These psychology and social work internships are a great way to develop your knowledge and skills, gain valuable work experience, and offer support to people and communities who desperately need it. As an intern, you’ll join one of our partners in the field and assist with program development and planning, along with providing support to individuals in various ways (depending on your skill level). You’ll have the opportunity to apply your specialized knowledge to real-world situations, offering a stepping stone to a fulfilling career in these fields.
Not only do psychology or social work internships contribute to the mental health and well-being of vulnerable individuals, but they also contribute to your personal and professional growth. By interning with a nonprofit, you’ll work with people from all walks of life and be inspired by the stories you hear and the dedication of those working to further the mission of the organization. Take the chance to live and work in a beautiful country, immerse yourself in different cultures, and explore a new part of the world.
Read more about our Psychology & Social Work Internships options
You’ll join an organization that works directly with their community to solve problems on the ground and make a real impact.
We’ll help you find and prepare for an internship with the organization that’s right for you and your skills, background, and passions.
Working abroad is an experience like no other and your internship will be tailored to your studies and interests.
A psychology or social work internship will allow you to gain hands-on experience working with families, communities, and individuals through various mental health programs.
As an intern, you’ll work alongside a diverse and experienced team, enabling you to expand your professional network and improve your interpersonal skills.
By joining one of these psychology or social work internships, you’ll be advocating for mental health awareness and promoting initiatives that aim to improve accessibility to care and reduce stigmas.
Connect with the populations you aim to serve and understand their unique needs as you engage with organizations and local communities.
In a psychology or social work internship, you will practice and understand the ethical factors that go into mental health and social work in an international context which include factors related to client confidentiality and boundaries.
Build up your assessment, intervention, and counseling experience, along with your teamwork and communication skills, which are essential to roles in these career paths.
Find out from our previous interns how internship positions in Psychology & Social Work can boost your professional career and grow your interpersonal skills.
During my time in Cape Town, I worked with groups of children in various morning projects and with the children at the Ubuntu Center in the afternoon. I planned the activities for the younger and the older children at the center to bring in more structure around their day. It was a great chance to see all the differences in the development of each project. My work was always different and there was always something new for me to explore. It became a great challenge for me to experience all those parts of working in and for the township, but I am proud of all the challenges I had to face everyday. I stayed strong and I gained a lot of self-confidence during my time in South Africa. Also, all the people in the accommodation have different values to get along with, which was a good challenge for me and important for my personal development. All in all, I contributed to good work and I can see the difference I made. I’m grateful for my time in Cape Town and because of this internship I was able to gain new perspectives and to change my outlook on a lot of things.
Paula, Katharineum zu Lübeck, German – Youth Social Work Internship, South Africa
I was able to truly get an internship that fit my learning desires. My supervisor 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 other days I spent at a youth center in a township working with around 80 kids daily. I’m proud of the work I did which required focus, commitment, self-reflection, and handling challenging environments. The diverse program had me doing tasks that helped me gain more experience in the field of psychology that I want to have a career in.
I am very proud of all the work I have done over the past couple of months. However, I myself have learned so much from the community in which I worked. I enjoyed building a great connection with the community of Masiphumelele and I really am glad to have met so many amazing people here. The children that I worked with taught me so much about love and happiness, despite the difficult conditions they may live in. I feel like this internship has given me a new outlook on life and will help me to look at things with more positivity and gratitude.
Matthew, DePauw University, American – Youth Social Work Internship, South Africa
7 Best Internships for Social Work
What to Expect From a Psychology Internship in South Africa
How to Get a Psychology Internship
As a psychology intern, you’ll get practical work experience in counseling and supporting a variety of mental health programs while being guided by a professional psychologist. The internship will be tailored according to your level of experience and your specific academic background, which ensures that you’ll hit the right balance between challenging yourself and staying within your ability level. Your work can include working in rehabilitation facilities, safe houses, and abuse victim support groups. No matter what, you can expect to get guided hands-on experience in the psychology field.
Our partners are based in countries that deal with a great deal of social issues, and the work you do as an intern can make a true impact on people’s lives. Depending on the internship you join, you’ll be working with children or adults who deal with certain traumas and may not have access to the proper assistance if it wasn’t for the nonprofit initiative you’ll be part of. Mental health support is not widely available around the world, and offering the right kind of counseling to victims of abuse – or people with otherwise troubling backgrounds – is incredibly impactful and rewarding.
Our various psychology and social work internships require a relevant academic background, and some require a level of experience so be sure to check each individual listing. It’s also important that you are willing to adapt to different cultures and are excited by the idea of working in a nonprofit setting. You should be able to approach your work with a proactive and flexible attitude and be keen to learn about your chosen field and about yourself. Most importantly, you should be passionate about using your skills to support others and we’ll help you narrow down which internship will allow you to do this best.
We might be biased, but we think that international internships offer a uniquely wonderful opportunity to live and work abroad. It’s a chance to challenge yourself in a foreign environment, immerse yourself in different cultures, and learn how to be adaptable. It’s also a chance to add international work experience to your resume. When it comes to social work and psychology internships, there’s also the fact that you might be able to get more in-depth, broad, and hands-on experience than when you stay at home. That’s especially the case in developing countries, where mental health facilities are scarce, and you are likely to take on an active role as an intern.
If you’re ready to apply for this internship, here’s what to do:
Fill in the application form (it will show in a new screen) which includes sharing your CV to us.
We’ll set up a call with you to go through your application.
If we feel it’s a good match, we’ll set up a call between you and the supervisor for this internship.
If everyone’s happy, we’ll provisionally confirm your placement! We’ll then send you the invoice for the deposit, getting started with the booking process and all the info you need.
Only once we receive payment of the deposit your placement will be confirmed.
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!
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ABOUT US
At Roots, we create the perfect balance between meaningful work and valuable learning through internships with nonprofits & social enterprises in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.TEST
CONTACT
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ABOUT US
At Roots, we create the perfect balance between meaningful work and valuable learning through internships with nonprofits & social enterprises in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.
CONTACT
UK: +44 139 269 0255
US: +1 617 500 6179
internship@rootsinterns.com
OFFICE: Cape Town, South Africa
SOCIAL
SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
ABOUT US
At Roots, we create the perfect balance between meaningful work and valuable learning through internships with nonprofits & social enterprises in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.
CONTACT
UK: +44 139 269 0255
US: +1 617 500 6179
internship@rootsinterns.com
OFFICE: Cape Town, South Africa
SOCIAL
SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
