From Intern to Full-Time Team Member

Priscilla Ann Bumagat joined us as an intern in the Mental Health department in September 2024 and transitioned to a full-time Clinician role in July 2025, just weeks after graduating. We sat down with her to learn more about her journey.

A Little About Priscilla

Priscilla completed her undergraduate and graduate studies at Cal State East Bay, earning her degree in Human Development. She was part of a close-knit cohort, including fellow team member Carina, and describes her academic experience as one that truly shaped the professional she is today.

What Drew Her to Mental Health?

Priscilla’s path into the mental health field was both personal and purposeful. A professor once asked her to reflect on what she wanted to do with her life, and the answer that kept coming back was marriage and family therapy. Her parents’ divorce at a young age also played a meaningful role, helping shape the empathy and understanding she brings to her clients today.

Finding Her Way to Hope

Before her internship, Priscilla had been working as a co-parent educator in the Santa Clara school district, where she worked with similar populations in a classroom setting. That experience made the transition into the mental health and developmental disabilities field feel like a natural next step. Having a paid internship also made a significant difference. Earning a stipend while balancing school was something many of her peers didn’t have the opportunity to do, as unpaid internships are common in the field.

What the Internship Looked Like

As an intern, Priscilla’s days included answering emails, team meetings, scheduling, conducting intake assessments, and meeting with clients both in person and via telehealth. She worked approximately 24 hours per week, seeing around 10 clients weekly and accumulating 750 supervised hours, all while attending her graduate program with six-hour classes on Thursdays and Saturdays.

Her supervisors, Mallory, Jill, Carmen, Karen, and Emily, encouraged her to speak up whenever she felt stuck and introduced her to a wide range of clinical approaches including CBT, ACT, DBT, trauma-informed care, narrative therapy, and motivational interviewing. “They always have trainings available through Kaiser,” she noted. “I learned so much about different intervention styles through trainings and my supervisors.”

Motivational interviewing is a client-centered counseling approach that helps individuals find their own personal motivation to make positive changes. Rather than telling clients what to do, the therapist uses open-ended questions, reflective listening, and affirmations to help them explore their own values and reasons for change, meeting them where they are without judgment. It’s also Priscilla’s favorite approach to use with her clients.

That First Client

Priscilla describes meeting her first client as something she will never forget. “It’s scary — but [my supervisors] checked in with me and helped me manage my anxiety,” she shared. “The first session is the best part, just getting to know each other.”

The Decision to Stay

When it came time to think about the future, the choice felt clear. Already knowing the team, the systems, and her clients made the transition a smooth one, a stark contrast to the job search challenges many of her peers faced after graduation.

Advice for Future Interns

For anyone considering an internship at Hope, Priscilla’s advice is simple: “We have a big team. Don’t be afraid to consult and talk to others. Lean on the people around you.”

Life Outside of Work

When she’s not with clients, you might find Priscilla doing yoga at home in the mornings or out thrifting with her husband. She officially graduated on May 16, 2025 — a milestone worth celebrating!

We’re happy to have you at Hope, Priscilla!