NYU Langone Opens Psychology Externship Training Program 2026 at Sunset Terrace Family Health Center

Sunset Terrace Family Health Center at NYU Langone has officially announced its Psychology Externship Training Program, offering four structured externship positions for doctoral psychology students. This clinical training opportunity focuses on culturally sensitive psychological practice and provides hands-on experience in assessment, psychotherapy, and diagnostic services within a large community-based health setting in Brooklyn, New York.

Program Overview

The Psychology Externship Program is designed to train future psychologists in culturally informed clinical care. Externs work with adult patients, child and adolescent patients, or a mixed caseload, depending on their selected track. Across all tracks, externs gain experience in individual therapy, psychological testing, intake assessments, and crisis intervention.

The program is housed within the Sunset Terrace Family Health Center, a site known for its long-standing contribution to cross-cultural clinical research and the development of innovative therapeutic approaches.

Training Environment

Sunset Terrace Family Health Center is part of the NYU Langone Family Health Centers network, a federally qualified health center system providing both primary and specialty care. Located in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, the clinic serves a diverse, multi-ethnic community and has been active since 1967.

The behavioral health program supports a wide range of culturally sensitive services, including adult outpatient treatment, child and adolescent mental health care, school-based services, co-occurring disorder treatment, and wellness support programs. The center also has a strong history of clinical research, with past projects leading to presentations and published work.

Externship Structure

The program offers four externship positions, each requiring a minimum commitment of 16 hours per week. While externs select a primary specialization, all participants are part of a shared core training experience.

Externs are actively involved in:

• Intake interviews and diagnostic assessments

• Psychological testing

• Individual psychotherapy

• Crisis intervention

• Ongoing clinical documentation and case formulation

The intake process involves in-depth clinical interviews, provisional DSM-V diagnoses, and clinical organization of findings, allowing externs to develop confidence in real-time clinical decision-making.

Psychodiagnostic Testing

Each extern completes three full psychological assessment batteries during the training year. Standard intelligence and projective measures are used to address referral questions from providers. A key focus of supervision is the impact of culture on psychological assessment, making this a distinctive aspect of the program.

Outpatient Psychotherapy

Therapeutic training emphasizes a deep understanding of personality development, psychodynamic processes, patient–therapist relationships, family and social systems, and the role of culture in mental health. Externs receive close supervision while working with a diverse patient population across the lifespan.

Service Delivery Tracks

Externs may specialize in one of the following areas:

Child and Adolescent Outpatient Program
Training includes therapy with children and adolescents, parent and guardian collaboration, intake interviews, psychological testing, and collateral services.

Adult Outpatient Program
Externs provide psychotherapy, intake assessments, and diagnostic testing for adult patients with a wide range of psychiatric presentations.

Externs in both tracks have the option to work with clients outside their primary focus, allowing for a mixed caseload experience if desired.

Didactic and Educational Program

Educational activities take place on Tuesdays and include clinical seminars, team meetings, and staff trainings. Required seminars cover rotating clinical topics and Motivational Interviewing. Optional seminars may include Child and Adolescent Treatment, Rorschach and Projective Techniques, and DBT skills, depending on availability.

Supervision

Externs receive:

• Two hours of individual supervision per week with a licensed psychologist

• One hour focused on psychotherapy cases

• One hour focused on assessment and testing

• One hour of weekly group supervision

Eligibility and Application

Applicants must be matriculated in a doctoral program in clinical, counseling, or school psychology. The externship is best suited for second-, third-, or fourth-year doctoral students.

Required application materials include:

• Curriculum vitae

• Writing sample

• Cover letter specifying desired track

• Two to three letters of reference

• A letter confirming good standing in the doctoral program and readiness for externship

Applications are accepted in accordance with NMS guidelines.

Contact Information

Questions about the externship may be directed to:

Joseph Laino, Psy.D.
Psychology Training Director – Internship and Externship Programs
Sunset Terrace Family Health Center at NYU Langone
514 49th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11220
Phone: 718-437-5217
Email: [email protected]

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