Clinical Consultation

Dr. Agnes Kwong provides most of the clinical consultation to licensed clinicians but if you find that there is another clinician in the practice who holds an area of expertise you would like some guidance on, please feel free to reach out to them. Those who seek out clinical consultation may be seeking a space to consult about clients; to explore the impact of their personal history on their clinical work; to hone their skills with a particular population, presenting issue or theoretical approach; to explore their professional identity; and/or to process the agency or organizational dynamics they are a part of. Please do not hesitate to reach out and we can talk about your needs further. Consultations can be scheduled on a regular basis or on an as-needed basis.

Private Practice Consultation by Dr. Agnes Kwong

I provide consultation to clinicians who are interested in starting a solo private practice or a group practice. Consultations can be scheduled on a regular basis or on an as-needed basis.

Resources including tips, scripts, and how-to’s can be provided on the various topics:

• Business structure (e.g., PLLC vs. sole proprietorship)
• Branding
• Marketing and Networking
• Scheduling Clients
• Getting paid (and asking!)
• Recouping Cancellation and No-Show Fees (scripts and tips)
• Being HIPAA compliant
• Interviewing
• Creating an open, warm, affirming space
• EHRs
• Billing Insurance vs. Private Pay
• Minimizing cancellations and no-shows
• How to build a caseload of clients who are a good fit for you (and vice versa)
• Balancing values of social justice and building a sustainable practice
• And more….

We provide clinical supervision for mental health providers who are working towards licensure (e.g., LMHCA) or postdoctoral clinicians who would like to gain supervised hours for license portability between states. When you seek one of us out for clinical supervision, we will provide a 30-minute in person or phone consultation to determine fit based on logistics, values, and clinical fit.

Clinical Training at Interconnections Healing Center

Interconnections Healing Center is a training site for masters and doctoral level clinical trainees and as such, we use a developmental model in our training. We are a site that provides individual, couples, and group therapy to queer, trans, and/or BIPOC folx and we hold a strong commitment to being an anti-oppressive, racial and social justice oriented center both organizationally and with all of the people we serve.

Trainees can expect to receive consistent weekly clinical supervision from a licensed clinician, gain expertise in providing individual therapy to individuals presenting with a wide range of presenting concerns, gain experience working in a private practice, and learn how to integrate an anti-oppressive, racial and social justice lens into all the work that they do while complying with the laws and ethics of their field. A weekly 1.5 hour clinical consult meeting with other licensed clinicians of the practice will also be provided and required; this meeting may serve as group supervision for some training programs. Depending on level of training and experience of the trainee, training and direct experience in couples and group therapy may also be provided. Trainees who are with the center for 20 hours/week for at least 9 months are provided up to $300 in professional development funds.

Doctoral level practicum and Masters level Internships

The levels of training provided include masters level internships for mental health and social work trainees as well as practicum experiences for doctoral level trainees. All trainees must meet the following criteria:

1. Trainees must share our racial and social justice values and have demonstrated commitment in serving one or more marginalized  communities.
2. Trainees must be up to date with all of the available COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters that they are eligible for.
3. Trainees must be available for at least 9 months, ideally 10 months.
4. Trainees must commit at least 12 hours a week to their training experience at IHC, with at least 8-10 of those being clinical hours. Ideally, trainees are available for 20 hours a week.
5. Trainees must have at least one prior internship/externship/practicum experience that provided a total of 800 supervised professional hours with at least 480 of that being direct clinical service with older teens or adults (16+) doing individual or couples therapy, short or long term, independently in the room, under supervision from a licensed mental health provider. A quarter of those direct service hours can be fulfilled with support or process group facilitation.
6. Trainees must be available to attend a once a week clinical consult/administrative meeting on Thursdays from 11-1:30pm

Preferred qualifications include:

1. Prior experience working in a private practice setting
2. Prior experience providing discrete courses of therapy with a beginning, middle, and end phase
3. Prior experience having their clinical work be video- or audio-taped for supervision
4. Fluency in a language other than English

***BIPOC students are strongly encouraged to apply***

Application Requirements

1. Cover letter: Please include (1) how you integrate an anti-oppressive, racial/social justice lens into your work or personal life and (2) how you define social justice
2. Curriculum vitae
3. Two professional references (at least one must be a clinical reference) that may be mailed or emailed
4. An outline indicating the number of clients for each (divided into those younger than 16-years-old and those 16 years and older, and please indicate race, gender, and sexual orientation):
          a. Intake assessments
          b. Individual therapy (conducted independently) and number of sessions per client
          c. Group therapy, alone or with a co-facilitator
          d. Total supervised direct clinical hours per site

Please email or mail application materials to:
Agnes Kwong, Ph.D.
338 NW 85th Street
Seattle, WA 98117
agnes@interconnectionshealing.com

Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Postdoctoral Fellowships

Postdoctoral training is offered for Ph.D. graduates with a terminal masters degree. Applicants interested in a postdoctoral fellowship are eligible for full-time staff position available at Interconnections Healing Center. Please see Join Our Team for more information including application criteria. Clinical hours and weekly clinical supervision will be provided so that postdoctoral fellows can be license-eligible in most other states that require a postdoctoral fellowship. Postdoctoral fellows are responsible for researching the states they may want to move to in the future and to work with the Director of Training to ensure that their training experience meets those states’ criteria.

The staff at Interconnections Healing Center provide trauma-informed programming and consulting to organizations from an anti-oppression lens. The range of services we provide to organizations are outlined below. 

• Workshops, training, and consultation. We specialize in conducting workshops, training sessions, and consultations tailored to address critical issues surrounding White supremacy, settler colonialism, capitalism, patriarchy, cisgenderism, and heterosexism. Our approach involves close collaboration with human resources, leadership, management, and Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). Whether it’s facilitating workshops to foster awareness, providing training to enhance understanding, or offering consultation on matters related to these systemic challenges, we work closely with organizations to promote inclusivity, diversity, and equity. By engaging with key interested parties, including HR professionals and leadership teams, we ensure a comprehensive and impactful approach in navigating and addressing these complex issues within the organizational context.

   

• Healing Sessions. In this area of work, we collaborate closely with leadership, management, and/or ERGs to offer targeted healing sessions or groups for Queer, Trans, and/or Black, Indigenous, Peoples of Color (BIPOC) who may have experienced harm due to the impact of oppression. This harm can result from external factors such as hate crimes in the community or human rights violations at the global level, as well as internal factors like microaggressions, harassment, or various forms of oppression-based psychological injury or harm experienced within the workplace. Our approach encompasses a range of strategies, including trauma-informed discussions and guided experiential activities, all aimed at fostering healing within a collective.

   

• Recruitment and Retention. In the area of recruitment and retention, our collaboration with human resources extends across the entire employment lifecycle. Partnering closely with HR teams, we actively enhance recruitment, onboarding, professional development, and retention processes, all attuned to support the unique needs of Queer, Trans, and/or BIPOC working professionals. Our specialization lies in addressing systemic barriers, cultivating a sense of community, and continually fine-tuning retention strategies. The outcome is an environment where individuals not only feel valued and supported but also find empowerment to excel and thrive in their careers within the organization.

We possess expertise in the following areas of organizational needs:

• Cultivating inclusive, healthy, and growth-oriented spaces for LGBTQ2IA+, BIPOC (inclusive of bi- and multi-racial), and neurodivergent employees (e.g., autism spectrum disorder, ADHD)
• Developing a workplace culture that fosters community and mutual aid building
• Developing leadership capacity to emphasize strength-based and collaborative approaches to leadership
• Addressing workplace burnout and issues related to vicarious trauma in the aftermath of a critical incident
• Addressing privilege, power, and structural oppression at the workplace
• And more…

We are eager to discuss your organizational needs. To learn more about our approach to the outreach work, please contact Dr. Agnes Kwong at agnes@interconnectionshealing.com.