Nava Psych InternAt — Nava Mindfulness Center

This internship is designed for undergraduate students interested in gaining hands-on experience in the field of psychology, with a focus on private practice and working with children and families. Interns will learn the foundations of how a private practice is managed, including ethical standards, professionalism, and daily clinical operations.

Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of working with children, including building rapport, observing behavior, and understanding developmental needs. Interns will also learn the basics of clinical documentation and report writing, develop skills in building therapeutic connections with children and families, and gain exposure to age-appropriate interventions under supervision.

This internship offers a supportive learning environment for students who are interested in child psychology, therapy, counseling, or applied clinical work.

Tasks:

Interns will actively participate in supervised clinical support tasks designed to strengthen observational, documentation, and professional communication skills. Specific responsibilities include:
Observing child behavior during therapy sessions and playground-based settings, with attention to social, emotional, and behavioral patterns.
Taking structured session notes during observations to document key behaviors, interactions, and therapeutic processes.
Writing brief clinical impression reports based on observations, which will be reviewed and discussed with the supervising therapist for feedback and learning.
Participating in weekly check-in meetings with the supervisor to review reports, discuss observations, ask questions, and receive ongoing guidance.
Assisting with basic assessment activities under supervision, including observing the administration of measures and learning how different tools are used in practice.
Maintaining confidentiality and professionalism in all documentation and clinical settings in accordance with HIPAA and ethical guidelines.

Training:

Students placed in this internship will complete a total of 120 supervised training hours by May. Training will begin with a mandatory general employer orientation, covering expectations, professionalism, ethical standards, confidentiality (HIPAA), and an overview of private practice operations.
Throughout the placement, students will engage in structured job shadowing within both a private practice setting and a supervised playground observation site. This includes observing children’s behavior in naturalistic settings as well as shadowing a licensed psychotherapist during clinical sessions for educational purposes.
Interns will receive ongoing mentorship and supervision, including opportunities for guided reflection, case discussion, and direct feedback on observational skills. Students will be trained in the basics of psychological assessment, including learning how to administer and score select developmental and behavioral measures under supervision. They will also be introduced to foundational clinical documentation, including exposure to basic report writing and progress notes through review of de-identified work samples.
Additional training will include:
Overview and contextualization of assigned tasks
Skills-based training in child engagement and observation
Introduction to age-appropriate interventions
Training through observation, modeling, and hands-on practice under supervision

Learning outcome:

Demonstrate an understanding of private practice operations, including basic administrative processes, ethical standards, and professional conduct in a clinical setting.
Apply foundational child-focused clinical skills, such as building rapport with children and families, observing behavior, and understanding basic developmental and emotional needs.
Develop essential documentation and intervention skills, including writing basic clinical reports, assisting with age-appropriate interventions, and communicating effectively within a therapeutic environment.