The clinical psychology internship program of the Family Health Center at NYU Langone Sunset Terrace is organized in the psychology department of the Ambulatory Behavioral Health clinic.

The mission of the current internship program is to train doctoral-level psychology students to provide culturally sensitive psychological services, including assessment, treatment, and clinical research, to both adult and child/adolescent populations. The internship program holds strongly to the belief that the professional psychologist should be both a scholar and practitioner, and adheres to the practitioner-scholar model of training in professional psychology. While psychology interns train in a number of therapeutic approaches, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, and motivational interviewing, the psychodynamic model provides the underpinnings for thinking about psychotherapeutic process and for understanding the emotional experiences of clients.

Structurally, the internship program is centered around a core of clinic based services and didactic activities that emphasize a concentration in adult outpatient treatment, child/adolescent outpatient treatment, and clinical research. There may also be an opportunity for interns to focus on work with patients who are diagnosed with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders as well as adults who are diagnosed with serious and persistent mental illness.  

The internship program has a strong emphasis on anti-racism, cultural humility, and providing affirming care to diverse populations, as exemplified by our history of developing culturally inclusive assessment measures and interventions strategies.

The specific goals of the internship program are as follows:

1)      The internship experience seeks to develop interns’ competence in evidenced-based models of psychotherapy and methods of psychological assessment in order to prepare the intern for eventual independent practice as a professional psychologist.

2)      Interns will work as part of an interdisciplinary team and will appreciate the unique contributions the discipline of psychology can make across a continuum of care.

3)      Interns will have the opportunity to develop their ability to communicate effectively with peers, colleagues, and other professionals, within an interdisciplinary team.

4)      Interns will develop increased competence in the application of evidence-based practice to their therapeutic work.

5)      As part of a department committed to anti-racism, social justice, and equity/inclusion in health care, interns will learn to deliver culturally competent care to diverse populations.

6)      Interns will strengthen their awareness of ethical principles and how such principles apply to clinical work in daily practice.

Summary of Internship Requirements:

1)      The internship begins on September 1 and ends on August 31 of the following year.

2)      Individual/Family/Couples Psychotherapy .

3)      Minimum (5) psychological assessments with written reports.

4)      Weekly Intake/Psychosocial Assessments, 1 hour weekly.

5)      Participation in individual and group supervision, 4 hours in total weekly.

6)      Participation in 4 hours of didactic seminars weekly.

7)      Participation in Psychology and Psychiatry Grand Rounds presentations, 2 - 4 hours monthly.

8)      Participation in Interdisciplinary Clinical Team Meetings, 2 hours monthly

9)      Participation in administrative staff meetings, 1 hour monthly

10)     Participation in clinical research, if available.