Health & Wellness Psychology InternAt — Dexafit Los Alamitos

Nawra is a premium precision wellness studio offering clinical-grade body composition testing (DEXA, RMR, VO\u2082 Max), ExoFreeze cryotherapy and body sculpting, and ExoPod infrared therapy. Our approach is rooted in data-driven, personalized wellness — and the psychological dimensions of health behavior change are central to how we design programs and support clients.

This internship sits at the intersection of health psychology and applied wellness. The intern will work directly with Nawra's founder — a certified High Performance Coach, NLP practitioner, and DEXA technician — gaining hands-on exposure to how psychological principles such as behavior change theory, motivational communication, and identity-based coaching are applied in a real clinical wellness setting.

This position is particularly well-suited for students majoring in Psychology, Health Psychology, or Behavioral Science.

Workplace Safety Note: This position takes place in a professional wellness studio where cryotherapy and infrared therapy equipment is in use. The intern will receive a full safety orientation on Day 1 covering emergency procedures, equipment protocols, and safe client interaction practices. The intern will not operate any equipment independently. The intern will never be left unsupervised with clients; all client interactions occur in the presence of the supervisor or a qualified staff member at all times.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of the internship, the student will be able to:

• Apply health behavior change frameworks — including Stages of Change, Self-Determination Theory, and motivational interviewing principles — to real client wellness scenarios
• Explain how biometric data (DEXA, RMR, VO\u2082 Max) influences client self-perception, motivation, and behavior change
• Demonstrate active listening, empathetic communication, and goal-setting skills in a professional wellness consultation context
• Analyze psychological factors — including body image, self-efficacy, and program adherence — that affect client outcomes in wellness programming
• Design psychologically-informed wellness program materials that support long-term client behavior change
• Conduct, synthesize, and present applied health psychology research relevant to a real-world wellness population
• Produce a substantive culminating project — a client education handbook grounded in health psychology — that demonstrates integration of academic learning with professional practice

TRAINING

The intern will receive the following structured training throughout the internship:

• Day 1 Site Orientation covering studio safety procedures, emergency protocols, equipment guidelines, client privacy and confidentiality standards, and Nawra's service philosophy
• Shadowing and observation of client consultations, DEXA result reviews, and wellness intake sessions to develop firsthand understanding of how biometric feedback intersects with client psychology
• Assigned readings in health psychology including behavior change theory, motivational interviewing, and the psychology of body composition and wellness — discussed in weekly meetings
• Weekly 1:1 mentorship sessions with the founder/supervisor for goal-setting, reflective practice, progress review, and professional development feedback
• Ongoing feedback on all deliverables — research summaries, program content, client education materials, and the culminating project
• Mid-internship progress review (Week 6) to assess learning outcomes and adjust focus as needed
• Final evaluation and debrief (Week 12) reviewing growth, key learnings, and professional development, with written supervisor feedback provided to the student

DESCRIPTION OF TASKS

• Observe and assist in client wellness consultations, with focus on motivational communication, empathetic listening, and behavior change language as applied in a health coaching context
• Research and summarize peer-reviewed literature on psychological factors influencing wellness behavior — including body image, self-efficacy, adherence, and the psychological impact of biometric feedback on motivation
• Assist in developing the psychological framework and client-facing materials for Nawra's Density Protocol, a structured 6-month bone health program requiring sustained behavior change and patient adherence
• Document and analyze anonymized patterns in client goal-setting and progress to identify psychological barriers and motivators across Nawra's client population
• Draft psychologically-informed client education content on topics including the mind-body connection, motivation, stress and recovery, and the behavioral dimensions of metabolic health
• Assist in designing intake and follow-up materials that incorporate health psychology best practices — including values clarification, intrinsic motivation, and identity-based goal framing
• Support client follow-up communication with attention to empathetic tone, behavior change language, and therapeutic communication principles
• Contribute to content and programming that bridges clinical wellness data with psychological well-being narratives for Nawra's client audience
• Culminating Project: Develop a comprehensive client education handbook for Nawra's Density Protocol program, grounded in health psychology research, covering the psychological dimensions of bone health behavior change, self-efficacy, motivation, and long-term adherence strategies
• Assist with light operational tasks including appointment coordination and client file preparation to gain full-picture exposure to wellness business workflows (less than 20% of total duties)