Our Why

At The Pine Center, our Accessible Care Initiative (intern program) exists because we believe two things can be true at the same time:

1. Therapy should be more accessible.

2. New therapists deserve meaningful, high-quality training and support.
    

Too often, individuals seeking therapy face significant barriers to care. Cost, insurance limitations, waitlists, and a shortage of specialized providers can make it difficult for people to access the support they need.
 

At The Pine Center, we aspire to create a training environment that not only provides accessible care for our community, but also offers meaningful support, high-quality education, strong clinical identity development, and compensation for student trainees as our program grows.

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We recognize the significant financial and personal investments many students make to enter this field. As the practice continues to grow, it is our goal to continue developing a program that can support both the people seeking care and the people learning to provide it. Most trainees are able to earn an income starting in their internship phase when their client facing hours increase.

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In addition to the opportunity for compensation, we also prioritize offering:

• robust supervision,

• hands-on clinical experience,

• mentorship, opportunities for professional growth,

• and a culture that values sustainability and work-life balance.
   

We believe training should be rigorous without being exploitative, and that developing as a therapist requires both challenge and support.

 

Our goal is to help emerging clinicians build confidence, deepen their skills, and develop a professional identity that feels authentic, grounded, and sustainable for the long term.

 

Our Accessible Care Initiative is one small way we attempt to address all of these realities.

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Accessibility Matters

We know that therapy can be life-changing, but we also know that therapy is not equally accessible to everyone.

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For many people, traditional private practice rates place therapy out of reach. While we continue to explore multiple pathways toward increasing accessibility, our Accessible Care Initiative is one of the ways we create lower-cost therapy options for members of our community.

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By offering reduced-fee services through supervised student clinicians, we are able to expand access to care while maintaining strong clinical oversight and support.

Accessibility is not an afterthought at The Pine Center. It has been a part of our mission from day one.

 

Training Matters Too

We believe that therapists learn best in environments that encourage curiosity, reflection, humility, and growth.

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Our goal is not simply to help interns complete required hours. We want to help emerging clinicians develop into thoughtful, ethical, and self-aware therapists.

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We hope our interns leave The Pine Center with:

• Greater clinical confidence

• Strong ethical foundations & robust decision making skills

• A sense of their professional identity 

• A deeper understanding of themselves, of relational therapy, and the impacts of trauma

• Increased comfort with complexity and uncertainty

• A sustainable vision for their future career
   

We are less interested in producing therapists who always have the "right answer" and more interested in supporting therapists who know how to think critically, remain curious, and stay connected to their values.

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What We Value in Training

Our training philosophy reflects the values of the practice.

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We encourage interns to:

• Lead with curiosity rather than certainty

• Recognize the impact of systems and context

• Honor client autonomy

• Think relationally

• Engage in ongoing self-reflection - and go to their own therapy! 

• Seek consultation and support

• Embrace growth rather than perfection
   

We do not believe that good therapists are not defined by having all the answers.

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We believe they are defined by their willingness to learn, reflect, repair, and remain present when shit gets real, emotions get heavy, or the work is slow or activated.

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Why This Matters to The Pine Center

Well, because it's a value at the heart of the practice. The Accessible Care Initiative is not separate from our mission - it’s an extension of it. 

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It allows us to:

• Increase access to care

• Support the next generation of clinicians

• Strengthen our local mental health community

• Create opportunities for learning and mentorship

• Expand the reach of our services

• Show our support and care for our neighbors
   

The program reflects our belief that caring for a community includes investing in both the people seeking therapy and the people learning how to provide it.

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A Final Thought

At The Pine Center, we do not see interns as temporary helpers or placeholders.

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We see them as developing professionals, future colleagues, and important members of our community.

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The intern program exists because we believe that when people are given support, mentorship, and opportunities to grow, we all benefit...the intern, the practice, the therapy community, and most importantly, the clients and communities we serve.

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If this sounds like a place you’d fit. You’re welcome to reach out to see if we have openings in our program. We’re currently actively collaborating with Northwestern University, but are happy to partner with other schools.