Gain practical work experience and assist important mental health programs
During this psychology internship in Cape Town, South Africa, you’ll spend your time assisting with counseling sessions and shadowing qualified professionals in the field.
Depending on your experience and interests, you’ll be working at safe houses, rehab centers, or facilities that support abuse victims. You’ll get a wealth of exposure to the various elements of counseling, and you’ll be given mentorship throughout the internship. It’s a great way to gain practical work experience, assist important mental health programs, and spend some time in Cape Town, a hugely vibrant and interesting city.
ORGANIZATION
During this psychology internship in Cape Town, you’ll be placed at mental health facilities that best match your skill set, passion, and academic focus area. These could include safe houses, female empowerment programs, children’s centers, family counseling services, trauma counseling services, or rehab centers. You’ll be mentored by a local mental health professional, who will guide you through your work and offer regular one-on-one sessions that will allow reflection and assessment.
TASKS & REQUIREMENTS
During this psychology internship, your tasks will vary, depending on your qualifications, experience and the situation. Either way, you can expect to gain practical work experience and valuable insights into the day to day running of these facilities. You’ll be exposed to clients with different levels of trauma diagnoses and mental health conditions, and you’ll gain a good understanding of how group sessions are run, how assessments are done, and how progress is made. Throughout your internship, you will be supervised and managed, and you will never be asked to take on tasks that are beyond your comfort or skill level.
This psychology internship could serve as a great tool for deciding which path of specialization to follow, whilst giving back to people who need it and assisting nonprofit organizations.
What you’ll do
- Shadowing mental health professionals in different settings, such as psychiatric hospitals that focus on addictions, safe houses and counselling centres.
- Assisting psychologists in preparing and running group sessions.
- Offering (or assisting with) individual or group counseling sessions.
Throughout your internship, you’ll be guided by a registered experienced local therapist, who will do an initial training session with you, followed by a session every two weeks and one at the end of your program. These sessions will allow you to learn about the local mental health field, prepare for the different elements of your work, and reflect on your experiences, such as boundaries and countertransference. They will also help you place the experience of your internships in the context of your degree and future career.
Requirements
- If you want to get involved in short term non psychotherapeutic counseling you need to have a BA undergraduate degree in Psychology (NQF7). If you have done a 4th year “Honours degree” in Psychology (NQF8), this may improve your chances of being accepted on the internship. For psychotherapeutic counselling you need to have a MA degree (NQF 9).
- Strong social skills
- Good level of English
- A flexible attitude
- Interest in assisting social development projects
WHERE YOU’LL STAY
You’ll be staying at a volunteer house called Yoga Shala, a house in Capri, on Cape Town’s Southern Peninsula, where people from around the world stay while volunteering in the surrounding communities. Everyone at the house plays a role and assists in the general day to day operation of yoga shala, from the kitchen to gardening and cleaning, creating a great community in the house. There is free WiFi and the nearest shopping center is a 10-minute drive away.
DATES & RATES
You can start your internship with this organization every Monday. Please keep in mind this organization is closed for one month of summer holiday at the end of the year.
What you will pay (2023 rates)
8 WEEKS USD 2,892
12 WEEKS USD 3,858
16 WEEKS USD 4,825
20 WEEKS USD 5,791
26 WEEKS USD 7,240
At Roots, we do everything we can to make your internship experience smooth and hassle-free. We offer an all-inclusive service, which means we will help you find the right internship (we believe we are great matchmakers!), help you with visa arrangements, book accommodation for you in Cape Town, give you all the pre-departure information you need before arriving, pick you up from the airport and check in with you while on your work placement to ensure you feel supported. Your exact fee depends on the duration of your stay, so if you tell us how long you would like to stay, we can give you an exact quote.
What you are paying for:
- Full accommodation rental fees including breakfast and dinner
- Transfer from Cape Town International airport to your accommodation and back on arrival and departure day
- Training and assessment sessions with a local qualified therapist (an initial session at the start of your internship, a session every two weeks, and session at the end of your stay)
- Assistance with finding the perfect work placement
- Assistance with your visa arrangement & other preparations
- Regular check ins during your internship with you and your supervisor.
- Your own account on a career development platform that offers content and courses focused on exploring different career opportunities
- On the ground support during your stay and troubleshooting if needed
- A reference letter at the end of your internship
- A discount on weekend activities, exclusive to Roots interns
Excludes:
- Flights to Cape Town
- Visa, medical and travel insurance
- Lunch Costs for additional excursions or activities
- Transport from your accommodation to the mental health facilities you’ll be placed at
QUICK FACTS
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Cape Town, South Africa |
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Nonprofit, community projects |
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Social Work, Psychology |
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8-26 Weeks |
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From USD 2,892 |
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
”I was able to truly get an internship that fit my learning desires. Frances set up a program for me to work in a women’s safe house twice a week, and once a week at a recovery center. The program she made put me doing things that helped me gain more experience in the field of psychology I want to have a career in.
Mallorie, United StatesPsychology Internship, Cape Town
INTERNSHIP HIGHLIGHTS
- Gain a good understanding of how group sessions are run, assessments are done, and how progress is made in mental health clinics
- Shadow professionals in the field and gain a wealth of experience
- Live and work in Cape Town, one of the most beautiful cities in the world
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Enjoy exploring South Africa’s many highlights during your time off
8 WEEKS USD 2,892
12 WEEKS USD 3,858
16 WEEKS USD 4,825
12 WEEKS USD 3,858
16 WEEKS USD 4,825
HOW TO APPLY
If you’re ready to apply for this internship, here’s what to do:
APPLY
Fill in the application form (it will show in a new screen) which includes sharing your CV with us.
SPEAK WITH AN ADVISOR
We’ll set up a call with you to go through your application.
INTERNSHIP MATCHING
If we feel it’s a good match, we’ll set up a call between you and the supervisor for this internship.
CONFIRMATION
If everyone’s happy, we’ll provisionally confirm your placement! We’ll then send you all the information you need.
PAYMENT
We’ll then send you the invoice for the deposit. Only once we receive payment of the deposit your placement will be confirmed.
NEED TO MAKE AN ENQUIRY FIRST?
Or if you’d just like to ask us some questions about this internship first, just fill in the contact form below. We’ll be happy to assist!
