Clinical Psychology Internship for Underrepresented Students, a New Book from Anatasia Kim, PhD, and Abigail Johal, PsyD

Wright Institute Clinical Faculty Member Anatasia Kim, PhD and Clinical Psychology Program alum Abigail Johal, PsyD, are releasing a new book, Clinical Psychology Internship for Underrepresented Students: An Inclusive Approach to Higher Education. Here's what they have to say about their book, which was released on August 17, 2021:

This text introduces "Taking Flight", a year-long clinical psychology internship program to be implemented for students of color and first-generation college-bound students. The program offers hands-on opportunities for participants to develop skills that will propel them to seek advanced degrees in mental health.

The book offers a comprehensive internship curriculum based on a culturally affirming mentorship framework that aims to increase interns' exposure to clinical psychology, build confidence in their ability, and foster a sense of belonging as a means to inspire educational and career pursuits in the field. Chapters cover topics such as common mental health concerns; self-reflections and insights; research and clinical approaches; capstone projects and presentations; and integration of knowledge, skills, and self-concept. An appendix includes worksheets to utilize throughout the course of the program.

The program is designed to be operated within psychology departments in partnership with local high schools. The text will guide mental health providers and school professionals in executing this program in the hopes of ensuring a more diverse and inclusive clinical psychology workforce.

Theopia Jackson, PhD '95, Wright Institute Clinical Psychology alum and President of the Association of Black Psychologists, wrote the following review: "Taking Flight comes as a gift for the future of the field in responding to the psychological residuals of the nexus of COVID-19 and racial pandemics; moving us beyond the complexities of systemic structural racism toward new insights and tools for collective/individual wellness. Increasing the number of diverse or underrepresented persons in mental health fields is not enough; such scholars must bring forth cultural wisdom and science that furthers the effectiveness in serving BIPOC (Black, Indigenous People of Color) communities and all other communities. Clearly more is needed. Taking Flight is a blueprint for actualizing cultural accountability and humility. The American Psychological Association has reported similar demographic data for years that only 20% of all psychologists identify as people of color, which is probably an inverse relation to those being served. Taking Flight has the capacity of countering this data, as well as the potential for interrupting the school-to-prison pipeline that many underrepresented youth face; thus, serving as a professional lifeline for the field. Taking Flight should be institutionalized to ensure that the field mirrors the communities being served and increases its efficacy through such cultural encounters."

Former American Psychological Association (APA) President Melba J. T. Vasquez, PhD, added: "What an absolute jewel of a resource to help recruit diverse high school students into psychology! Taking Flight can be used as a main or supplementary textbook for a variety of audiences, including in high school, undergraduate or graduate courses. Its primary aim is to cultivate aspirations to advanced degrees and careers in psychology! The curriculum was developed over years of hands-on experimentation. I strongly recommend this splendid and valuable tool!"

Clinical Psychology Internship for Underrepresented Students is available now through Routledge, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.


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