Ayurveda Internship for Practitioner students
(NOTE- All internship is taking online during the current situation until further notice.)
Internship options include 150 client encounters* in person in Austin, or via an externship. In addition, there is a community engagement requirement, as well as some theory portion as well as well.
Client encounters must be completed by the last day of the last term. Students are required to complete a minimum of 100 client encounters.
*The student bears the cost of airfare, hotel, and travel to Austin.
• Online Client Observations: Students to observe Practitioners conduct an interview, discuss client records, and view client sessions as an observer of 25 clients and prepare reports based on their observation. Practitioner students may also buddy up with Counselor students and observe and peer review their findings, while they are proctored by the teachers. This is done in real time in person, and/or livestreamed online. If unable to attend, recordings are available. Only 50 clients can be observed online, rest must be in person if you are planning to take NAMA exam**
• Internship in Austin: The second format requires active participation where students observe clients in person during an interview, may now conduct pariksas, and, interviews under the direct observation of their teachers. Students now fill out intake forms, and, may suggest lifestyle and herb interventions under the direct supervision of a Practitioner or a teacher. The internship happens in separate weekends in Austin. If you are planning to take the NAMA Certification board exam, NAMA may require you to attend this in person. If you are unable to travel, we also allow an externship option for students outside the USA.
• Externship option for international students who cannot attend internship in United States may be available. The school may contact Practitioners and help arrange externship for international students only; however, the externship schedule and timing must be coordinated directly between the Practitioner and student.
• Community Engagement As part of the internship, the Practitioner students are required to complete 50 hours in community engagement as part of AP 110 with any of the listed activities. The students can teach Ayurveda to the public, do activities for their local community, use Ayurveda to support and help others. The project can take the form of educating the public about Ayurveda, teaching some foundation Ayurveda classes as a teaching assistant underclass instructors, doing free seminars, talks arranged by the school for the community, visiting schools, yoga studios, conducting Ayurveda engagement activities for the youth, running an online Ayurveda book club and/or writing articles for the school blog. Students will obtain the permission of the faculty before embarking on their projects. The final research project will include writing a FINAL REPORT on how they used Ayurveda for community engagement.
• Zoom- online preparation and discussion of client encounters with peers via zoom. Theory portion like ethics is done as a live online class
* Please note these 100 client encounters are in ADDITION to Counselor requirements. NAMA requires a total of 150 client encounters for Practitioners.
**If you are planning to take the NAMA Certification board exam in/after 2020, NAMA may require you to attend this in person
PRACTITIONER INTERNSHIP FOR IN PERSON STUDENTS
Client encounters are done in the following format
1. Observation:
A minimum of 50 in-person observation at our community clinic/internship at St Edwards University in Austin, Texas directly under teacher supervision. Those students who cannot travel watch and observe via zoom.
2. Observation follow-ups:
Follow-ups for the clients who have been seen in person is done via zoom directly under teacher supervision. Up to 3 follow ups may be done for one client, with teacher approval.
Before we send in all the ciikitsa protocols to the client we do a discussion of supervisor/students-each student creates different set of protocols-dietary/herbal/lifestyle-gets it approved by the supervisor and then we sent to the client. A zoom follow-up is done with client 4 weeks later, with students observing.
3. SUPERVISED
Within 4 months of program starting, students start becoming more active and are now in an active participant role but with supervision. An additional 50 client encounters are done by practitioner students in complimentary consultations/community clinics set up by Narayana Ayurveda at church/temples/herb shops/coworking places/ festivals. Counselor students observe them. These are done directly under a teacher supervision. Students give protocols then and there. There are NO follow ups as most clients are walk ins.
4. Discussion and feedback is given online or in person to students later on.
5. Towards the last 5 months of the program when we are sure students can handle clients, Practitioner students team up with counselor students and lead 50 client encounters in person and they are observed by either counselor students or new practitioner students. Counselor students help them practitioner students with paperwork like dosha test, typing up prototocols, creating client packet with herbs under their direct supervision. A teacher may be present but minimally observes and only interrupts if absolutely necessary. Follow-ups are done via zoom if needed. (Teacher is present if the client case is hard, if not, teacher may not be present for a follow up)