Internship, Practicum & Supervised Practice

 

If you are in the early stages of your clinical career and looking for a placement that will genuinely shape how you practice — not just fulfill your hours — we’d like to hear from you.

Healing Tree is a growing group practice in the West Island of Montreal, specializing in trauma-informed, depth-oriented, IFS-anchored clinical work. We work with complex presentations that many practices don’t — and we take our responsibility to the next generation of clinicians seriously.

We offer three types of supervised practice opportunities, and we are open to candidates at various stages of training and licensure.

The Work

 

Our caseload is varied. Many of our clients are navigating real complexity — trauma, relationship difficulties, anxiety, depression, neurodivergence, eating and body image concerns — and the work is consistently meaningful and engaging.

As an intern, you will build your caseload gradually. Our client care coordinator screens referrals carefully, and in the early stages of your placement, we match you with cases that are appropriate for your level of training and experience. As you develop, so does the complexity of the work you’re invited into.

When heavier presentations do come up — and they will — you won’t face them alone. We use those moments as supervised learning opportunities, with significant support from both co-directors. That’s how real clinical development happens.

What our clients have in common is that they tend to be self-aware, motivated, and looking for something more than surface-level support. This is depth-oriented, long-term work — not brief intervention or symptom management. From your very first cases, you’ll find it genuinely engaging.

The Approach

 

Our primary clinical framework is Internal Family Systems (IFS) — a well-researched, non-pathologizing model that understands the mind as made up of different parts, each with its own perspective, feelings, and protective role.

IFS is a sophisticated, advanced approach, and we don’t expect interns to arrive already trained in it. What we do hope for is curiosity — an openness to learning a framework that will fundamentally change how you understand your clients, and yourself as a clinician.

Beyond IFS, our team draws on somatic and sensory processing approaches, polyvagal theory, attachment theory, Emotion-Focused Therapy, mindfulness, and humanistic and person-centred frameworks. You will be exposed to all of it — and encouraged to develop the areas that resonate most with you.

We are IFS-primary but modality-curious and integrative. If you arrive with training in other approaches, we want to hear about it.

What to Expect

 

Regardless of which option applies to you, here is what you can count on:

Paid placement — unless prohibited by your academic program.

Flexible scheduling — including evenings and weekends.

Both in-person and virtual work — interns who see clients in person do so from our centre, where fully furnished, soundproofed offices are available.

Individual supervision — provided by both co-directors.

Biweekly group supervision — two hours, and it runs in two parts:

The first half is a structured case presentation. Clinicians take turns presenting a single case they are actively following — not a summary, but a real clinical exploration, with the group thinking alongside them. This is where some of the richest learning happens.

The second half is typically a live IFS demonstration — experiential, unscripted, and one of the most distinctive parts of how we learn together. Clinicians can volunteer to take on the role of either therapist or client, and the supervisors participate as well. We believe the richest learning happens when you experience the work from both sides — not just reading about technique or watching it demonstrated, but feeling what it’s like to be in the chair, and seeing how the work actually unfolds in a natural, real-time way. It’s as close to being in the therapy room as supervision gets. 

When the group has other needs, this time can shift to didactic teaching on topics relevant to what the team is encountering — changes in regulations, emerging clinical areas, or themes the group has requested, such as queer-affirming care, working with DID, or navigating complex ethical situations.

Ad-hoc consultation — we are available between sessions for urgent clinical questions. You are not on your own with a difficult case.

A genuine path forward — many of our current team members started as interns. If it’s a good fit, we want you to stay.

This opportunity is available to Quebec residents only.

The Culture

We are a small, close-knit team — and we keep it that way on purpose. We are not a large, impersonal practice where interns are placed, supervised minimally, and moved along. We know everyone on our team, we stay engaged with how things are going, and we genuinely care about the people who work here.

We often joke that we are work wives and the team is our family — and we actually mean it. When we bring someone into the team, we are not just filling a placement spot. We are welcoming someone into the Healing Tree family.

One of our clinicians put it simply: “We work together, but we’re humans together.”

Here’s something worth knowing: interns who come to Healing Tree tend to stay. They grow with us — moving from placement to licensure to associate, building their caseload, developing their specializations, and becoming senior members of the team over time. If you’re looking for a place to grow up as a clinician, this is that place.

We hold a high clinical bar, conduct professional growth conversations at regular intervals, and are direct when something needs to shift. But we hold that standard the way we ask our clinicians to hold their clients — honestly, and with genuine care for your growth.

The Three Pathways

 

Option A — Graduate practicum or internship placement

For Master’s or PhD students completing a formal internship as part of their counselling or clinical psychology program.

We are looking for students who intend to pursue OPQ licensure and who are open to staying on with us beyond their placement. Because of this, we accept one student per semester.

Application deadlines:

• September start: apply by March 1
• January start: apply by July 1
• May start: apply by November 1

Option B — OPQ Psychotherapy licence internship

 

For graduates of a Master’s or PhD program in mental health (counselling psychology, social work, or other related programs) completing the supervised hours required for the OPQ Psychotherapy licence.

No deadline — we accept applications year-round.

We have supervised many interns through this process and are well-versed in the OPQ’s requirements and procedures. If you are also pursuing dual licensure with the OCCOQ, we can help you navigate the additional complexities that come with that path.

Option C — Pre-licensed professionals

 

For doctoral candidates, Master’s or PhD graduates seeking OPQ equivalency, or professionals who require supervised practice hours before licensure.

No deadline — we accept applications year-round.

Is This the Right Fit?

 

This may be the right placement for you if:

• You are drawn to complex clinical work with adults and want to develop real depth — not just breadth
• You have a serious interest in IFS and trauma-informed approaches
• You have experience or a strong interest in trauma, dissociation, and/or neurodivergence — these are our specialty areas, and candidates with this background are particularly welcome
• You are bilingual in English and French — proficiency in additional languages is an asset given the cultural diversity of the communities we serve
• You have availability for evening and/or weekend hours
• You are looking for supervision that will genuinely develop you as a clinician and as a person
• You want to be part of a close-knit team, not just placed in a clinic
• You are hoping to find a practice you can stay with beyond your placement

How to Apply

 

Send your resume and cover letter to apply@healingtreemontreal.com.

Your cover letter should describe how your experience and interests relate to our approach, and why you are drawn to this kind of practice.

If your placement is required as part of an academic program or for OPQ licensure, please also include a clear summary of your requirements — clinical hours, supervision ratio, documentation needs, etc.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Only selected candidates will be contacted.

👉 Apply for a placement