What does an internship in the clinical psychology field involve?

an internship is the final requirement that a PhD candidate in Clinical Psychology must complete. It is a year-long and full-time program - the main focus is in providing clinical services to clients - including assessment to determine diagnoses, psychological testing, and providing treatment. These programs also require attending didactics (educational presentations/group conversations) and typically require some research participation. You receive a lot of supervision. You must go through the "Match" to determine where you go. This involves applying to several programs, hoping you get interviews, going on the interviews, then you rank order the programs according to your preferences and programs rank-order applicants. Several weeks later, you find out where you match.

Dear Stephanie.

My internship was many years ago but I don't think they have changed much. About half your time would be spent in clinical activities such as psychological testing and therapy with patients. Another big chunk of time involves supervision and seminars that give you feedback and a chance to learn from your experiences. The internship is supposed to be the last step before you enter the work world. You can probably get more up to date information by contacting some internship sites directly.

Good luck in your career pursuits.

Ray Finn, Ph.D.