IMA Cross-Cultural Care Mental Health Internships Abroad

My time spent in Kenya was a life-changing experience, to say the least. I set out on this experience promising myself to step out of my comfort zone. I’m not very good at learning languages, but learning Kiswahili made locals so excited when I would use the few words I learned. I’m a picky eater, but I got to try and enjoy so many new, traditional Kenyan meals. I have never liked talking in front of groups, but I decided to assert myself in clinics and debriefings. With the help of mentors, gui...

My internship in Kenya truly helped me understand what it means to be culturally competent, and the skills it requires and offered me the chance to appreciate the differences between individual cultures. It challenged me and allowed me to assess whether I was truly culturally competent beyond working with my community. I could practice adapting to cultures different than my own by subtly changing psychological techniques or advice I’d usually offer as I had to decide whether they were suitable a...

My time in Kenya was incredibly transformative in so many ways. My cultural understanding, medical knowledge, and awareness of disease burden, politics, and healthcare quality all upgraded more than I could have ever imagined in 4 short weeks. From the moment I was greeted by the IMA staff at the Mombasa airport to my very last day, I was always comforted by the immense kindness and hospitality of the IMA staff and Kenyan people. I never had a moment where I felt unsafe, in fact, I would always ...