Navigating Psychology Internships in Pittsburgh: A Comprehensive Guide

Psychology internships in Pittsburgh offer invaluable opportunities to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and real-world application. These experiences allow students to build upon their knowledge and skills, fostering life-changing experiences. This article provides a comprehensive overview of psychology internship opportunities in Pittsburgh, outlining requirements, program structures, and potential career pathways.

Internship Opportunities and Program Structures

UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh

The Behavioral Science Division at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh is part of the Pittsburgh Psychological Internship Consortium (P-PIC). The Pediatric Psychology Internship site at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh (CHP) prepares interns for post-doctoral studies focused on treating youth experiencing behavioral and/or emotional difficulties across various settings and developmental stages. Starting with the 2024-2025 school year, two internship positions will be available. Interns will apply to P-PIC through the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) match program.

Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS)

Allegheny County DHS offers internships throughout the school year. The CYF Casework Support Internship is a paid opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students in social work, psychology, sociology, criminal justice, or related fields. Interns at DHS have the opportunity to grow professionally and personally, collaborating on impactful projects, learning from peers and mentors, gaining data analytics skills, contributing to community initiatives, and building connections with DHS staff.

The Behavioral Health (BH) Fellows Program, created by Allegheny County DHS in partnership with Community Care Behavioral Health and the Jewish Healthcare Foundation, provides behavioral health direct care workers with student loan repayment while earning a competitive salary.

VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System

The doctoral internship at VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association. Applicants in good standing at an American Psychological Association (APA) or Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) accredited graduate program in Clinical, Counseling, or Combined psychology or Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) accredited program in Clinical Science are encouraged to apply. Applicants with a doctorate in another area of psychology who meet the APA or CPA criteria for respecialization training in Clinical, Counseling, or Combined Psychology are also eligible. Applicants must have a minimum of 300 total intervention and 50 assessment hours prior to application. We will not review applications with hours below the minimum hours requirement. We prefer candidates who have generalized assessment and psychotherapy training. Applicants who have VA practicum experience or who have an interest in a VA career are highly desirable.

The VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System offers two postdoctoral fellowship programs: Clinical Psychology and Professional Geropsychology. Prior to the start of the fellowship programs, a candidate must have completed a doctoral degree from an APA or CPA accredited graduate program in Clinical, Counseling, or Combined Psychology or PCSAS accredited Clinical Science program. Persons with a doctorate in another area of psychology who meet the APA or CPA criteria for respecialization training in Clinical, Counseling, or Combined Psychology are also eligible. Graduates of these programs will be eligible for employment as psychologists within the VA just like graduates from other accredited programs. Many existing VA internship and postdoctoral psychology training programs hold APA accreditation status. The Office of Academic Affiliations conducts education and training programs for health professions trainees to enhance the quality of care provided for Veteran patients. We would like to hear your opinion regarding your recent clinical training experience at the VA facility. We rely on your feedback to improve VA educational programs.

Pittsburgh Psychology Internship Consortium (P-PIC)

The Pittsburgh Psychology Internship Consortium’s mission is to train doctoral psychology interns dedicated to serving children and their families. P-PIC is designed to prepare interns for independent practice and meet state requirements for certification as a school psychologist. It represents the collaborative effort of several agencies to share resources and faculty for providing a range of clinical and didactic experiences. The P-PIC training program is a year-long, full-time doctoral internship experience, beginning on the first business day of August each year. Across training sites, interns complete an average of 15-20 hours per week of face-to-face direct service delivery and are expected to complete 2000 hours of training during the year. Interns are also expected to achieve the goals and objectives of the internship program, abide by the APA Code of Ethics, the requirements of the P-PIC training program, and the rules and regulations of the training site that employs them.

The Consortium will offer 7 full-time positions during the 2025-2026 internship cycle:

Wesley Family Services (2): The interns will rotate through Wesley Family Services in which they will work with children and adolescents with social-emotional, neurodevelopmental, and behavioral disorders within a school-based acute partial, partial hospital, and an outpatient clinic. Primary activities include psychological/psychoeducational evaluations, autism assessments, individual and group therapy, as well as school psychology related activities such as IEP Team meetings, student staffing review and parent consultation.
The Psychology Loft (2): The two interns will have their main rotation at The Psychology Loft, a community based mental health private practice. The mission at The Psychology Loft is to provide quality comprehensive psychological services to children and adults in the Pittsburgh area. At The Psychology Loft, we place a significant value on a systems-based approach - taking into account how an individual's family, educational, vocational, and community environments interact. Acknowledging the importance that each system plays in an individual's life is essential to understanding the current needs and approaches that will best serve the person. We address all referrals with a strength-based orientation and utilize these strategies to create treatment plans and goals. Services offered include intervention (group and individual therapy, parent training, and family therapy), assessment (neuropsychological and psychological evaluations, forensic evaluations, threat or risk assessments), and consultation with schools and businesses within the community.
Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Department of Transplant Psychology (1): focuses on providing psychological services as part of the multidisciplinary assessment and management of psychosocial functioning among solid organ transplant candidates and recipients. Transplant psychologists serve as liaisons to all solid organ and related transplant teams, including kidney, liver, small bowel, heart, lung and multi-visceral. Program faculty have expertise across a broad range of behavioral medicine domains, including psychological assessment, medication adherence, chronic pain, and cognitive impairment within chronic disease populations. Activities include pretransplant psychological evaluations, collaboration and consultation with schools and community treatment team members, individual therapy, and assisting the transition back to education setting process for patients.
Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Behavioral Sciences Division (2): The Pediatric Psychology Internship site at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh (CHP) is designed to prepare interns for post-doctoral study treating youth who are experiencing behavioral and/or emotional difficulties in a wide range of settings and across the developmental span. Our program is uniquely suited to work at the interface of pediatrics, clinical psychology, and behavioral medicine. The internship program includes rotations in multiple medical subspecialty clinics throughout the hospital. Full-time interns will complete 1 major rotation (2.5 - 3 days per week) and 1 minor rotation (1 - 1.5 days per week) for the first 6 months, and new major and minor rotations for the second 6 months - resulting in rotations through a total of 4 clinics throughout the training year. Interns will gain experiences in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Clinics will be selected based off of intern interest as well as supervisor availability.

Common Internship Activities and Responsibilities

Internship duties may include:

Scoring psychological testing
Observing child development by observing preschool children
Learning techniques used with normal children and learning about intervention strategies
Meeting with students to discuss various materials
Addressing psychological challenges
Engaging in forensic based work within Family and Juvenile Courts.
Addressing abuse, neglect and mistreatment of children.
Helping residents recover from individual and community trauma.

Requirements and Eligibility

General Requirements

Applicants must be in good standing at an APA- or CPA-accredited Clinical, Counseling, or Combined Psychology program or PCSAS accredited Clinical Science program.
Some programs may not accept applicants from PsyD programs.
Applicants must have a minimum number of direct contact intervention and assessment hours. For instance, VA Pittsburgh requires a minimum of 300 intervention and 50 assessment hours prior to application.
A demonstrated interest in and aptitude for conducting clinical research.
Considerable supervised clinical experience.

UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital Program Specifics

Minimum requirements for selection include trainees that:

Are in good standing at an APA- or CPA-accredited Clinical Psychology Program
Have a minimum of 450 total complete hours of practicum experience
Have completed an independent master’s or master’s equivalent research project
Express an interest in working within multidisciplinary medical center settings

Application Process

Application Materials:
- Cover Letter: Specify preferred contact information, clinical rotations of interest, and faculty members with whom you share research interests.
- Curriculum vitae: Include a description of the applicant’s research experience (e.g., research assistant/associate experience, familiarity with research assessments, and experience on federally funded projects) and research productivity (e.g., peer-reviewed publications and presentations at regional and national meetings).
- APPIC Application Form
- Graduate Transcripts
- 3 to 4 Letters of Reference
Submission: All application materials must be submitted via the APPIC Application for Psychology Internships (AAPI) online service.
Review: Applications are reviewed by the Clinical Psychology Training Committee.
Interviews: Selected students are contacted for virtual applicant interview sessions.

Key Dates (Example: UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital)

Application Deadline: November 1, 2025
Invitations Extended for Interviews: November 24, 2025
Interviews: January 9 and 16, 2026
Match Day: February 20, 2026
Start Date: September 1, 2026

Financial and Other Benefits

Internships may offer various financial and other benefits, including:

Annual Stipend/Salary
Access to medical insurance (including coverage for family members, legally married partners, and domestic partners in some cases)
Paid time off (PTO) and sick leave
Funds for professional development
Professional and bereavement days
Dental and vision insurance

For example, the annual stipend/salary for full-time interns at some institutions is $37,000, along with benefits like medical, dental, and vision insurance, and $1,000 for professional development.

Training and Supervision

Internship programs typically feature rotations in both inpatient and outpatient settings, individual and group supervision in adult and child assessment and intervention, clinical and didactic seminars, and opportunities to pursue clinical research activities. Supervision is a critical component of psychology internships. Interns meet with supervisors to discuss various materials and psychological challenges.

Program Goals

The primary goals of many programs are to:

Develop and consolidate clinical skills in psychiatric assessment, conceptualization, and evidence-based psychological interventions
Provide broad clinical experience within multidisciplinary treatment and research teams located within a university-based medical center
Prioritize multicultural training through a cultural humility framework, with an emphasis on increasing awareness, knowledge, and skills that will improve clinical care and practice and facilitate the conduct of impactful research
Consolidate and enhance skills in clinical psychological science and supplement the clinical experience with adequate time and resources for empirical exploration of a specialty area

Multicultural Training and Diversity

Many programs prioritize multicultural training through a cultural humility framework, emphasizing increased awareness, knowledge, and skills to improve clinical care and practice and facilitate impactful research. They focus on increasing the participation of underrepresented populations in clinical medicine, biomedical research, teaching, and service.

Accreditation and Program Policies

Internship programs are often accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) and may be members of the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science. These programs adhere to APPIC guidelines in their recruitment process and participate in the computer match through APPIC. Matches are contingent upon successful completion of required background checks, including Pennsylvania Act 31 (Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting), Act 33 (PA Child Abuse History Clearance), Act 34 (PA State Police Request for Criminal Records), and Act 73 (FBI Criminal Background Check).

Additional Opportunities

Psychology Club: Participating in Psychology Club can provide volunteer opportunities and graduate school preparation.
PAAR Internship program: PAAR internship program offer opportunities in trauma, counseling and/or supporting survivors.

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