Internships
Participants
The Bowen Center offers a clinical internship for individuals who have completed a professional clinical graduate degree (including, but not limited to: social work, counseling, pastoral counseling, psychiatric nursing, or psychology) and who have demonstrated a commitment to using Bowen theory as their primary theoretical frame of reference.
Prerequisites include at least one year in the Postgraduate Program, which the applicant will continue in during the Internship, a completed application, and an interview with the internship coordinator.
Purpose
The internship provides an intensive learning experience in Bowen theory as well as an opportunity to contribute to the mission of the Center – to develop Bowen family systems theory into a science of human behavior and to assist individuals, families, communities, and organizations in addressing major life challenges through understanding and improving human relationships. Opportunities for learning include clinical work with individuals and families from the Center’s clinic, supervision with a faculty member, case presentations, conference attendance, access to the Bowen Center's streaming library and other audio and video materials, research opportunities, and general exposure to the work of faculty and staff at the Bowen Center.
Guiding Principles of the Internship
As Michael E. Kerr stated, “While lectures and reading contribute something, learning to think systems in relationship to human behavior is dependent on emotional changes occurring within the learner” (1984, 17, emphasis in original). In this context, it is the Bowen Center’s responsibility to provide an environment that promotes an individual’s ongoing effort towards differentiation, learning, practice, and integration of the concepts of Bowen theory intellectually and emotionally. It is the intern’s responsibility to be present and accounted for in as many training opportunities as possible and to contribute their own thinking to the process of learning Bowen theory. Full participation in the activities of the Center is central to an effective internship.
There are a wide variety of interested individuals who approach the Bowen Center in search of internship placement. It is hoped that while the purpose and principles of the internship program remain constant, the contractual and administrative arrangements remain flexible enough to foster a wide variety of possible interns (i.e. new/experienced, local/out-of-town, or part-time/full-time clinicians).
General Structure
Generally, the internship runs from September through July. While at the Center, the intern will:
Receive referrals from the clinic director and conduct consultations with individuals and families
Complete the necessary casework and billing as well as attend clinic and staff meetings, training programs, and conferences
Be available for supervision with a faculty member
Contribute to the outreach of the clinic, which includes publicity, general Bowen Center outreach, presentations, and classes
The financial arrangement between the Bowen Center and the intern will be based on the experience, training, and qualifications of the intern as well as the historical precedent of the organization.
If you are interested, have further questions, or would like an application, please contact Douglas Murphy at dmurphy@thebowencenter.org.