1. Internship Overview
I did an internship at The Sydney Clinic of Psychological Services, a very popular Australian mental health clinic. The clinic provides all sorts of psychological interventions such as therapy and consultation to patients from young children to adults. The clinic also works with schools, hospitals and social services on community mental health services. For the internship, I did mostly adult clients on Mondays and Wednesdays, and kids on Thursdays. I learnt how to work with client files, compose reports, observe therapy, and learn the clinical language of child and adult psychology.
2. Internship Responsibilities and Experiences
My internship was three days per week, Monday through Wednesday for adults, and Thursdays for kids. I handled client records, wrote reports, supervised therapy sessions, and maintained client confidentiality. I had some important tasks to take care of including file management for clients which developed me with a penchant for detail and a sense of data security in mental health practice (Cruz 2020). And I was also writing detailed client sessions reports that furthered my clinical note taking abilities.
I was mainly dealing with adult clients on Mondays and Wednesdays. These sessions were over the phone or in-office appointments. I learned about a range of therapies for anxiety, depression and other major diseases. Part of my work involved writing progress reports, and I was learning how to interpret clinical data in a way that matched a client’s therapeutic experience.
On Thursdays I would be with children and assist in supervising therapy sessions and developmental assessments. Children needed to be in a comfortable, organised setting, and I observed and recorded their behaviour during sessions (Afzal et al., 2022). The experience opened my eyes to the psychology of children, especially their behavioural surveillance and management.
3. Supervision and Learning Experience
My internship supervision helped me learn and grow a lot. My supervisor, a senior clinic psychologist, would give me feedback on my papers and lead me through challenging cases. Having access to the supervising psychologist’s clinical reports helped me become better informed about clinical documentation and its role in treatment design.
I learned essential client-management and psychotherapy skills through this supervision. I mastered the skills of treating difficult clients in an adult way with grace and competence. My experience with children, by contrast, focused on understanding and care. I also honed my report-writing by studying the works of more seasoned practitioners.
4. Challenges and Reflections
One of the main issues I encountered was transitioning between adult and child clients. The treatment models of these two groups are very different, and the transitions from session to session were slow. The writing of accurate, in-depth reports for adult and child clients was another obstacle because each one was different, and needed to be modified to incorporate the qualitative and quantitative elements of the treatment (Cusick et al., 2024).
It was difficult to work with children specifically, as children struggle to communicate what they feel. This meant I had to be patient, alert and sensitive. But it was also a tremendously enriching experience, as it taught me how to better address the demands of younger clients.
5. Observations and Critical Analysis
My internship taught me more about the mental health field and the unique issues clients and professionals struggle with. Among the things I found that struck me is the value of data protection and confidentiality in clinical practice, especially for highly confidential client information. I also noticed how important therapy can be to clients’ psychological well-being (Stenclova et al., 2024).
The critical side: While the clinic is offering a lot of mental health services, there are more community outreach initiatives to reach the bottom of the scale with mental health issues (Lakeman et al., 2020). The clinic’s outreach to schools and hospitals is good, but this could reach wider communities.
6. Reflection on University Preparation
My college education really prepared me for this internship. The theoretical information I would picked up in psychology classes informed my knowledge of different treatments offered at the clinic. Also, my academic training emphasised research and empirical practice when preparing reports and assessments. Through the internship, I could bring my skills and learnings from university to the workplace.
7. Personal Growth and Employability Skills
This internship experience helped me figure out my personal talents as a professional and further build my employability. I was taught that I was very good at scheduling and maintaining clinical documentation, which is a crucial part of mental health practice. I also developed effective communication and interpersonal abilities, especially with clients and co-workers.
The best thing someone had ever said to me was: Empathy and listening are a very good thing in psychotherapy. As a clinician of adults and children, client needs were the foundation of therapeutic effectiveness. They are certainly things I will be employing later on as a psychologist
8. Future Career Goals
My career plans are directly influenced by this internship. It’s a way that I’ve come to realise what I really like to study in psychology, especially child psychology and the treatment of anxiety and depression. It has also strengthened my inclination to enter clinical practice, where I can use the skills I have gained to improve clients’ mental health.
I hope to still work in mental health later in life, treating children and adults. I also seek to work on research and development in the area especially in the areas of trauma healing and developmental assessments.
9. Acknowledgment of Support
I also want to thank my supervisor for her guidance and comments during my internship. And the clinic staff was fantastic as well, always happy to answer any questions and provide tips. I could not have achieved the skills and expertise I acquired through this internship if it weren’t for them.
10. Review of Client Organisation’s Policies
The Sydney Clinic of Psychological Services is a diversity and inclusion firm, with policies and guidelines in place for minorities and Indigenous Australians. So too does the clinic aim to provide services to every client regardless of background, and apply those norms to everyday operations of the clinic.
In my internship, I watched these policies being implemented. The clinic, for instance, accommodated clients of all ethnicities, so that they could feel comfortable and understood during therapy. These rules are in the client’s best interest, but also help the clinic establish itself as an open and welcoming mental health facility.
As an individual, the way these policies were implemented helped me become increasingly aware of the need for cultural sensibility in psychology. This insight will prove important as I continue working in different clinical contexts down the road.
11. Critical Reflection Using Borton’s Framework
What?
Something that never quite worked out when I was an intern was the time I had to supervise a child with ADHD. The child didn’t cooperate in the session and I couldn’t engage them properly. This left me with very little opportunity to see how they were acting and give some useful input to the senior psychologist.
So What?
It was an experience that brought home the difficulties of treating behaviourally disturbed children, especially those who weren’t responsive to treatment. It showed me that I have to find new methods for engaging children in therapy when they don’t cooperate. It also reminded us of the need for patience and perseverance in psychological practice.
Now What?
Next, I will study and apply new strategies for having children with ADHD go through therapy. I will also ask for further supervision and guidance from experienced clinicians to assist me with the challenges of being in therapy. This has been a valuable experience for me that will make me a better psychologist in the future.
What?
My best internship moment was when I was able to supervise a child with depression and anxiety during a therapy session. The child was well-received by the therapy, and I was able to provide detailed reports to the senior psychologist.
So What?
This experience solidified my interest in child psychology and my aptitude for younger clients. It also demonstrated the therapeutic benefits for mentally ill children. My senior psychologist’s comments were helpful, and made me feel much more confident about my future career as a psychologist.
Now What?
And I will continue to train in child psychology and therapy. I will continue to get trained in best-practice methods for treating depression and anxiety in children. It has further bolstered my belief in working in this space and making a difference in the lives of young clients.
12. Conclusion
My internship at The Sydney Clinic of Psychological Services was a transformative experience that significantly shaped my professional trajectory. I developed vital skills in client management, therapeutic interventions, and clinical documentation, which are essential for my future career in psychology. Through my hands-on involvement with both adult and child clients, I gained deeper insights into the distinct approaches required for each group. Working with adults allowed me to refine my understanding of therapies for anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders, while my time with children introduced me to the complexities of developmental psychology and behavioral assessments.
One of the most valuable aspects of the internship was the mentorship I received from my supervisor. Her feedback on my clinical reports and guidance during challenging cases enhanced my knowledge and confidence. The experience also highlighted the importance of cultural sensitivity and confidentiality in mental health care, reinforcing my commitment to ethical practice.The internship not only strengthened my clinical skills but also deepened my passion for working with diverse clients, particularly children. It has confirmed my desire to pursue further specialization in child psychology, with a focus on trauma and developmental disorders. I am excited to carry forward these learnings into my future career as a mental health professional.