NAC’s psychology internship program aspires to be a center of excellence that will afford prospective interns the opportunity to experience the rewards of serving the underserved while receiving training as professional psychologists. We are committed to providing interns with experiences in serving:

• Dyadic psychotherapy with parents and young children who have experienced trauma and attachment disruptions 
• Individual psychotherapy using modalities such as psychodynamic psychotherapy and evidence-based treatment models
• Family therapy 
• Comprehensive psychological evaluations of adults and children 
• Assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of clients who have developmental disabilities or autism spectrum disorder
• Parent consultation to address challenging behaviors 
• Mental health consultation to NAC staff and agency personnel 

Interns are expected to carry a caseload of 10 to 12 clients and to conduct approximately 15 psychological evaluations over the course of the year.

• A comprehensive orientation, which provides an introduction to all areas of functioning included in the internship with background conceptual and/or didactic frameworks
• Weekly didactic seminar sessions (1-2 hours per week) with topics that are pertinent to the clinical work interns will provide at NAC, such as training in assessment and intervention, working with medically fragile youth, and clinical dynamics of adoption
• Participation in weekly case conferences with a multidisciplinary team from all of the relevant units at NAC for the purpose of insuring an appropriate treatment plan
• Two hours of supervision provided individually and one hour in a group on a weekly basis for both testing and therapy cases
• Supervision provided individually and in a group on a weekly basis by outside supervisors from the NYIPT for the attachment model intervention include video feedback of the session
• Written evaluation and feedback from supervisors twice a year to identify areas of practice that are strengths for the intern and those needing further skill development.

Interns receive a stipend of $25,000 for 12 months with full employee benefits including health and dental coverage (individual or family) as well as five personal days, four weeks paid vacation (accrued), paid sick leave (accrued), and paid holiday time.

Ashley Golub, Psy.D. is the Assistant Director of Mental Health and Coordinator of Psychology Training at New Alternatives for Children. She is a NY state licensed psychologist who earned her degree at the Ferkauf Graduate School of Yeshiva University in their Child-School Psychology program. Dr. Golub brings an attachment lens to her clinical work and supervision, and has expertise in psychology assessment, particularly projective measures.

Shauna Balch, Psy.D. is the Coordinator of Psychology Internship Training. She earned her doctorate in school-clinical psychology from Pace University. Dr. Balch has experience working with individuals across the lifespan, and particularly with medically fragile youth and individuals with complex trauma.

Amanda Boris, Psy.D. completed her doctoral training at The Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology. Her areas of interest include trauma, relationship challenges, and family conflict, with a focus on multicultural sensitivity. She has expertise in autism testing using the ADOS-2.

Dani Sessler, Psy.D. is a New York state licensed clinical psychologist. She earned her doctorate in school-clinical psychology from Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology. Dr. Sessler has a particular interest in attachment relationships and trauma. She provides therapy, comprehensive evaluations, and supervision to psychology trainees at NAC.

Dayna Shapiro, Psy.D. is a NY state licensed psychologist who earned her doctoral degree from Pace University. Dr. Shapiro brings an eclectic trauma-informed approach to her therapy, assessment and consultation work.

Kate Hariton, Psy.D. earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from The George Washington University. She specializes in early childhood mental health and parent-infant psychotherapy.

Dr. Ashley Rodriguez is a bilingual bicultural Post-Doctoral Psychologist. She presently provides therapy, assessment, and parent consultation to individuals and families across the developmental lifespan with complex trauma. Dr. Rodriguez also teaches at Fordham University Graduate School of Education. 

NAC’s Psychology Internship program has been a member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Center (APPIC) since 2018. The program has been in the process of completing a self-study for accreditation since 2019. However, there is no guarantee that NAC’s Psychology Internship will attain APA accreditation at this time.

Through APPIC online, submit the following materials:

• A copy of your APPI application 
• A copy of your CV
• Photocopy of your transcript from your graduate program(s)
• Three letters of recommendation
• An integrative assessment report

Please check for deadline dates on the APPI website. Interviews will occur in late December and January.For questions, contact Shauna Balch: sbalch@nackidscan.org.