Internships

LFC psychology students with internships

At Lake Forest, both quality academic programs and internship experiences help students prepare for the working world. Our proximity to Chicago offers access not only to extensive internship options, but also to a network of powerful alumni and friends.

Psychology Internships

Our psychology department has one of the most extensive internship programs at the College.

We have partnered with more than 70 institutions in the Chicago area to provide practical and relevant field experiences for our majors in social service agencies, hospitals, and other applied educational, organizational, or legal settings. These experiences allow counseling, teaching, research, and other skills to be cultivated in preparation for later professional training and/or employment.

Lake Forest students can pursue up to three for-credit internships. Our location in the Chicago metropolitan region offers a wide variety of internship possibilities

Types of Internship Settings Include:

Clinical And Counseling
  • adolescent and adult inpatient and outpatient therapy
  • alcohol and drug treatment
  • therapies for autism spectrum and other conditions
  • rehabilitation psychology
Legal
  • forensic psychology and social work
  • states attorney’s offices and probation units
  • local and state police departments
Social Service
  • rape crisis and sexual assault
  • domestic violence
  • enrichment and intervention programs
  • children’s hospitals
  • Alzheimer’s and dementia facilities
Educational
  • school psychology and social work
  • teen outreach
  • Montessori schools
  • athletic and adaptive sports programs
Industrial/Organizational
  • human resources
  • data analysis
Research

• academic and policy institutions in the Chicago region

Psychology internships are for academic credit only and are available to juniors and seniors. Students interested in a psychology internship should schedule an appointment with the CAC Internship Specialist for Psychology internships.

*Schedule an appointment via Handshake. Need help scheduling an appointment? View our Handshake Help Page here.

Where Can You Go With Internships?

Gretchen Yehl, MS

Gretchen Yehl, MS

Senior Researcher at Fisher Price

Mario Baldassari, PhD

Mario Baldassari, PhD

St. Mary’s University

Diana Lopez, MSW

Diana Lopez, MSW

Hancock College Preparatory School

Emily Weber, PhD

Emily Weber, PhD

Clinical Psychologist

Cejay Roman, MA

Cejay Roman, MA

Licensed Professional Counselor

Did You Know?

The Department of Psychology offers internships in more than 70 institutions across the Chicago region.

What Our Students Say

  • “Had I gone to a bigger school I don’t think I would have had the life-shaping experiences nor the level of personal attention I had at Lake Forest. I learned so much about myself and become confident in what I can do. I apply what I learned both in and out of the classroom every day in my career.” – Ezra Goldberg ’12, Recruiting Analyst at Aon Hewitt

  • “My internship at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago was ideal for gaining extensive experience in occupational therapy.” – Samantha Smith ’13 

  • “I knew I wanted to pursue serious research in psychology, so I chose to come to Lake Forest College.” – Alyssa Parr ’13, MA Program in Educational Psychology at Univeristy of Virginia

  • “Working closely with professors on research was an invaluable experience. After graduating, I came to realize that it’s unique to Lake Forest College.” – Sydni Cole ’12, MD/PhD Program at Northwestern University

Career Pathways

Psychology majors most often find a home in the Law and Public Service Career Pathway, but they can also find a home in any Career Pathway.