Earth Wisdom Therapy

info@earthwisdomtherapy.co.uk

Earth Wisdom Therapy

Student Placement

Interview Questions (45mins)

Applicant Name

Interview Date

Interviewer Name

Welcome & Introduction (5mins)

Briefly introduce yourself and Earth Wisdom Ecotherapy CIC (nature-based, trauma-informed, reduced-cost, neurodiversity-affirming, community-rooted).
Explain that the interview is about:
- getting to know them as a developing practitioner.
- understanding their readiness for placement.
- exploring whether the placement feels like a good mutual fit
Briefly explain the structure of Year 1 placements:
- primarily focused on core clinical client work.
- building safe, ethical, and consistent therapeutic practice.
- optional Year 2 pathway available involving ecotherapy, groups, and wider community involvement.

Training, Readiness & Professional Foundations (7 mins)

Can you tell us a little about your current training - where you’re studying and what stage you’re at?

What do you currently feel most confident about in your developing practice?

What areas of practice feel newer, more uncertain, or areas you hope to grow in during placement?

Do you currently have, or are you in the process of arranging:

Supervision

Professional Insurance

Enhanced DBS

Safeguarding Certificate

What does “working safely” in therapy mean to you at this stage of your training?

If you felt unsure or concerned about something in your client work, what would you do?

Placement Readiness, Capacity & Reliability (8 mins)

Student placements involve balancing client work, administration, supervision, communication, and training alongside other life commitments. What has led you to feel that now is the right time to begin placement work?

The availability students provide is important in helping us allocate clients appropriately. How confident do you feel that the availability you’ve shared is realistic and sustainable alongside your current commitments?

This placement involves managing emails, onboarding tasks, scheduling systems, and communication alongside client work. How do you generally manage organisation and communication when balancing multiple responsibilities?

What do you imagine might feel most challenging about balancing placement, work, study, and personal life?

How do you tend to respond when you feel overwhelmed, stretched, or under pressure?

Therapeutic Identity & Relational Practice (7 mins)

What drew you to Earth Wisdom, and what made this feel like it might be the right placement for you?

What kind of therapist do you feel you’re becoming? How would you describe your way of working so far?

How do you imagine building therapeutic relationships over a longer-term placement rather than shorter-term support work?

Can you think of a time where something in therapeutic work unfolded slowly or surprised you over time?

How do you imagine using supervision during your placement?

Neurodiversity, Accessibility & Community Values (6 mins)

What does neurodiversity-affirming practice mean to you at this stage of your training?

How do you imagine adapting your way of working to meet different communication styles, sensory needs, or ways of processing?

Our service is reduced-cost and community-based. What thoughts or feelings come up for you about working with clients who may experience barriers such as finances, access, isolation, or marginalisation?

We’re a small collaborative organisation where everyone contributes. What kind of team member do you think you tend to be?

Nature-Based Practice & Year 2 Pathway (5 mins)

What relationship, if any, do you currently have with nature or outdoor spaces in your own life?

How do you imagine therapy might feel different outdoors compared to room-based work?

Nature-based work can involve uncertainty, changing weather, flexibility, and working a little differently to traditional therapy spaces. How do you imagine yourself responding to those practical aspects of the work?

We also offer an optional 2nd pathway involving greater involvement in nature-based work, community projects, and ecotherapy development. Is that something you feel drawn towards at this stage, or are you currently focused primarily on placement hour?

Closing & Questions (3–4 mins)

Do you have any questions for us about the placement, support, expectations, or what working with Earth Wisdom might involve?

Thank you for sharing so openly today. It’s been lovely hearing more about your journey into counselling and what’s bringing you towards placement work. We’ll be in touch once interviews are complete to let you know next steps.

Interviewer Notes (Internal Use)

Clinical Readiness

readiness for client work

understanding of boundaries/risk

reflective capacity

supervision awareness

Placement Practicality & Reliability

realistic availability

communication responsiveness

organisational capacity

onboarding readiness

Values & Relational Alignment

accessibility/community awareness

neurodiversity understanding

relational warmth

collaborative/team fit

Nature-Based Openness

openness to ecotherapy approaches

comfort outdoors

curiosity about Year 2 pathway

Areas for Growth/Support:

Overall Readiness for Placement

Recommendation:

Yes

Yes with support considerations

Not at present

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