Psychology

I took an online international psychotherapy/counseling internship, working with US expatriates in Madrid, Spain. I originally chose this program because of problems finding an internship locally. However, I found that interning abroad widened my global outlook and understanding of the mental health professions internationally. I had really good clients that gave me a wide range of experiences in mental health counseling and psychotherapy. I think that Intern Abroad HQ was good but it was my supervisor who really helped me complete the academic requirements for my Masters degree in Mental Health Counseling.

Through this internship experience, I have gained valuable skills in communication, time management, and problem-solving that I believe will be directly applicable to my future career in psychology. Specifically, the experience has given me the opportunity to work independently, while also collaborating with others in a virtual setting. This experience reinforced my passion for clinical psychology and my desire to continue learning and growing as a therapist. Overall, I believe that the skills and learnings that I have gained through this internship will be directly applicable to a range of roles and career paths within the field of psychology. My favorite memory from the internship was when I helped a client work through a difficult issue and they expressed gratitude for the support and guidance I provided. It was a powerful reminder of why I entered this field and the impact I can have.

During my psychology internship out of Spain, I completed research tasks which revolved around virtual reality, cognitive brain training, and psychological disorders. Additionally, I created presentations that reflected on current research findings throughout the field of psychology. My role benefited my host organization by providing a plethora of relevant information for treatment of psychiatric disorders. Likewise, the research I conducted was used by the organization to promote future treatment options and goals for patients. Long term I wish to work for an organization that focuses on forensic and criminal psychology. This role allowed me to fulfill my passion for research. In the future, I plan to write my own scholarly journals, and since I wrote and researched for this role, it has prepared me to be successful in my future research career. My number one take-away from this internship is to always be diligent in work. Because of the time difference, it was quite difficult; however, I was able to persevere and gain a plethora of ideas for my future occupation.

My internship experience was much more relaxed than what I was expecting, which eased a lot of unnecessary anxiety and stress that I had built up in anticipation of starting. My supervisor was professional, but also candid and easy-going. Right from the start I was asked what I specifically wanted to gain and learn from the internship experience. This way they could find the best way to curate responsibilities and tasks that would truly prepare me for the type of profession I wanted to do.My Internship role of observing, watching and listening to a therapist assist patients, children and adults with a variety of issues provided me with crucial experience in achieveing my long-term goal of becoming a therapist myself. There is only so much one can learn in the classroom and there is no substitute for experience - especially in a profession that relies so heavily on interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence. I feel more empowered in my field because I have gained more experience first hand and been introduced to new concepts in psychology, had my initiative tested and learnt about new methods of addressing different psychological ailments. I learnt to work as a team with different demographics. With newfound knowledge and my own personal experience under my belt I feel more empowered to be successful in my field.

My remote Psychology internship has been dynamic and informative. My expectations were exceeded the more involved I became in the development and elaboration of complex international projects. My role involved me familiarizing myself with the necessary materials for 2 major projects, evaluating and giving feedback on the development of parts of the projects and participating in project presentation workshops. My role was useful to my host company as I acted in giving external feedback regarding the development of their wider project. I also had the chance to test newly developed learning platforms and give feedback as a real user. My internship experience will definitely contribute to my long-term goals, as I have always been interested in participating in international projects, and my goal is to find a job related to developing, coordinating and evaluating large projects. This valuable experience will help me in my professional and personal future. A particular skill from my internship experience that can be directly applied to my future career is the ability to work remotely, coordinate lots of information and tasks, organize myself and plan ahead.

My remote internship experience was great! I joined (remotely) an expert Psychology team that works with a professional Football Club in Spain. My internship role required me to work closely with the Director of International Business and help maintain the general functioning of the Club, scheduling of learning sessions and educational program management. Before starting my remote internship, I assumed that working online would be extremely difficult, however it wasn’t like that at all. It was a very collaborative environment and I had the opportunity to learn from others and share my ideas openly. I met people from all over the world, as the Football Club has people from the United Kingdom, Zimbabwe, Russia, Spain, South Korea and more. My highlight was interacting with psychology professionals in the field of applied psychology with such diverse backgrounds. It helped me grow and understand what it’s really like working in a professional environment.