The final stage of ending an internship is making the actual separation. Completing an internship can be accompanied by feelings of loss and sadness as well as satisfaction with a job well done as you move closer to achieving your career goals.

Ending relationships with clients may be more challenging because each client is different. Some may be more anxious about the separation and react more strongly to it than others. If you have any concerns about separating from the clients, bring it up with the supervisor as soon as possible. It could be helpful for you to tell the clients a few weeks before your departure to allow the clients more time to prepare for it. Sometimes, for instance, they may need to be referred to another worker or group to maintain continuity of care, and you can play a key role in that process for them.

It is also time to say goodbye to the colleagues with whom you have been working and learning from over the past few months. Goodbye does not necessarily mean “the end” because every relationship you establish can become a part of your network. However, endings do mean that interactions will likely be less frequent. Never forget to say “Thank you” to everyone who allowed you to shadow them and to those who supervised you throughout your internship time. You may want to send a thank you card to a few key people at the agency. This once-common practice has declined in recent years but is still a powerful way of showing respect and leaving people with a positive reminder of you. You want to leave the agency with your relationships and your reputation intact, as opposed to leaving ruined relationships, shoddy performance, or other wreckage (see Figure 9.4)

Remember, the internship may be one of your most valuable learning experiences in the field of human services and can follow you into the future. Just like ending the internship is a process, so is finishing the classroom part of it. Often, the class will include a final exam, paper, or project.

The last meeting of the class may also signify a change in your relationships with your colleagues, especially if graduation follows. Everything we said about endings so far applies here as well. Indeed, you are likely to have spent meaningful time with your classmates and instructor, who are now your colleagues. Colleagues and instructors can be essential parts of your continuing network as you move forward. For example, you may need a recommendation from your instructor someday, or perhaps one of your fellow students can alert you to a job possibility in the future. Consequently, it makes good sense to have meaningful and positive transitions here, as well.

Terminating Relationships with Clients

Termination refers to the formal ending of your relationship with a client. You may have ended (or terminated) your work with some clients throughout your internship, but the end of your placement means terminating all of your client relationships. Even though you knew at the start that the internship must end, you may find yourself handling this transition differently from what you anticipated. For example, while your supervisor and co-workers will likely be aware of your end date at the internship site, your clients may not. Depending on the level of involvement you had with them, the clients must be made aware of your temporary position as a student intern. This awareness may have an impact on the short-term nature of your relationship with them, but providing clients with this information may help them prepare for this inevitable event.

People often do not realize that for many clients, the agency is a significant part of their social life and not just a place to get help. For some, it may be the safest place they know, as in the case of people without housing. For others who live alone and have few close friends or relatives, your relationship may be the only bright spot in the week, and they look forward to it, perhaps even counting on it, between appointments. The fact that people may be counting on you in this way is another reason regular attendance is so important.

Leaving the Worksite

The end of an internship usually occurs in one of two ways. Traditional endings are the most common. They typically involve a final evaluation of some sort, short goodbyes, and little or no future contact with the agency as the contract period ends. Non-traditional endings can take place in several ways. One is when a student is offered a job at the site after the internship ends. Another would be when a student is asked to volunteer after they complete their hours.

Of course, an ending can occur when a student needs to change sites partway through the internship, although that situation is unusual. Positive non-traditional endings can make the ending process for the student intern even more rewarding. For instance, sometimes interns are offered an actual position at the site, which creates a pleasant transition rather than a definite ending. Those who end traditionally can also have a good experience even if there is no job offer. After all, a formal conclusion usually signals that you have done good work and taken another step toward your goals.

Saying Goodbye Licenses and Attributions

“Reflecting on Endings” written by Yvonne M. Smith LCSW under CC BY 4.0

“Saying Goodbye” is adapted from “Succeeding at Your Internship: A Handbook Written for and with Students” by Christopher J. Mruk, and John C. Moor, Bowling Green State University Libraries. This work is licensed under CC BY NC SA 4.0. Edited for clarity, relevance, and addition of the definition of “termination.”

Figure 9.4. Was generated using the artificial intelligence tool Craiyon. Public Domain.