Perinatal Mental Health Internship and Externship Opportunities for Clinical Therapy
Currently open to: Graduate-level Interns (our Externship Program is currently on hiatus, please check back to see when it reopens.)
For 2025 we will only have a fall cohort starting in September 2025
Are you interested in applying for an internship? Please fill out this interest form to be considered.
Perinatal Support Washington launched a new clinical training program for interns (masters level graduate students) and externs (newly graduated therapists, or therapists looking for intensive perinatal mental health training) in Fall 2020. This unique training program begins each Fall and runs for one year (Sept- August). Each Fall we welcome a new cohort of intern and externs. This program is intensive and comprehensive and will prepare therapists to treat the wide range of perinatal mental health experiences. This program balances didactic training, clinical application, and intensive supervision. Interns and Externs apply their learning in our clinical therapy program that provides treatment for individuals experiencing a wide range of concerns including infertility, perinatal loss, birth trauma, postpartum adjustment, experiences such as perinatal depression, anxiety, and panic, breast/chestfeeding stress/trauma, relationship concerns since baby, and unwanted feelings such as anger, rage, and irritability. We serve individuals throughout the entire perinatal period including preconception/conception, pregnancy, perinatal loss, and parents up to 24 months postpartum who are experiencing perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.
The objectives of this program are:
- To provide high quality perinatal mental health services to communities that have systematically lacked access to this specialized care. Families served regardless of income/insurance status.
- Train therapists of color to increase access to culturally matched services.
- Train therapists with intention of continuing in the perinatal mental health field to increase high quality supports for parents in Washington State.
Overview of clinical CORE services Interns/externs will provide:
- Telehealth: Provide therapy to new parents via secure telehealth platform.
- Therapy/Support groups for pregnant or new parents.
- Note: Our program is entirely telehealth at this time, but we may move to some in-person options in the future.
This is a unique opportunity for an intern or extern to bring perinatal mental health services to their community and provide culturally matched services. Through partnerships with local non-profits serving diverse communities we can grow culturally matched services throughout the Puget Sound region. New partnerships welcome!
Perinatal Mental Health Training Overview:
The Perinatal Mental Health training program provides small group, individual and team training and support throughout the year to support you in developing your clinical voice and style. The following is an overview of the training program:
- Perinatal Mental Health Intensive. This 10 week intensive goes through the entire Perinatal Mental Health Spectrum. It is designed to provide therapists with knowledge of common mental health concerns, diagnoses, and overview of interventions.
- Weekly Team trainings covering:
- General mental health skills (how to complete a perinatal mental health intake, clinical notes, PMH treatment planning, treatment via telehealth, etc).
- Weekly 90 min clinical team meetings/case consultation.
- Weekly supervision - 1:1 or dyads depending on caseload.
- Interns and Externs are invited and encouraged to attend PS-WA trainings throughout the year such as:
- 1 or 2 Day Perinatal Mental Health trainings
- Group Peer Support Facilitator training
- Any specialty trainings hosted by Perinatal Support WA throughout the year.
If you are interested in applying for an intern or externship please fill out this interest form.
Internship opportunities for 1st year MSWs:
Open to MSW students who identify as peers: parents or individuals who have experienced a mood and anxiety disorder related to childbearing, aka PMADs, and are 1 year or more post-partum.
Peer Support Specialists (PSS) interns will become trained peer providers who use their lived experience as parents who have 'been there' as well as the clinical skills and interventions we provide training on to support their caseload of parents struggling in the perinatal period. This opportunity is a minimum commitment of 9 months to ensure continuity of care for our participants.
The Parent Resilience Program provides non-clinical, trauma-informed, culturally matched peer support to individuals navigating the perinatal period. Currently, we serve Latinx/Spanish-speaking families and Black Families with culturally-matched services. Our model is informed by the needs of our individual participants to provide the unique, tailored support that parents in the perinatal period need to foster, restore, and improve their emotional wellness. We define the perinatal period from pre-conception to two years postpartum. Learn more HERE.
Priority for internships and practicum placements for Peer Support Specialist roles in the Parent Resilience Program are BIPOC peers willing to offer culturally matched care to their communities and/or live in King or North Sound Counties, and can provide hybrid in-person services. PS-WA is a hybrid remote organization; however, the Parent Resilience Program is the only program at PS-WA that provides in-person support.
For more information, please see the 2025 Intern PSS Job Description and submit your resume and cover letter.
Please email Elizabeth.MooreSimpson@perinatalsupport.org.
Please put PSS Intern in the subject line.
Learn More About Our Programs:
Now offering Telehealth therapy for people trying to conceive through 24 months postpartum.
Perinatal Support Washington is excited to announce a new Perinatal Mental Health Therapy Program for people during the reproductive period.
Services available regardless of income or insurance.
We treat a variety of common concerns including infertility, perinatal loss, birth trauma, postpartum adjustment issues such as depression, anxiety, and panic, breast/chestfeeding stress/trauma, relationship concerns since baby, and unwanted feelings such as anger, rage, irritability.
We are not able to offer services in the following circumstances:
- Clients who are actively suicidal.
- Clients who are transitioning out of inpatient mental health services.
- Clients who are not in recovery or actively engaged in recovery services for substance use.
Help parents access support and programs through our Warm Line
Our Parent Support Warm Line is the access point for all our programs. We are here when families need us. Calls are answered live M-F, 9am-4:30pm, and we provide prompt call backs on evenings and weekends. Calls are answered by parents or professionals. At the end of the call parents will have a plan that includes wellness and self care planning, referrals, and next steps.
1-888-404-7763
To access any of our programs, clients can call our Warm Line or request a call back. Se habla español.
Discover the Perinatal Education Resilience Collaborative
Connect clients with one of our Parent Resilient Specialists. Each specialist has both lived experience and specialized training in wellness and mental health in the childbearing period. They can help clients develop helpful and realistic self-care and wellness plans, and arre great at finding local activities such as storytimes, breastfeeding support groups, or even attending a new parent support group with them to overcome the anxiety about going alone.