual and group supervision, a weekly seminar program with guest lecturers, and further opportunities for experience in psychotherapy, counseling, and community outreach. A special emphasis is placed on the needs of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer populations.
University Affiliations
Our university affiliations include Columbia University, Fordham University, Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, John Jay College, Brooklyn College, Touro College, Long Island University, New York University, Yeshiva University, and other prominent graduate schools and programs of social work, psychology, mental health, and counseling in the greater New York City area.
Admission
The advanced clinical internship program runs through the academic year (September–May). Applications for the upcoming year should be submitted by March 31st.
Applicants are accepted on a rolling basis.
Due to its reputation for quality training, the internship is highly competitive. Consequently, we have introduced a new application process which includes an initial round of applicant screening.
FAQ
Any Questions?
HOW DO I KNOW WHICH TRAININGS ARE BEST FOR MY TEAM?
We provide a quick online assessment that your clinicians can complete to better understand their knowledge on LGBTQIA+ affirming psychotherapy. We can work with you to help decide which trainings would be most applicable based on your clinician’s experience and interest level.
HOW LONG ARE THE TRAININGS AND ARE THEY VIRTUAL OR IN PERSON?
Trainings can be between one and two hours, depending on your interest and availability. Trainings can be virtual or in-person.
CAN MY CLINICIANS BE AWARDED CEUs AND IF SO, HOW MANY?
Yes, we provide CEUs for LMSWs, LCSWs, and LMHCs. Clinicians will be awarded one CEU per hour of training.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE IHI ADVANCED CLINICAL INTERNSHIP?
The IHI internship program considers candidates who are current MHC or MSW graduate students.
WHAT KIND OF TRAINING AND SUPPORT DO ADVANCED CLINICAL INTERNS RECEIVE AT IHI?
Advanced clinical interns receive at least 4 hours of hands-on clinical supervision every week, including 1 hour of individual supervision and 1 hour of group supervision. Interns are trained in myriad clinical orientations and interventions relevant to best practices with LGBTQ+ populations (including CBT, DBT, ACT, IFS, narrative therapy, and mindful self-compassion, just to name a few!), as well as IHI’s LGBTQ+ cultural competency curriculum to add essential theoretical foundations for clinical practice.
WHAT DOES THE CLINICAL SUPERVISION LOOK LIKE IN THE INTERNSHIP?
Our internship program connects each intern with their own designated individual supervisor - a licensed LCSW or LMHC who provide guidance, feedback, and tools for clinical and professional development. Intern and supervisor pairs meet for 1 hour every week to discuss the intern's clinical cases and to collaborate on treatment planning and intervention development. This is supplemented by group supervision, wherein interns meet as a group to discuss and examine their respective clinical cases.
WHAT DOES AN ADVANCED CLINICAL INTERN SHEDULE LOOK LIKE?
Advanced clinical interns are required to attend 1 hour of individual supervision, 1 hour of group supervision, and a 2-hour academic seminar every week during the internship program. Group supervision and seminar take place every Monday morning from 9am-12pm, while individual supervision is scheduled separately, based on the intern’s and their individual supervisor’s availability. Additionally, interns must each provide a minimum of 15 hours per week of available time for scheduling and meeting with their psychotherapy clients. Interns operate on a hybrid schedule, meaning they are able to meet with clients virtually for telehealth, or in-person at the IHI office in Chelsea.