Internship Spotlight: Diya Vaid, Care Counseling Center

In the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, students are encouraged to discover their passions through their studies and to pursue those interests beyond the classroom. This summer, our students obtained internships across various fields and we’re proud to spotlight their experiences!

Diya Vaid, a junior majoring in Psychology with a minor in American Sign Language, is working at the Care Counseling Center in Somerville, N.J. as a counseling and shadowing intern. The Care Counseling Center is a psychotherapist’s office that offers a variety of services including, but not limited to, psychiatric evaluations and medication management, immigration and social services, parenting education classes, and youth group services.

Vaid discovered the opportunity through the Career Development office in CHSS. Her position at the center aligns well with her post-graduate plans to work as a licensed mental health counselor.

“I am gaining hands-on experience on understanding the responsibilities of being a counselor…the different psychotherapy techniques, and this internship is also teaching me how to handle a business,” says Vaid.

Vaid assists counselors in developing treatment plans and shadows clients during sessions in addition to managing office administrative tasks. She values this work and her developing experience in the field along with the “opportunity to work in a diverse environment.”

This environment offers her skills and training that is hard to obtain solely in a classroom setting. Amongst time management, critical thinking, communication, and more, Vaid’s biggest takeaway from the experience thus far is the reassurance that she is on the right track for a career in counseling.

“I am finally taking the step towards my future career,” she says.

Read more student intern experiences!

Written by Sarah Ramirez