Interested in an Internship with Our Clinical Therapy Program?
Apply to Our Clinical Therapy Program (CTP)
Perinatal Support Washington (PS-WA) offers a graduate-level internship and practicum training program for students seeking specialized experience in perinatal mental health. This program is designed for master’s-level graduate students in Counseling, Marriage & Family Therapy (LMFT), and Social Work programs.
Our internship program combines structured clinical training, supervised practice, and systems-based learning, while expanding access to perinatal mental health care for individuals and families across Washington State.
Program Eligibility
We accept applications from students who are:
- Enrolled in a master’s-level graduate program in:
- Counseling
- Marriage & Family Therapy (LMFT track)
- Social Work (MSW)
- Eligible for practicum or internship placement through their academic institution
- Able to meet Washington State requirements for student clinical or pre-clinical work
Please note:
PS-WA does not accept undergraduate students. Our Externship Program for post-graduate clinicians is currently on hiatus.
Internship Availability & Application Timeline
Perinatal Support Washington accepts graduate interns on a rolling basis for:
- Fall (Starts Late Aug- Sept)
- Spring (Starts Jan)
- Summer (Starts in May)
Placements are based on program capacity, supervision availability, and academic alignment. Start dates, weekly hours, and total hour requirements are coordinated with university field placement expectations.
Two-Level Internship Structure
To ensure developmentally appropriate and ethical training, PS-WA uses a tiered internship model based on academic standing and clinical readiness.
Foundational Year Internship
Intake Team Placement
Designed for:
Graduate students in their foundational or first practicum year
Training Focus:
Assessment, intake processes, care coordination, and systems navigation.
Foundational year interns are placed on the Intake Team and may:
- Conduct preliminary client screenings
- Support intake assessments and clinical triage
- Assist with assignment of cases to appropriate providers
- Provide case management and follow-up
- Document services in the electronic health record
- Learn ethical scope of practice, confidentiality, and professional communication
Foundational interns do not carry an independent therapy caseload.
Advanced Year Internship
Clinical Therapy Team Placement
Designed for:
Graduate students in their advanced practicum year who are clinically eligible to provide therapy under supervision.
Training Focus:
Direct clinical practice in perinatal mental health.
Advanced year interns are placed on the Clinical Therapy Team and may:
- Carry a supervised therapy caseload
- Provide individual therapy via secure telehealth platforms
- Participate in clinical consultation and team meetings
- Complete treatment planning and clinical documentation
- Apply evidence-informed perinatal mental health interventions across the reproductive lifespan
Advanced interns receive regular clinical supervision and ongoing feedback to support professional development.
Training & Supervision Model
All interns participate in a comprehensive training program that includes:
- Perinatal Mental Health Intensive
A 10-week foundational training covering the full perinatal mental health spectrum, including common diagnoses and evidence-informed interventions - Team trainings, including:
- Perinatal mental health intake procedures
- Clinical documentation standards
- Treatment planning
- Telehealth service delivery
- 90-minute clinical team meetings/case consultation
- Supervision (individual or dyadic, depending on role and caseload)
- Optional access to additional PS-WA professional trainings throughout the year
Service Delivery Format
- Services are currently provided 100% via telehealth
- Interns support individuals and families throughout Washington State
- In-person opportunities may be added in the future as programming expands
For Students & University Field Placement Offices
PS-WA internships are training-forward placements designed to meet graduate program requirements while preparing students for ethical, competent practice in perinatal mental health.
- Learning objectives and supervision align with graduate field education standards
- Internship level (Foundational or Advanced) is determined based on academic standing and clinical readiness
PS-WA collaborates with university field instructors and placement coordinators as needed
Ready to Apply?
If you’re a graduate student in Counseling, Marriage & Family Therapy, or Social Work and interested in a Foundational or Advanced Year Clinical Therapy internship, we invite you to apply.
PS-WA accepts applications on a rolling basis for Fall, Spring, and Summer placements.
For University Field Placement Coordinators
If you are a field instructor or university placement coordinator interested in exploring whether Perinatal Support Washington may be a good fit as a perinatal mental health internship site, please use the form below. This inquiry is intended to support program-level alignment, relationship-building, and coordination of academic requirements, rather than individual student advocacy or placement requests.
Internship opportunities for 1st year MSWs:
Interested in applying for the Warm Line internship? The first step is to complete this Google form. We will respond to your form within two weeks.
Questions? Contact us at WL.internship@perinatalsupport.org
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.