Doctoral Internship - VA Long Beach Healthcare System, CA

Place: VA Long Beach Healthcare System
APA Accreditation: Accredited
Training Director & Lead / Director: Leela Farina, Ph.D.
Chief Psychologist: Vanessa Hurwitz, Ph.D.
Positions: 6 for 2027-2028
Stipend: $40,904
Primary Agency Type: Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Website: https://www.va.gov/long-beach-health-care/work-with-us/internships-and-fellowships/internship-program/

The VA Long Beach Doctoral Internship Program has been fully accredited by APA since 1980. Our primary goal is to train interns to conduct an array of psychological services in a general health care facility. Although our psychology staff provide some very specialized services, we believe that training at the predoctoral level should be broadly based rather than narrowly focused. The generalist training that we provide reflects the population of our medical center and outlying clinics. We serve primarily adult veterans and some active military service personnel, the majority of whom are male but with a higher percentage of women in younger cohorts. We've been known for our behavioral health training as well as more traditional psychological services. We accept both clinical and counseling students and no distinction is made between them concerning the content of training experiences. We tailor our internship program to the specific needs of each intern. With the advisement of the Training Director, interns select 4 rotations that blend their individual training needs and interests. Our program follows a traditional apprenticeship model where the intern works closely with their supervisors. The degree of responsibility and structure afforded the interns depends on their level of experience coming into each rotation. Our program also includes didactic seminars on topics such as evidence-based practice and professional development, release time to attend any offered trainings needed for CA licensing at local sites, and other rotation-specific didactic and interdisciplinary experiences. Intern offices are located in the same area to foster close interaction.

(This page was last updated on 9/15/26)