Your First Practicum Session Checklist

Your first day of practicum hits different. You're nervous, you're trying to remember everything from class, and you have no idea if you're supposed to bring coffee or sit quietly. Here's what actually matters.

Before You Walk In

This is obvious but people forget: know how to get there, know when to arrive (be 10 minutes early), and know your supervisor's name and title. Also know what to call them — ask during your interview or call the office beforehand.

Bring:

• Pen and small notebook (not your phone — looks like you're not paying attention)
• Your student ID
• Any paperwork the agency asked you to bring
• A water bottle if that helps your anxiety
• Actual business casual clothes (not what you wore to sleep)

What to Ask Your Supervisor in That First Meeting

Don't just sit there waiting for them to explain everything. Ask these things:

• "What does a typical day look like?" (Get the actual rhythm, not just the ideal.)
• "What are your expectations for my role during sessions?" (Observe? Take notes? Sit in the corner? You need to know.)
• "What should I do if I'm not sure what to do?" (Seriously. Ask this. They'll tell you it's okay to ask them.)
• "Are there certain things I should never do?" (Every agency has invisible rules. This gives them permission to tell you.)
• "How should I document?" (Templates? Software? Handwritten? Do you do it during or after? Critical to know.)
• "How often do we check in?" (Weekly? After each session? What's the feedback loop?)
• "Are there confidentiality or HIPAA things I need to know?" (Some agencies have specific requirements beyond the standard stuff.)
• "Can I sit in on sessions? Can I co-facilitate?" (When do you start doing something, and when are you just observing?)
• "What should I be reading or learning before next week?" (Shows you're serious. Sets you up for success.)

What to Observe Your First Week (Don't Worry About Doing)

Your first week is watching. Watching is not wasting time. Watching is learning your job.

• How your supervisor greets clients. Formal? Warm? What's the tone they set?
• How they start sessions. Do they ask an opening question? Do they recap? Do they check in on the last session?
• How they handle silence. Do they jump in? Do they let it sit? How long?
• How they respond when a client says something hard. Do they rush to fix it? Do they sit with it? Do they reflect?
• How they close sessions. Summarize? Next steps? Homework? How do they end it?
• How they write notes. Length? Detail? Structure? (You'll need to match this.)
• How they set boundaries. When do they say no? How do they say it?
• How the physical space is set up. Where do people sit? How formal or informal?
• What happens when they're not sure about something. Do they ask someone? Look something up? Admit they don't know?

Write this stuff down. You're building a mental map of how good practice actually looks in this specific setting.

Documentation Expectations (Ask, Then Clarify)

Every agency has different rules. Don't guess.

Questions to ask:

• Are there specific forms or templates?
• What needs to be documented? (Every session? Intakes only? Treatment plans?)
• What level of detail? (Detailed narrative or just outcome/presentation/plan?)
• Timing: do you write during session or right after?
• Who has access to what you write?
• Are there specific things that must go in notes? (Safety assessment, risk, goals?)
• Are there things that should never go in notes? (Your frustration with a client, your political opinions?)

Don't assume you know. Ask.

Boundaries and Confidentiality: The Non-Negotiables

These aren't suggestions.

What you can say to people:

• "I work at [agency name]."
• General statements about your practicum: "I'm learning a lot about how to listen better."

What you can't say to anyone, even your friends:

• Anything specific about a client — their name, what they told you, their diagnosis, anything that could identify them.
• Your supervisor's personal information or clinical decisions about specific clients.
• Stories about your agency, even anonymized ones. (People can figure out who they are.)

The rule: If you wouldn't want to hear it said about you, don't say it. Ever. In private, in group chat, in class, nowhere.

Your license depends on this. Your clients' safety depends on this. This isn't flexible.

Mistakes First-Year Students Make

Oversharing with your supervisor. They're not your friend. They're your evaluator. Be professional. Save processing for your cohort or a therapist.

Apologizing for not knowing something. You're a student. Not knowing is your job right now. Asking is good. Guessing is bad.

Trying to bond with clients too hard. You want them to like you. That's normal. But your job is to help them, not to be friends. Keep it professional.

Not asking for feedback because you're afraid of criticism. Feedback is the whole point. Ask. Take it. Use it.

Watching the clock. Clients notice. Be present, even if you're nervous.

Assuming you know what they need. Ask. Listen. Don't jump ahead.

What Success Looks Like in Week One

You made it through the door. You know your supervisor's name. You asked some questions. You watched carefully. You didn't break confidentiality. You showed up on time.

That's it. That's success for week one. Everything else is learning, one shift at a time.

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