MACMHC Field Experience Details

Securing a Site

It is the responsibility of the student to find a clinical placement site that meets CACREP standards. The MA in Counseling program at PAU has established relationships with over 50 sites in the Bay Area. Each year, the MA in Counseling program hosts an agency fair so that students can meet representatives from these sites to explore their placement options. It is much more difficult to provide this type of service for our students outside the Bay Area. While we have established numerous sites throughout the U.S. and around the world, our students outside of the Bay Area typically need to pioneer a relationship between PAU and a clinical training site. It is important that students outside of the U.S. understand that in some countries, sites and supervisors will only accept individuals with whom they have had a prior connection. This means it is imperative that you begin networking and building relationships with professionals in the mental health field as soon as you start your study program.

Experiential Learning Cloud (ELC)

During the Practicum/Internship experience, students and supervisors will be using an online platform called Experiential Learning Cloud (ELC) for Palo Alto University’s training site management and supervision. In ELC, you can search for clinical sites, add your clinical hours, track your progress toward completing requirements, and complete required forms. 

Watch the recording below to hear directly from our Counseling Clinical Team and current MA in Counseling students about the practicum and internship experiences.