Lombardi Cancer Center

The Lombardi Cancer Center has a unique internship opportunity available for psychology undergraduates who are interested in empirical research and plan to attend graduate school. Interns will be actively involved in the cancer center's research projects that currently include: 1) a smoking cessation study focusing on individuals who are at high risk for lung cancer/undergoing lung cancer screening and 2) a study of treatment decision making among men with low risk prostate cancer. Intern responsibilities typically include telephone interviews for data collection, data entry, data checking, lit reviews, grant writing assistance, and manuscript preparation. 

The cancer center usually takes 1-2 interns each year. Ideally, the student will work 8-10 hours per week and can commit to two semesters. 

To Apply: Send a resume and cover letter to Kate Taylor at taylorkl@georgetown.edu 

Location: Georgetown -- 3300 Whitehaven Street, Northwest

I/O Psychology Opportunity

Interested in Industrial/Organizational Psychology? IPMA-HR's assessment department offers an opportunity to work under a masters level I/O psychologist. Interns ensure a high level of quality and timely completion of all projects. General duties include proofreading, article research, documentation updates, data collection, database management, and various other related tasks.   

The internship opportunity is only available during the summer months and generally two interns are taken on per year. This is an unpaid internship. 

To Apply: Contact Andrey Pankov (apankov@ipma-hr.org) and include your resume (listing your relevant experience, current GPA, and a list of psychology classes taken) as well as a cover letter expressing your interest in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. The application process begins in early April and continues until mid-May.  

Location: 1617 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 

INOVA Children's Hospital

Inova Children's Hospital is an award-winning 186-bed, full-service children’s hospital devoted to the healthcare of infants, children and adolescents in the Northern Virginia area. The hospital provides an opportunity for undergraduates or recent graduates to work in various departments throughout he hospital. They generally have the capacity to take two interns, one in the summer and one in fall. However, this is subject to change depending on the applicant pool and/or staffing changes. 

The intern has two rotations – one 6 weeks and one 7 weeks. During this time interns will attend in-services and complete numerous readings and other assignments such as weekly journals, staff interview, medical vocabulary, rotation goals, case study, diagnosis presentation, and a final project. The student starts each rotation in a shadowing role and independence increases each week. As independence develops, interns will begin to introduce services to patients and families, provide developmentally appropriate play and therapeutic activities, and provide procedural preparation and support. 

The population the intern works with will vary depending on the student’s two rotations. Usual rotation options are – General Pediatrics, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Intermediate Care Unit/General Peds, Outpatient Radiology, Outpatient Surgery, ED, Hem/Onc. This can always change depending on staffing changes.

Inova views the internship experience as a two way street; as they work to develop new child life specialist in their students, they also grow and develop as child life specialists and supervisors. They value feedback and communication between the staff and students. 

Location: 3300 Gallows Road, Falls Church, VA 22042

To Apply: Visit their website. 

Little Leaves Behavioral Services

Little Leaves is an organization dedicated to helping people with social, communication, and behavioral challenges grow and succeed so that they can participate as fully as possible in their families and communities. Using evidenced-based practices based on the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), their professionals partner with each family to develop and implement an individualized therapeutic plan. They also help families coordinate the logistics of therapy so that families can focus their time on what really matters – caring for their children. 

The program currently works with children in their homes, daycares, and schools throughout the metro Washington DC area (Northern Virginia, Maryland, and DC).

Little Leaves is provides a unique, paid opportunity to become a certified ABA therapist who will work directly with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. ABA therapist are paid $15/hour and Little Leaves will work around the student's schedule.

Responsibilities include:

• Working one-on-one with the child to implement the therapy and updating the treatment plan as the child progresses 
• Instructing parents on how to implement strategies with their child
• Supporting children struggling on a particular skill or behavioral problem
• Support child's success in school by building skills necessary to interact with peer and learn in a classroom setting

To Apply: e-mail resumes to jobs@littleleaves.org 

For more information please call: (202)420-8359

Location: 9545 Georgia Ave Silver Spring, MD 20910

The Mindfulness Center

The Mindfulness Center is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to bringing mindfulness to all dimensions of life. Mindfulness includes meditation, mindfulness in health, lifestyle and community, and mindfulness in sustainable living on the earth. Through research, education and practice, we strive to promote optimal well-being and a sustainable lifestyle. In this mission, we know true joy in life.


The Mindfulness Center typically takes 4 interns per semester to help work with their older adult population. Mindfulness based approaches are a hot topic in psychology and this internship would provide American University psychology students with first-hand experience. Intern responsibilities are divided up between 50% administrative, reception and paper work, and 50% project work specific to interns area of interest. 


As an intern, you are allowed to take classes for FREE and will received 20% discount off services and are eligible for discounts on workshop and teacher trainings.


To Apply: Send a cover letter stating interest and resume, by e-mail to Jacqueline Norris, Jacqueline@TheMindfulnessCenter.org 

Location: 4963 Elm Street, #100 Bethesda, MD, 20814. In downtown Bethesda, by Bethesda Row, about 5 blocks from the Metro. 

Potomac Pathways

Potomac Pathways is a non-institutional atmosphere that incorporate meditation and outdoor adventure activities to treat adolescents and young adults with substance dependence. Client participate in individual and group therapy as well as school and court hearing advocacy.

Some of the typical intern responsibilities include:

• Facilitate group as well as group activities
• Ace as a peer mentor
• Assist writing clinical notes
• Starting dialectical behavior therapy for individuals with personality disorders
• Participate in individual and family therapy sessions
• Attend clinical staff meeting to discuss current clinical issues of the clients
• Work on progress notes

Accept a limited number of interns due to the small size of the program. Interested students should send a resume to  info@potomacpathways.org then follow-up with a phone call (301) 987-7284. 

Potomac Pathways in not easily accessible by metro, but can be reached through public transportation. Please check out the website for additional information about the program and its location www.potomacpathways.org

Youth Development Intern

City of Rockville's Youth Development Program

These programs aim to foster emotional growth for middle school students through facilitating learning in skill building of healthy communication and problem-solving, developing leadership and instilling work readiness skills. 

Program participants:

• Engage in group discussions and activities that explore and reinforce social emotional growth. In addition, topics that relate to peer pressure such as, substance abuse and bullying are explored
• Receive exposure to professional work environments and practices as part of the career exploration aspect of the program
• Participate in Student Service Learning (SSL) activities and projects
• Are involved in recreation activities to include field trips

Interns will:

• Be responsible for administering 2 after-school programs
• Use curriculum-based and small group activities to engage and facilitate learning and skill building
• Be trained in curriculum-based interventions for at-risk adolescents by a certified trainer
• Record attendance and perform administrative tasks related to tracking participant outcomes
• Have the option of overseeing the City of Rockville mentoring program for elementary school students, for exposure to a greater variety of youth development practices

Time commitment for internships:

• Commit to the internship for the 2015-2016 school year
• Work approximately 10-15 hours per week, to be divided as follows:
• 4 hours on Tuesday afternoons devoted to the Achievers after-school program
• 4 hours on Wednesday afternoons devoted to the Boys Group after-school program
• 2-3 hours administrative time each week independent of program time
• Optional: 4 hours on Thursday afternoons devoted to monitoring interactions between mentors and elementary school menses, and acting as a substitute mentor when necessary
• Interns will meet weekly with Community Service Program Coordinator for general supervision to discuss curriculums, outcome tracking and other program goals and concerns

Interns must have a valid driver's license and feel comfortable transporting students in a City of Rockville vehicle. A stipend is award for this internship, and school credit may be available. 

To apply please submit a resume to Sarah Dickinson at sdickinson@rockvillemd.gov

Children's Program at Community Connections

The Children's Program at Community Connections is child-centered, family-focused, and community based. Community Support Specialists meet the child/youth and family in their community locales, learn the values and perspectives of the family and joining with them in affirming skills, abilities, talents and hopes. Problems are recognized in context and addressed through collaborative partnerships with the families and their support networks. Children are seen as often as necessary to achieve their stated goals and objectives.

Community Connections usually do not take more than 1 student per year. Community Connections asks that applicants be seriously committed to the job, and asks that interns be responsible and follow through with the determined time commitment. Interns work with child and families with mental health issues who are from disadvantaged neighborhoods. Intern responsibilities include gathering and organizing data and supplies, as well as organizing and helping with support groups. These activities give interns a lot of exposure to what Community Connections does.

Community Connections works very close to the margin and with people who live close to the margin. They are interested in working with students who are a very good match for us and passionate about and comfortable with mental health issues, children with serious emotional disturbances, and interacting with marginalized populations.

To apply: Application process is being reviewed, but Lori Beyer is in charge of the internship programs. Community Connections is interested in working with carefully selected students. Only serious applicants should apply.

• Main office contact number: 202-546-1512

Location: 801 Pennsylvania Avenue, S.E., Suite 201 Washington DC 20003-2152 (right next to the Eastern Market Metro stop)

Public Defender Service - Mental Health Division

The Mental Health Division of the Public Defender Service for D.C. offers an investigative and social work internship to undergraduate psychology student. The building is accessible by the metro and they are routinely looking for undergraduate interns.

A social work intern is needed to assist the social workers, who represents persons undergoing involuntary civil and criminal commitment, primarily to Saint Elizabeth's Hospital. The duties for the social work internship include:

• Case management 
• Researching and evaluating community resources for client with special needs
• Locating alternative placement for clients
• Conducing on-site evaluations of court-ordered nursing home clients
• Assessing appropriateness of treatment programs
• Serving as an advocate to ensure clients' rights are protected
• Negotiating with hospital staff and community service providers to secure and improve quality of clients' care
• Investigating social issues affecting clients that arise from individual cases

Minimum 3 day a week requirement. Summer internships are full time. 

To apply, send a cover letter, resume, writing sample and two references by email to mhdinternclerk@pdsdc.org   For more information please feel free to visit our website at www.pdsdc.org or call Carolyn Slenska (202) 824-2860.



An investigator intern assist attorneys in preparing cases for court and administrative hearings. Once assigned a client, the intern and attorney will the fist contact with the client, and the intern will conduct follow up visits independently. Other duties include:

• Background interview with client which take place on the locked wards of the institution. 
• Interviewing process can be difficult as clients are highly suspicious and some may be actively hallucinating and delusional as well as heavily medicated. 
• Interviews treating psychiatrists of the client and hospital staff
• Submit all information obtained in interviews to the attorneys in written reports
• Responsible for obtaining medical and legal documental and abstracting pertinent information
• Meet with attorneys on a daily basis to discuss legal theories, possible testimonies from witnesses and other legal questions.
• May occasionally serve court subpoenas
• Observe and assist attorneys at numerous court and administrative hearings
• Occasionally, interns may testify at these hearings

Minimum 4 day a week requirement. Does take summer internships as well

All interested applicants must submit a resume, cover letter and letters from or other names and phone numbers of at least 2 references: one from a recent employer and one from a professor at the student's present academic institution. Please sent applications as  mhdinternclerk@pdsdc.org   For more information please call Carolyn Slenska (202) 824-2860

Alexandria Office on Women

The City of Alexandria is committed to a comprehensive and strategic approach to addressing needs specific to women and to LGBTQ people. The Alexandria Office on Women is routinely looking for undergraduate interns, but they do have limited space. They typically take 4 students per year.

The population that interns would be working with are Victims of Domestic Violence. Intern responsibilities include answering the 24 hour hotline and helping out in the shelter with the clients and their children.

To apply: Contact Jennifer Enslen at Jennifer.enslen@alexandriava.gov. Applicants need to fill out an application and then do an interview.

Location: The Alexandria Office on Women is located in the City of Alexandria. They are metro accessible, but students would also have to take a bus (because they are about a mile and a half from there).

Gender and Sexuality Development Program - National Medical Center

The Gender and Sexual Development Program (GSDP) provides outpatient psychosocial consultations and group therapy for adolescents and their families, and a support group for families in the Washington, DC area. The program counsels children and families on these issues:

• behaviors considered at variance with generally-accepted gender roles
• sexual identity issues
• gender identity issues
• psychosocial aspects of Disorders of Sex Development (DSD), also known as intersex conditions (congenital genital variations)

The GSDP takes exceptional undergraduate interns who wish to make a one year commitment. It takes a lot to train an intern, so longer internships are preferred. Only one intern is taken per year. Interns will be working with gender variant/transgender kids. Intern responsibilities vary depending on the students skills. Roles could include working with research families, coordinating aspects of the research team, or participating on publications.

To apply: Contact Dr. John Strang at jstrang@cnmc.org

Location: 15245 Shady Grove Road Rockville, MD. The metro is about 2 miles away, so it is not really within walking distance. 

The Child Development Center at American University

The Child Development Center (CDC) provides high-quality education and care for children 2.5-6 years of age. The CDC provides primary family caregivers within the AU community opportunities to pursue a university education or career, support for the families, as well as an educational experience for university students interested in early childhood education. The CDC tries to collaborate with the psychology department often. They love and appreciate having interns, and interns also benefit from the experience while earning credits for it.

Typically, between 2 and 4 students are accepted per year. Sometimes, there are an additional 1 or 2 for the summer also. Students will be working with about 16 kids, aged 3.5-5.5 depending on the year. Intern responsibilities include assisting teachers with classroom activities, running errands as needed, monitoring and supervising the children, and taking the children outside. Interns serve as teachers assistants, and are never left alone with the children. Interns learn, observe, and ask questions during their time at the CDC. Additionally, they are given an assignment once a week, which can be anything from reading an article for discussion to doing a project revolved around a specifically aggressive or timid child.

To apply, students should coordinate with Dr. Gray in the psychology department. Students should register for the class for credit, fill out the required paperwork and health forms, and go through a routine background check. The CDC loves and welcomes interns!

For more information, click here.