The Pros & Cons of Psychology Internships Abroad

Dreaming about setting off for a far off destination, but feeling dragged down by the looming psychology requirements pending for your undergraduate degree? Worry not! Completing your degree in psychology is not mutually exclusive to your passion for travel. Even better, they go hand in hand for a truly meaningful and immersive experience abroad—international psychology internships! Psychology internships abroad are an incredible opportunity to grow personally and professionally, in addition to experiencing some incredible places around the world!

Psychology internships abroad will take you to new heights

International internships can be challenging experiences, but the growth you experience and the lessons you learn are enough to last you a lifetime. You’ll be able to make new friends, learn from incredible professionals from around the world, and still graduate on time—with the right planning! There are definitely highs and lows to the experience of interning abroad, so here’s a little breakdown of the pros and cons of psychology internships abroad.

5 pros of psychology internships for college students & others

1. Global Perspective of Practices

One of the amazing benefits of traveling abroad—for any reason, not just international psychology internships—is an increased and expanded global perspective. In the case of internships for psychologists abroad, this change not only affects your perspective of everyday life, but it also allows you the opportunity to further develop your understanding of psychology and the different ways it is practiced and viewed abroad. 

You’ll feel empowered learning from your new team

The psychology work abroad you complete during an internship will encourage you to open your mind to consider the similarities and differences of how psychology is experienced and practice within various communities.

There may be major overlaps, however, because people experience life differently in different places based on different circumstances, they may be treated differently than you would based on your practices back home (we know that’s a lot of “differents”, but you get the point).

The best psychology internships abroad will increase your ability to work with a multicultural team, as well as with multicultural patients. 

2. Understand How People View Psychology Differently

Beyond how psychology professionals practice psychology, psychology internships abroad will also expose you to how communities view the practice. There are obviously different subfields of psychology, so this will vary depending on whether your psychology internship placement is clinical, behavioral, cognitive, or within human development, etc. Nevertheless, differences will persist.

Is seeing psychologist stigmatized? Are people more private about their personal life and struggles? How willing are people to pursue help? These are just some of the many questions you will get to experience the answers for during international psychology internships.

Even the concepts of mental health and mental illness vary greatly around the world. Some people may not even have the words to describe symptoms they face because it is simply something not talked about. This is interesting just for the sake of being curious cats, but it will also help you to understand the perspective of different people you interact with throughout your career. 

3. Gain the Soft Skills of International Living

Whether you are looking for psychology internships for high school students or psychology internships for college students, there will be many opportunities to learn new “soft” skills—the skills that increase your ability to effectively interact with people—that will benefit you exponentially in your future.

Your adaptability? Your ability to approach people with respect and celebration for their cultural background? Your ability to learn to not only live within a new culture, but also to work within a new culture? Yeah...all of those things are incredibly invaluable and desirable skills to possess in this ever increasingly global world. You will be able to work with more people from various backgrounds with confidence and ease. 

4. You Might Find Paid Psychology Internships Abroad—Cha-Ching!

Now imagine gaining all of those skills and experiences, while exploring a new and exciting city, all while getting PAID. Yes, paid psychology internships abroad exist.

We know, we know, you’re not after the money—but it can’t hurt right??? Exploring your passions is obviously #1, but getting paid for your hard work is always nice. Sometimes this will look unconventional like stipends, or travel and visa fee reimbursement, while other times this may look like a full blown salaried—albeit still an intern salary—position. If that’s the case for you, then you go Glenn Coco!

5. Explore the World

International psychology internships have the potential of bringing you to many places around the world. Have you always dreamed of traveling down under to Australia? Well international psychology internships here are easily accessible due to the massive research contributions the country has made for psychology. The United States, Ireland, and Spain also have plenty of opportunities for psychology internships abroad.

If you are looking for an experience a bit more off the traditional path, you can also find internships for psychologists abroad in parts of the Middle East and Africa. Both of these regions will expose you to various ways of considering psychology, as well as many views that communities hold on pursuing help within the world of psychology.

If you’re willing to take the leap, the additional challenges you may face in these wonderful options for international psychology internships will help you learn to live comfortably outside of your comfort zone—a skill that will take you far in life and your career in psychology. 

[Check Out These Tips for Comparing and Evaluating Internship Programs Abroad]

3 cons of interning abroad in psychology

Do international psychology internships actually have cons???

1. The Learning Curve of International Differences

So we mentioned that you’ll have the exciting opportunity to learn new ways that people practice psychology abroad, right? Well, that may mean that there will be a bit of a learning curve. This definitely isn’t a cause for concern, you won’t need to start from square one per se, but it does mean you have to approach your psychology internship abroad with an open mind and a learning mindset. 

This differences your experience, even if they are challenging, will help you grow as an individual and as a practicing psychologist. Psychology internships abroad vary in hands-on experience, but no matter the case, you will be exposed to differences whether you are observing a psychologist's practice or interacting with patients directly.

2. You May Miss a Semester on Campus 

We know it may seem tragic to miss out on that homecoming dance or the spring concert, but trust us, in years down the line when you’re a successful psychologist, you’ll look back on your international psychology internship with fond memories and an appreciation that it led you to where you are now. We do find that students often regret NOT going abroad, however they very rarely regret taking the chance to hop on a plane to somewhere new. Plus, you really won’t be missing much.

If this is a huge concern for you, there are ways to stay connected to campus life while you are abroad. You can schedule weekly Skype calls with all of your friends to keep up-to-date on the latest gossip, or even choose to write letters with people from home (when was the last time you wrote a handwritten letter???).

And, if you really want to avoid this altogether, summer psychology internships are always a viable option!

3. Paid Psychology Internships Abroad are Pretty Hard to Come By

If you do your research thoroughly—or even ask for some help from our Online Advisors who can match you with psychology internship programs—you may be able to find some pretty amazing paid international psychology internships, but that may not always be the case. 

If you are worried about the financial aspect of putting the intern in international, you can always look into our scholarship directory or consider starting a crowdsource fundraiser with FundMyTravel. It may feel weird to ask friends and family for money, but the great thing about FundMyTravel is that the people who help make your meaningful international psychology internships dream a reality can be part of the experience as well! You can also check out our how to guide to paying for your internship abroad!

[Browse All of Our International Psychology Internships]

Next steps to finding international programs for psychologists

Don't pack your notebook and pen juuuust yet. There are a few items on your internship to do list you should check off first.

• Decide when to go. Give your calendar a good-hard look and figure out what time of year—and how long—you want to live in Madrid as an intern.
• Choose a location. Figuring out where to intern abroad isn’t easy. Gorgeous Paris? Somewhere with a beach? Don't let ANYTHING hold you back—choose a place that's right for you.
• Choose from the best intern abroad programs in Madrid. Pay attention to past participants’ reviews, program/job reputation, location, and your ease of getting settled. Some providers may even provide contact info for past interns if you want the REAL dirt. Here's more advice on how to find the perfect program provider for you. Pro tip: You can use MyGoAbroad to compare programs side-by-side.
• Plan your finances. Sort out your on-going funding before you go to afford daily essentials and splurge in travel (in addition to program costs and airfare). Do your research to have an idea of how much your day-to-day life in Spain will cost, and get to work on learning how to pay for your international internship.
• Get prepared. Preparing to intern abroad is as fun as it sounds. With the days til departure number dwindling and your excitement boiling, it can be easy to overlook the details. Lean on us to help guide you through your pre-departure process—that's what we're here for.

[Browse ALL Psychology Internships for College Students Abroad]

You're ready for psychology internships abroad!

Now that we’ve explored the pros and the cons of internships for psychologists abroad, you may be pretty darn convinced that this is THE opportunity for you. All of the chances to learn and grow, and also see the world, all while gaining experience within your dream field of psychology...what more can you ask for? 

Before you buy your plane ticket and pack your bags, make sure you set some professional goals and personal aspirations for your exciting new adventure. Not only will they help the whole experience feel that much more rewarding (we can’t be the only ones who love the satisfaction of ticking of an item on a checklist!), but it will make international psychology internships that much more meaningful. And that’s what it boils down to, right? So go out there, find your perfect program, and set the world on fire with your passion and drive for psychology!

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