Pre-Doctoral Internship

Framework is a thriving group practice based in Los Angeles. We were founded on the principles of providing affordable, accessible psychological services from highly qualified therapists. Current marketing strategies attract high functioning clients in their 20s, 30s, and 40s who are experiencing phase of life issues, relationship concerns, or striving to achieve work/life balance. Our pre-doctoral internship is designed to help strengthen your outpatient clinical skills, developmentally foster your autonomy, and grow your identity as a private practice therapist.

Perks of Training at Framework:

Immediate Full Caseload: You don’t have to worry about finding your own clients and taking years to complete your required hours! We’ll recruit your clients for you, and fellows who maintain adequate client retention will gain their required training hours quickly.
Supportive, Relational, Supervision Model: Supervision is designed to meet California licensure requirements. We honor the wealth of experience you bring to your fellowship and ground our supervision in a strengths-based relational approach. We enjoy developing relationships with our interns and setting them up for long-term success in private practice. Supervision includes:
- Individual Supervision (Includes periodic live observation of clinical sessions.)
- Supervision of Professional Development
- Couples Therapy Consultation
- Didactic (Topics change monthly. Themes include clinical interventions, minority populations, and therapeutic modalities.)
Opportunities for Postdoc: Interns who demonstrate an excellent fit during their internship may be invited to stay at Framework for a post-doctoral fellowship.
Private Practice Coaching: Interns receive ongoing guidance and mentorship in their private practice journey. Additionally, each summer we run a structured 8-week workshop on concrete strategies to launch, market, and grow your own dream practice.

Overview:

Duties: Clinical duties include conducting intakes, providing individual and couples therapy for adults, as well as optional group therapy facilitation. Additionally, interns will co-present a Continuing Education specialty topic to their peers annually.

Hours & Commitment: This is a full-time, 1 year internship.

All interns must be available for full-time (35 hours/week) employment. We do not hire part-time interns.
All fellows are asked to commit to a minimum of 1 year of full-time training.

Start Date: Mid-August of each year

Hybrid Work Remote: Interns are asked to work 2 days/week from our North Hollywood office and 3 days/week from home. Interns must have access to a high speed Internet and a private, quiet workspace at home.

Compensation & Benefits:

This is an hourly W2 position. Our compensation model is competitive with similar associate positions in Southern California. We do not list the compensation on this page out of sensitivity to clients who may review our employment postings. Full compensation details are shared during an interview.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes paid time off, health/vision/dental insurance, 401(K) matching, childcare savings accounts, and free continuing education.

Information on APA Accreditation & Psychologist Licensure:

Our pre-doctoral internship is not accredited by the APA and we are not seeking accreditation at this time. However, our internship is designed to meet requirements established by the California Board of Psychology for pre-doctoral Supervised Professional Experience (SPE). This means that graduates of our internship are on an appropriate pathway towards psychologist licensure in California. If you plan to pursue psychologist licensure in another state, please check your state’s requirements and then consult with Dr. Leal to determine if our fellowship complies.

Additionally, prior to applying, please confirm that your doctoral program will allow you to complete an internship that is not APA accredited. We have established approvals from Alliant International University, Azusa Pacific University, California Northstate University, and Pepperdine University. We are open to accepting pre-doctoral interns from other programs but we strongly encourage you to speak to your program’s training director before applying.

Applicant Requirements:

To be considered, you MUST:

Be approved for advancement to pre-doctoral internship by your doctoral program.
Have at least 1 year of prior experience providing outpatient services to adults.
Provide culturally sensitive services that are affirming of race, sexual orientation, gender identity, and ability status.
Value the therapeutic relationship and build strong rapport with clients.
Have experience providing clinical services from at least one of the following theoretical orientations: Interpersonal, Relational, Psychodynamic, Humanistic, or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
Provide efficient clinical services with timely documentation.
The is no need to have an active Psychological Associate registration, we will help register you.

How to Apply:

Our interview and offer process moves quickly and is designed to coincide with “Phase 2” of the APPIC internship match. Our spots are limited, so please do not delay sending in your materials.

We are impressed by applicants who explicitly demonstrate that they have reviewed the full information on this employment page.

Incomplete applications are not reviewed.

To apply, please email the following materials to Dr. Leal (EL@FrameworkPsych.com):

Cover letter
CV
2 Letters of recommendation (either directly from you, or your references may email them separately)
De-identified sample of your clinical writing (progress note, case report, etc.)

TESTIMONIALS:

Testimonials are collected from trainees after the conclusion of their training experience.

Framework Associates was an excellent site for me to train post-graduation. There were many opportunities to grow my clinical skills in terms of presenting problems, populations, and psychotherapeutic orientations. I loved having a regular couples’ caseload, being able to form a long-term relationship with my clients, and treat complex cases. The company’s social justice values are in alignment with my own. I also appreciated getting specialized, in-depth training on treating ADHD and care for LGBTQ+ folkx. The Continuing Education presentation assignment provided me a lot of insight which I continue to use in my practice. Lastly, the flexibility in scheduling was extremely useful for me on many occasions. I really enjoyed and appreciated my time with Framework, and I hope this site will be a good fit for others.

“Framework offers an ideal post-doctoral position for clinicians interested in working in a private practice setting. I appreciated the opportunity of training in both individual and couples therapy, as well as working with a diverse range of clients in a setting where culturally sensitive and identity-affirming care is prioritized. The program balances supportive and engaged supervisors with the independence and autonomy of a private practice position. I left my training year feeling confident in my ability to practice independently and having found a professional home on the team at Framework. My entire cohort chose to stay with Framework following the end of our training year, which I believe is the most telling endorsement of all!”

“I really enjoyed my postdoctoral training at Framework. The directors and supervisors were supportive, positive, organized, and highly knowledgeable about clinical issues, multicultural and LGBTQ issues, and a wide range of interventions. I was able to grow my clinical skills and my confidence as a psychologist. I am grateful for my time here and I strongly recommend Framework to anyone looking to complete their [training] in a socially progressive, culturally sensitive, and respectful environment that is staffed with highly ethical and experienced practitioners.”

“I couldn’t ask for a better postdoc experience than the one I had at Framework. It’s an incredibly supportive atmosphere that both provides guidance and fosters autonomy to build your confidence into becoming an independent and licensed psychologist. I appreciated having a variety of clinical experiences, particularly with individuals presenting with a variety of concerns and the opportunity to work in couples and relationship therapy. Further, Framework is intentional about providing multiple supervision and consultation spaces to allow for various perspectives, including opportunities for learning and contribution. They are flexible in helping you achieve your own goals, both professional and personal. Finally, what I think speaks most highly of this postdoc is that I elected to stay with the practice even after becoming licensed; I'm still with Framework after 3 years and couldn't be happier with the decision!”