Name: Talia Horowitz
Class Year: 2022
Major: Psychology
Hometown: Silver Spring, Md.
Internship Organization: The Summer Treatment Program at Florida International University
Job Title: Clinical Counselor
Location: Miami, Fla.
What’s happening at your internship?
I am implementing CBT and behavioral therapy for children with ADHD and other behavioral and emotional challenges. The Summer Treatment Program (STP) was developed by Dr. William E. Pelham Jr., Ph.D., and provides leading-edge treatment and research in the field of developmental psychology -- specifically regarding ADHD research. The treatment program operates through the format of a day camp. The STP is administered via a token economy, with particular emphasis on social reinforcement, and cognitive and behavioral therapy. Treatment is often individualized for each child and includes different behavioral and emotional interventions.
Why did you apply for this internship?
I am hoping to pursue a career in clinical psychology — and having ADHD myself, the work the STP does is particularly near and dear to my heart. Also, the world of clinical psychology and developmental psychology is so vast, so I wanted to seek out an internship experience that would help me to narrow down my career interests. In particular, what drew me to this program was its application of positive psychology and its emphasis on the most up-to-date research and psychotherapy techniques. Not only am I implementing treatment for children, but I am also collecting, tracking, and analyzing data; it’s like a research assistant and a clinical therapy experience all in one.
Was there anything special about how you found this internship?
I found this internship through the Bryn Mawr Psychology department’s webpage. The webpage has different links that each list out different psychology jobs and internship opportunities. The link I clicked on took me to a Miami University psychology professor’s website that lists research opportunities.
What is most rewarding about your internship?
I think what has been most rewarding so far is working to forge a unique relationship with each child, and learning about the more dynamic nature of ADHD and other behavioral and emotional disorders. Often we learn about the impairment that comes with ADHD, which is important to learn about as someone interested in psychology. However, we do not often learn about the unique strengths of children with ADHD, such as amazing creativity, niche interests, having a great degree of empathy, etc. It has also been incredibly rewarding to learn through experience about disorders such as Oppositional Defiance Disorder and Conduct Disorder. Sometimes when learning about these disorders in a classroom setting, it is easy to take on a black and white mindset. When actually implementing treatment for these disorders and caring for children with these disorders, one learns just how multifaceted these children are, and the necessity of always coming from a place of love, patience, and understanding when applying treatment.
Visit the Summer Internship Stories page to read more about student internship experiences.