Our researcher internship experience

Have you achieved the goals you were hoping to during your internship?

Yes! I felt that I achieved them. They were -

1. Understand the full cycle of a research project from research need to implementation

2. Arrange meetings with academics who can advise on next steps for studying

3. Provide support to projects of interest Gain research skills and experience by providing support to at least two research projects.

It wasn’t a goal, but I did enjoy working with Omowumi (another intern) on the self-care synthesis, it was great to get to know her and learn about her experience, her thoughts on this project and come up with a piece of writing that we could both agree on. The topic was interesting too and I was able to tap into my learnings in my degree to complete a piece of writing. I enjoyed getting to know all the interns too.

If yes, how were these achieved?

Attending learning sessions and asking questions helped me understand the process, Kim (my supervisor) was a great help at filling in gaps and helping me to identify what gaps in knowledge and I was able to have meetings with Julian and Jess to answer questions that I was unsure about. I spoke at length with my buddy Georgia about next steps and she was helpful in guiding me as well as Sade and other interns as well.

I learned from the careers learning sessions too which was very helpful. I got to learn about content analysis, transcripts, quantitative data, data dashboards, R and Stata, scope reviews and systemic reviews and qualitative studies, and take part in training sessions such as NATP and Kooth Platform. I supported on three projects total.

What is your main takeaway from the internship?

• Having an unbiased understanding of research and the focus of child and adolescent mental health outside of just therapy and extreme trauma, the maintenance of mental health is significant to maintain positive outcomes.

• After introducing myself several times it has made me think more about what has bought me here and why I took on this role and then what my research interests are, this is something I hadn't given much thought before the internship.

• Learning about the research process and the importance of how it is changing attitudes about mental health, supporting young people and being inclusive to groups that have historically been excluded from research. AF are making big strides and doing life changing work in a much-needed area.

• Researchers are such lovely open and supported people, and it has been a welcoming environment to be part of.

Would you recommend the internship to someone else? If so, what would be the main thing, you’d want them to know?

Definitely. That it is good to come with an open mind and to learn about the important work of child and mental health research and be willing to ask questions to see where the internship takes you. I would also tell them to have an idea of what part of research relates to them and their interests in deciding which connections to make the most out of it.

Reflecting on the people you met and the connections you made during your internship, was this experience valuable? Did you meet everyone you hoped to, and do you feel that you've expanded or created a professional network? Feel free to name drop

Yes, it was incredibly valuable, and I am pleased to have made some connections that I will keep long after the internship and maybe get to work with them in a different capacity.

I hoped to meet with more people on the UK Trauma council, Schools Project and the EDI team as I was quite interested in the work. I did send a couple of emails to Polly, but our diaries didn’t align then I became busy with other projects. I would have liked to do more with the perinatal research, but I did still make a connection with Grace Baptie. I hope to stay in touch with Saul Hillman as I really enjoyed the adoption project and stay in touch with Kim and see the outcomes of the NATP projects. I would like to see the updates of the Kailo project and keep in touch with Abi and the team. I enjoyed learning about Emily Goodacre’s PhD work about play and connection, it was definitely a topic I was interested in. It was so beneficial to have the one to ones with Jess Deighton and Julian Edbrooke-Childs, they each have such a wealth of experience I got some good tips for my own future career goals.

If you had to summarise this internship into a couple of sentences, what would you say?

It’s a great opportunity to learn about research without doing a PhD, everyone is welcoming and supportive of your goals and really encourages you to carve out your own interests, this may not be possible in a different company. AF as an employer is extremely inclusive and people centered, the training sessions available and newsletters sent make you feel like a proper employee you get all the benefits as well as the work experience. If flexibility is important to you then Anna Freud is a great advocate for work life balance and flexible working, you are given lots of autonomy which is a really trusting environment to be part of.

What are you doing next in your career and or education? Did the internship play a role in determining your next steps? If so, how?

I would like to complete a MSc in Developmental psychology in September 2025, likely to be at Kings. Long term I have been drawn to DClinPsy. I will complete a Masters with an open mind and see where I end up after that, right now I’m keen to get into a role where I can use the multitude of skills I have accumulated from my degree and work experience.

This internship gave me an insight into the value of research and how it changes policy and I now definitely want to be able to be involved in a organization that influences good outcomes. I have been able to define my interests of research which is diversity, inequality and social and environmental influences to child development and I think I would like to complete a PhD on this topic in the future and be in a position to teach and discuss these issues, in addition to working clinically with families. Working with Anna Freud opened up my eyes to the work that is being completed behind scenes that is really helpful young people and shining the light on mental health to make it a priority which as we know has not always been the case, knowing that change is possible inspires me to be part of the change.

Have you achieved the goals you were hoping to during your internship?

In terms of short-term goals, I wanted to meet with Rachel Hiller and Nick Midgley to discuss some of their work and their roles, both of whom I separately met with. A longer-term goal was to gain new skills in coding and transcribing qualitative data. I worked on transcribing for both the Adoption Studies Project and the Image Based Measures project. I was able to code some interviews for the Image Based Measures project and learn more about codebooks for qualitative data. I also attended all the qualitative learning sessions where I was able to learn a lot more about qualitative research in general such as using topic guides and differences between thematic analysis, the framework approach and the ideal type analysis. I feel a lot more confident with qualitative research now.

Another goal was to develop a basic level of proficiency in R coding. I began to work on this goal by attending R learning sessions and from there I was able work independently on coding in R including basic demographic information, t-tests and regression analyses. I also wanted to explore pathways to becoming a clinical psychologist and gain knowledge on different master's courses. Both of these goals involved discussions with a lot of people and some desk research. I was able to meet with all of the people that I wanted to meet with and have now got a clearer idea as to what direction I would like to go in.

What is your main takeaway from the internship?

I greatly enjoyed my time at Anna Freud and have come to really appreciate the value of relationships and a good team. Throughout all of the projects that I worked on, the thing that elevated them the most was having a strong team. With the Umbrella review, this made the work enjoyable and made me happy to contribute.

Furthermore, the relationships and connections I've made have been invaluable. I really enjoyed my relationship with my supervisor and felt very supported in all of the things that I wanted to achieve, and that made me feel safe. The relationships that I formed with people I've talked to and worked with has also been great as it has informed me on what I like and don't like, and where I would want to go from here. I think having a buddy is such a good idea and made me feel comfortable and happy at Anna Freud.

Would you recommend the internship to someone else? If so, what would be the main thing, you’d want them to know?

I would definitely recommend this internship to others. The support that you receive from supervisors is fantastic and allows you to make this internship a personal experience that benefits you in the best and most specific way. I was able to get out of this internship exactly what I wanted and that will be great for my future. The space to ask for help and make adjustments has also been really good and has made me feel comfortable working here.

Reflecting on the people you met and the connections you made during your internship, was this experience valuable? Did you meet everyone you hoped to, and do you feel that you've expanded or created a professional network? Feel free to name drop

I was able to meet everyone I wanted to and found these experience really helpful. First of all, the fact that everyone was so willing to meet or answer questions made me feel confident to keep asking questions and setting up meetings. Everyone was also really open and this allowed me to see what I liked about their roles and what I didn't like. I found it really interesting to meet with Matthew Constantinou because of his mixed work pattern and it allowed me to envision a pattern that I would enjoy.

I also found meeting with Nick Midgley really helpful as I got to hear about his role and compare the role and education of a child psychotherapist with a clinical psychologist and got to understand that I would prefer the latter. Being able to hear people's actual work day and how they got there really helped me when thinking about my future. I also got to understand more about people's work life balances which will definitely inform my decisions and help to prepare me for the future.

If you had to summarise this internship into a couple of sentences, what would you say?

This internship at Anna Freud is an excellent place to start a career. There are great opportunities for learning and making connections, with room to personalise the internship so that you get the most out of it. The opportunities to work on and hear about several projects can foster interests that you never had and ultimately this internship allows you to develop personal skills and gain confidence in your career and yourself.

What are you doing next in your career and or education? Did the internship play a role in determining your next steps? If so, how?

As of now, I am going to finish my undergraduate and go on to complete a master's. This internship has sparked an interest in perinatal mental health so when applying to master's I will be looking at master's involving that or young people's mental health or developmental psychology as I originally came into the internship thinking about. The internship has also reaffirmed my interest in clinical psychology, and also sparked an interest in research.

Have you achieved the goals you were hoping to during your internship? If yes, how were these achieved?

Yes. I had 3 goals and I have achieved them all.

1. Gain varied experience in terms of stages of projects

2. Feeling more confident in research skills to be better equipped for postgraduate studies.

3. Gaining some clinical experience or learning from people who have done the course and been through the application process.

I achieved everything I set out to do with help from Polly Casey (my supervisor), Martha Reilly (internship programme coordinator) and other members of the Applied Research and Evaluation team.

What is your main takeaway from the internship?

My main takeaway from the internship is that everybody has a different story/ journey, and you don’t have to take one clear-cut route. The experience has shown me how many options are available, and I don’t think I would have known that without completing the internship.

Would you recommend the internship to someone else? If so, what would be the main thing, you’d want them to know?

Yes. I would want them to know that it is not as scary as you might think. Initially, it may be quite daunting being in a professional setting, but after a while, you kind of realise that they’re just normal people. Everybody is here to help you, and I found that any issue I’ve encountered has been resolved without a huge fuss.

My advice would be, not to be afraid and fully immerse yourself in the experience.

Reflecting on the people you met and the connections you made during your internship, was this experience valuable? Did you meet everyone you hoped to, and do you feel that you've expanded or created a professional network?

Yes. I think it is helpful to make connections with any job/ field, particularly in academia. It weirdly seems like a small world, and everyone knows each other, so I’m sure I will see everybody again! I have made valuable connections with my supervisor Polly Casey, and Adelaide O’Mahony who works for the UK Trauma Council. I did some work for the roundtable event they were doing, and we hit it off straight away, she is fab and I hope we stay in touch. I think Jenna Jacobs is a really good mentor, she thoroughly explained the task and her expectations were clear from the beginning.

I was hoping to meet people on the clinical team - which I did. Shade Davies (2021 intern and now doing a DClinPsyc) and Matthew Constantinou both gave me some really good advice about how to apply for the DClinPsyc and interview preparation. I now have a better understanding of the role and what the expectations are.

I met with Teresa Segura from the early years team and she shared her journey and job role, which was really helpful. She mentioned different types of experiences/ voluntary work that can elevate your CV and strengthen your job applications.

If you had to summarise this internship into a couple of sentences, what would you say?

It is a whirlwind of emotions but in a good way. The knowledge and the staff make the experience so enjoyable.

I think the internship was great in so many ways but the staff made the experience. Everyone was so helpful, and you could tell there was a genuine passion for the research being conducted.

What are you doing next in your career and or education? Did the internship play a role in determining your next steps? If so, how?

I am doing my Master’s in Health Psychology as my next step. I want to pursue a PhD after a cheeky gap year, but I am not sure what area. I always had my heart set on clinical, but after speaking with different people I feel like my options are so broad. Emily Goodacre did a learning session about her PhD in developmental psychology and I thought that was so much more interesting than clinical. I am now very conflicted about my next steps, but I kind of like that.

Have you achieved the goals you were hoping to during your internship?

Yes I achieved my goals. My goals didn’t really shift across internship but definitely helped me get the most out of the internship

What is your main takeaway from the internship?

Feeling more confident in my research abilities. My imposter syndrome is still there a little bit but has definitely improved.

There was a snowball effect from having screening discussions with Georgie (Beewell funded PhD student). Screening is not the most exciting task but having those discussions about our disagreements was really helpful in making me realise what I was thinking and saying was relevant.

The internship made me feel like research is a career I could actually pursue. Previously I felt like it was really far away and not something I could do or enjoy. I didn’t know much about how it worked as at university I only learned about clinical pathways. Also hearing about people’s career pathways really helped knowing it isn’t a linear path.

I would also say that the importance of co-production and all the participation work at Anna Freud with the Lundy Model is a key takeaway for me.

Would you recommend the internship to someone else? If so, what would be the main thing, you’d want them to know?

Yes. I would say that everyone is really friendly. I was really intimidated by the idea of researchers before I started the internship so I’d have wanted someone to tell me this because it was a nice surprise that everyone was lovely.

You’re not going to be judged for asking questions or expressing your needs

What you’ve been doing at university will have semi-prepared you for this internship i.e., you’re not going to be starting from scratch but it’s a space to develop your research skills but also learning how to work in a professional environment and collaborating with other researchers (which will be wildly different to when you have group projects at university).

Reflecting on the people you met and the connections you made during your internship, was this experience valuable? Did you meet everyone you hoped to, and do you feel that you've expanded or created a professional network?

It was a really really valuable experience. Across projects I met a lot of people which has been good and hopefully I will get to continue working on some of the projects and get to work with them again in the future and I really enjoyed meeting the other interns as well.

If you had to summarise this internship into a couple of sentences, what would you say?

This internship was an incredible opportunity that provided a space to develop skills across various research projects and learn from the researchers currently working at Anna Freud. Across the internship I got to learn about the behind-the-scenes of the research process as well as getting hands-on experience contributing to the important work being carried out at Anna Freud.

What are you doing next in your career and or education? Did the internship play a role in determining your next steps? If so, how?

I feel like the internship gave me a lot of clarity in the things I could do next especially hearing from so many different professionals and career-wise I was dead set on a clinical route I hadn’t really thought about other options. I just knew I didn’t have much experience in anything as had only worked in hospitality. Before internship I thought my only psychology related options were as an assistant psychologist or working at a school .

The meeting we had with the previous interns made me realise I could apply to research assistant roles after this internship. I thought that I would not have enough experience. After meeting with Hotri Alapati (2023 intern and research assistant an Anna Freud following her internship) and talking about how to go about looking for RA roles I got some really helpful interview/ application tips and websites to look on. I started applying for research assistant roles. to places (Don’t think I would have looked into RA roles before internship. I was successful and will be working as a research assistant at the Tavistock and Portman NHS foundation trust.

Have you achieved the goals you were hoping to during your internship?

Yes, I have achieved my goals. I think having a dedicated time and space in supervision sessions really helped me to narrow down was it was that I wanted to achieve and made me think about the steps I could take to achieve this.

For example, one of my goals was “To increase my confidence when conducting interviews or focus groups with at least three different audiences (to include young people)” which I made SMART by refining this to: “To conduct at least two interviews with young people; to conduct at least two interviews with professionals by the end of the internship”

To achieve this, I read about the approach to interviews, shadowed interviewers and made notes, conducted the first interviews and then watched recordings back to reflect on my own interviewing skills (and make a plan for development). I also sought out feedback from the second interviewer, though on reflection it may have been helpful to ask how the interviewee experienced this.

By the end of the internship, I had conducted interviews with 4 young people, conducted a consultation with 1 professional, and co-facilitated two working groups for the PMH needs assessment.

What is your main takeaway from the internship?

I have a much better appreciation of what research and evaluation is (and isn’t), and what a career in research involves. For me, this meant understanding that research isn’t just conducting interviews, surveys, experiments and analysing the data. I have learned about the timelines from funding to dissemination of findings, and all the stages in between.

Would you recommend the internship to someone else? If so, what would be the main thing, you’d want them to know?

Yes, I would recommend the internship. I would also want them to know that everyone's’ experiences before the internship will be different, and that is ok. It’s also ok to ask lots of questions – you’re not expected to know and understand everything, and asking questions is a great way to learn (and connect with people).

Reflecting on the people you met and the connections you made during your internship, was this experience valuable? Did you meet everyone you hoped to, and do you feel that you've expanded or created a professional network?

Yes, I think being able to work on projects and with teams across the organisation has been particularly valuable in supporting me to develop a professional network. I have really enjoyed building relationships with my peers who are at similar stages of their careers, as well as those who are highly experienced in their roles and can/have offered support, guidance and their insights.

If you had to summarise this internship into a couple of sentences, what would you say?

The internship has been a great opportunity for me to apply and develop the skills and knowledge I gained throughout my university degree in a supportive and encouraging environment. Managing the balance of learning sessions and carrying out project work allowed me to develop my time-management and planning skills, and I was able to benefit from the level of autonomy that was afforded to me with regards to this.

What are you doing next in your career and or education? Did the internship play a role in determining your next steps? If so, how?

I am studying my MSc Theory and Practice in Clinical Psychology. The internship has confirmed that I would like to pursue the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, but I do not feel as much pressure to be successful in gaining a place on the course within a certain timeframe – I know that I would also enjoy working in research and would benefit from further experience in a research assistant role. I also feel that the experience I have gained on the internship will help me in my applications for these (both in terms of the experience I have gained, but also specifically in relation to where to look for opportunities/how to demonstrate my suitability).

Have you achieved the goals you were hoping to during your internship? If yes, how were these achieved?

• Yes, taking part in research projects that align with my research areas of interest.

• Attended meetings scheduled to hear different perspectives, research interests and career progression.

• One goal shifted, I decided I wanted to pursue a PhD

What is your main takeaway from the internship?

Research careers are more accessible than I had previously anticipated. I have a clearer picture on how to gain entry into research careers.

Would you recommend the internship to someone else? If so, what would be the main thing, you’d want them to know?

Yes, I would want them to know that you gain a vast, valuable amount of experience which exceeds that of which you learn in a university environment

Reflecting on the people you met and the connections you made during your internship, was this experience valuable? Did you meet everyone you hoped to, and do you feel that you've expanded or created a professional network?

I feel that I made very valuable connections, particularly with other research interns who are at similar points in their career pathway, and I also made valuable connections with researchers that align with my research interests, particularly Eva Sprecher, and Rachel Hillier.

If you had to summarise this internship into a couple of sentences, what would you say?

The internship is a valuable opportunity to develop your research skills and the confidence to practice these in a professional environment. it also gives you the opportunity to network with professionals, work within your research interests and gives you a boost in terms of your academic career. It is an unmissable opportunity.

What are you doing next in your career and or education? Did the internship play a role in determining your next steps? If so, how?

Currently completing my final year of undergraduate study and hope to complete a PhD next year, this decision was greatly influenced by my time at Anna Freud.

Have you achieved the goals you were hoping to during your internship? If yes how and if no what could have been done to help you do this. Or have your goals shifted during your time with us?  

Absolutely! The internship went above and beyond my goals. The breadth of knowledge and experience has been more than I could have asked for. I remember my first goal-setting session, and within a couple weeks they had all been addressed and actioned, so I had to come up with more!   

What is your main takeaway from the internship?  

My biggest takeaway from the internship would be to stay focused on my goals and reach out to likeminded people who have experience in doing similar things you want to do. As someone who wants to do both clinical and research work, speaking to others who have achieved this was very eye-opening. Some of the best advice I had received was that I can do it all, just not all in one go!    

Would you recommend the internship to someone else? If yes what would be the main thing you’d want them to know.   

I would definitely recommend the internship. A researcher role can be varied and interesting and basically what you make it! There is so much scope to follow your interests. I appreciated the range of projects we could get involved in.  

Was the learning and work pitched at the right level for you? Were you engaged and challenged while not being overly stretched or confused?  

Yes, I would definitely say so. I came into the internship with very little research experience, but I was able to ask questions and be curious. If there was ever anything I was unsure of, there was no such thing as a ‘silly question’. I was given training and support to make recruitment calls for an RCT. I especially appreciated the learning sessions which supported our activities within the various projects.  

If you had to summarise this internship into a couple of sentences what would you say?  

I would say that if you are looking for a career in research then this internship is the perfect opportunity to learn, network and meet other people in the field. It has shown me that research can be creative, and I especially enjoyed the teamwork.  

Any other comments or thoughts you want to share?  

I would like to say a big thank you! I have learnt so much. Doing this internship with the other interns was a great experience as we are all at similar stages in our careers. I have made good friends and can’t wait to see what they get up to in the future!  

What are you doing next in your career and or education?   

I would love to do both clinical and research work. I enjoy working with people but also the continuous learning of academia. Next steps for me would be a role such as research assistant or assistant psychologist.   

Have you achieved the goals you were hoping to achieve during your internship? If yes how and if no what could have been done to help you do this. Or have your goals shifted during your time with us? 

I have achieved most of the goals, regarding understanding research and developing skills related to literature reviews, organisation, project management and analysis. However, it would have been great if we could have more analysis tasks and some exposure to lab work. 

What is your main takeaway from the internship? 

Very useful learning sessions - built a lot of skills. Main learning was to ask questions and keep being curious. 

Would you recommend the internship to someone else? If yes, what would be the main thing you’d want them to know? 

Yes, it is very helpful to understand different aspects of a research institute and charities. Reach out to people and ask questions- everyone is friendly.  

Was the learning and work pitched at the right level for you? Were you engaged and challenged while not being overly stretched or confused? 

Yes, it was very well managed. KAILO was very well structured with good guidance. The responsibility and work was at the right level. 

If you had to summarise this internship into a couple of sentences what would you say? 

Great opportunity to network and learn all about research and more. Great work culture. 

Any other comments or thoughts you want to share? 

Journal club was very helpful. 

What are you doing next in your career and or education? 

Continue at Anna Freud as a Research Assistant and then go onto a PhD or masters studies. 

Have you achieved the goals you were hoping to during your internship? If yes how and if no what could have been done to help you do this. Or have your goals shifted during your time with us? 

I achieved most of goals I wrote out at the start of the internship, for example, learning about the timeline of a research project from proposal to publication (thanks to all the learning sessions), as well as getting experience of working in a different working environment. I would have liked to have more experience working with quant and qual data specifically the transformation and analysis side of things. I know this may be difficult due to data protection and the fact that POD was being updated maybe it would be useful if there were any dummy data sets available for future interns to play around with and get the opportunity to learn new software.  

What is your main takeaway from the internship? 

This internship has been invaluable to me as someone in the process of changing their career with the desire to pursue a career in mental health research. The breadth of projects we were able to get involved with has been a great learning opportunity as well as all the learning sessions, getting to ask questions and get feedback from experts in their field has been immensely helpful.  

Would you recommend the internship to someone else? If yes what would be the main thing you’d want them to know. 

Most definitely! The internship is perfect for anyone starting out in research or even those who are changing their career path. For the future interns, I would recommend reaching out to your colleagues at AF, be proactive in your communications and find out those who may be able to help you develop your skills in a particular area.  

Was the learning and work pitched at the right level for you? Were you engaged and challenged while not being overly stretched or confused? 

Generally I think everything was pitched at a good level and the volume of work was just about right. Although some of our deadlines were due at similar times which added a bit of stress, I think it was good to learn how to manage my time in that type of environment and work out the best way to prioritise for myself and balance that with the capacity of the other interns. There could have been another level of difficulty, for example being able to analyse quant and qual data. 

 If you had to summarise this internship into a couple of sentences what would you say? 

The internship has been a unique experience learning new skills that will be so useful for a career in research. There was the opportunity to engage with colleagues with a variety of expertise through the learning sessions and project briefings, with the chance to reach out to people directly and choose the projects we want to work on which allowed us to work flexibly and pursue projects of personal interest.   

Any other comments or thoughts you want to share? 

Everyone I’ve spoken to in person or reached out to over email/Teams have been really friendly and generous with their time which has created a positive work environment. There was also a good amount of trust and responsibility given to us on the projects which allowed me to feel that we were actually working/being productive rather than molly-coddled through the whole internship.  

What are you doing next in your career and or education? 

Eventually I would like to join a PhD programme but in the meantime I am looking for research assistant roles to gain more research skills. 

Have you achieved the goals you were hoping to achieve during your internship? If yes how and if no what could have been done to help you do this. Or have your goals shifted during your time with us? 

Yes, mostly, and this was despite my goals shifting to include a wider variety of departments, expertise and access Anna Freud provides. Some achieved goals included developing a bespoke therapeutic sporting project with support from the CEO; consulting on care-experienced research and participation; completing research on targeted wellbeing and extra curricular activities; and exploring multiple equity based fundamentals in mental health research to name a few. 

 What is your main takeaway from the internship? 

My main takeaway was the regular role modelling of constant curiosity and openness to learn from each other no matter one's level of experience, and this all the way to the top of the organisation. There were constant collaborations and spaces created for me to impact multiple work streams based on my experience. 

Would you recommend the internship to someone else? If yes, what would be the main thing you’d want them to know? 

Yes absolutely. Anna Freud is a sprawling research and practice centre that covers way more than often meets the eye, so rest assured that you’ll be able to explore interests normal and niche. Also, the best advice and compliment I can give is, when thinking of goals, start with your dreams first. 

Was the learning and work pitched at the right level for you? Were you engaged and challenged while not being overly stretched or confused? 

Yes and this improved over time. The programme coordinator was proactive and created a brave space in check ins that started from doing work that fits with our interest areas and goals. Due to the timing of my start date being delayed, it caused some confusion and over stretching at the start, however this was soon supported following check-ins with the relevant point person. 

If you had to summarise this internship into a couple of sentences what would you say? 

The internship is a very progressive and empowering initiative that consistently gives you a welcoming space and informed access to engage with sector experts, expand on your passions and, emphatically, experiment. 

 Any other comments or thoughts you want to share? 

Like many before me, I’m a huge supporter of this internship program, particularly its explicit aim to increase justice equality diversity inclusion (JEDI). It follows through with action (and investment) where countless organisations may buckle at such a hurdle. A huge thank you to the team behind this scheme and Anna Freud more widely for the steps in building an inclusionary culture. 

What are you doing next in your career and or education? 

I’ll be continuing to develop my bespoke and targeted therapeutic sport intervention, weaving in many of the skills and connections I’ve made through the internship program. With such support, I hope to continue onto post graduate and doctoral research to impact and be impacted by this intervention. I will also be continuing to deliver targeted wellbeing workshops with young people and families and various contexts. 

Have you achieved the goals you were hoping to during your internship? If yes how and if no what could have been done to help you do this. Or have your goals shifted during your time with us? 

Yes, I have achieved most of the goals I was hoping to achieve during my internship. First learning sessions were extremely helpful to know more about different subjects such as research in charity contexts, qualitative research, getting to know more about PhD opportunities and requirements, recruitment and project management. I have assumed and gained skills in various tasks, such as qualitative analysis, reaching out to partners and literature review.  

Most of the goals I could not achieve such as learning and being trained in different research or assessment tools was due to time limitations.  

What is your main takeaway from the internship? 

Working in a lively diverse research environment and assuming different tasks. I have cultivated skills in time management and task prioritising. I have learned a great deal in learning sessions and met very inspiring people. I have learned a lot about community-based robust research and different aspects of it.  

Would you recommend the internship to someone else? If yes what would be the main thing you’d want them to know. 

100% yes! It is an amazing experience and a great place to be involved in. I would suggest doing it full-time, as I have done in part-time, and making the most of the internship by making this their only focus, not hesitating to take over different tasks and catching all the learning sessions.  

 Was the learning and work pitched at the right level for you? Were you engaged and challenged while not being overly stretched or confused? 

Yes, I think it was. Following up some learning sessions with adding more complexity could even be a bit more challenging and engaging.  

If you had to summarise this internship into a couple of sentences what would you say? 

A great opportunity to learn, explore your interest and cultivate skills. An amazing place to meet inspiring people all of whom are eager to help you grow.  

Any other comments or thoughts you want to share? 

Overall, I am very grateful for this opportunity and very happy with my experience. Specifically in my case, I would have preferred doing this internship full-time if it was possible; however, it should not discourage anyone in my situation. Although having some short-term projects were very helpful to work across different groups and assume different tasks, I think projects we have been involved with for longer time were easier to catch up with and feel more closely engaged in my case. Still, having short-deadlines and finishing up certain tasks have also been a great learning experience.  

What are you doing next in your career and or education? 

I am currently pursuing research assistantship positions and aiming to do a PhD in the upcoming years.  

Have you achieved the goals you were hoping to during your internship? 

I definitely achieved the goals I set. One of my main goals was to develop my research skills and knowledge, in any capacity. I learned that there are many different areas important to research such as communication and dissemination. How will the research we conduct be distributed and seen by wider populations? By people who aren’t familiar with research jargon or the process in general? I learned of the steps taken to make research more accessible which was something I hadn’t given much thought.

What is your main takeaway from the internship?

I had a few, but mainly to be more confident in my abilities. I believe I was extremely hard on myself during the internship – it is easy to compare yourself to others when working in a group of five other extremely talented and qualified interns and I tended to second guess myself and my abilities. However, after having chats with my line managers I was able to relax and be open to making a few mistakes and learning from them. Another takeaway would be the importance of proper communication and building relationships. I noticed that Anna Freud is a large organisation with many different departments. However, there seems to be a close-knit working relationship among the departments. I feel this is an important aspect, especially when the charity is working diligently to support clients experiencing a range of difficulties. I appreciate how Anna Freud gives back to the community and makes a conscious effort to involve experts by experience, knowing that professionals do have some knowledge but people who experience mental illness first hand may have invaluable insight into what treatment methods are most effective.

Would you recommend the internship to someone else?

Yes of course, this internship is a unique opportunity to develop research skills in a safe and supportive environment, with extremely accomplished professionals who are more than willing to accommodate your learning and provide opportunities for you to excel and capitalise on your strengths.

Was the learning and work pitched at the right level for you?

The learning was pitched at the right level and at a good pace. It was definitely engaging, with many opportunities to ask questions and engage in activities that consolidate learning.

If you had to summarise this internship into a couple of sentences, what would you say? 

The internship is an opportunity to develop your research skills and learn about the ways the charity provides clinical treatment to children and young people who experience mental illness. This is all evidenced by the opportunities to engage in a myriad of projects that aim to develop interventions that promote the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people, as well as investigating the efficacy of interventions. Engaging in projects and learning sessions provides the opportunity to develop skills to conduct research at a high standard. It also provides the chance to learn different research methodologies and use various statistical software packages (both quantitative and qualitative). For me, this internship was an invaluable experience, where I not only learned but had the space to consolidate my learning practically.

Any other comments or thoughts you want to share? 

I’m extremely grateful to everyone who took time out of their busy schedule to make the internship a worthwhile educational experience. I’d say I’ve learned overall to be confident in my abilities, take the time to learn as you go, to take the initiative (if you don’t ask, you don’t get!) and to make the most of my experience. Have regular catch ups with the interns, and supervisors, engage in the best way you can. Don’t try and overcompensate for any shortcomings you feel you may have, just be yourself, that’s why you got here in the first place!

What are you doing next in your career and or education? 

I plan to find a research assistant or assistant psychologist role. I am very interested in both the clinical and research field and would love to marry the two together in any role I fulfilled. Long term, my goal is to get a PhD, or become a clinical psychologist.

What is your main takeaway from the internship? 

Being a recent graduate with very little experience, this internship was a massive confidence boost. I didn’t know what to expect from a full-time ‘9-5’ role so I was very nervous going into it, but my biggest takeaway would be ‘if you don’t ask, you don’t get’ so take every opportunity that comes your way even if you feel underqualified. Everyone I worked with at Anna Freud has been so lovely and it made me realise that people genuinely do want to help you, so if you ever want any advice people are more than willing to talk to you!

Would you recommend the internship to someone else?

I definitely would recommend this internship. The main thing I would stress, especially to undergrad students, is how rare an opportunity like this is within the psychology field.

If you had to summarise this internship into a couple of sentences what would you say? 

The internship is amazing in giving people experience that they otherwise would have had difficulty getting, especially due to its flexibility.

What are you doing next in your career and or education? 

I want to pursue a master’s, however, I want to get sufficient work experience beforehand – so this is more of a long-term goal.

What is your main takeaway from the internship? 

That applying research is very important to me, and that in future I want to work in an organisation that either does that itself, or has good connections to organisations that do. And that in any future work that I do, that should be the key focus, not an afterthought about dissemination. 

That there do seem to be mentally healthy ways to work in the mental health sector and research!

Was the learning and work pitched at the right level for you?

Overall, the vast majority of things were pitched at the right level and I never felt over- or underwhelmed. Importantly, I think there were opportunities to explore interesting things more and so we could really tailor our experiences to things we wanted to learn more about and challenge at the right level.

If you had to summarise this internship into a couple of sentences what would you say? 

It was a really supportive environment to get a wide range of different research experiences at a unique charity.

What are you doing next in your career and or education? 

Completing my final year of my psychology undergraduate degree, and then hopefully going into research or clinical psychology!

Have you achieved the goals you were hoping to during your internship?

My goals for this internship were to expand on my research knowledge previously gained during my undergraduate degree in Psychology as well as further my experience of working on qualitative and quantitative research projects.   Over the past three months, I can honestly say I have achieved the goals I had hoped to during this internship. I have been able to provide support to a plethora of different research projects.

What is your main takeaway from the internship? 

I have thoroughly enjoyed attending the learning sessions which have covered a diverse variety of topics.

Would you recommend the internship to someone else?

I would highly recommend the internship to others for several reasons. This internship provides you with an opportunity to gain first-hand experience of research within mental health. I particularly liked and appreciated its personalised approach, as the projects and tasks assigned were in direct correlation with individual interests and preferences. Finally, this internship operates with a flexible approach, enabling you to work remotely as well as choosing between full-time or part-time hours depending on your schedule. This shows that the internship was very accommodating and took into consideration other personal commitments.

If you had to summarise this internship into a couple of sentences what would you say? 

This internship enables you to gain vital knowledge and skills that significantly contribute towards your personal and professional development. Your interests and career aspirations are at the forefront of this internship. You are provided with several opportunities to shadow different teams across Anna Freud as well as get involved in projects and tasks that align with your interests and career aspirations.

Any other comments or thoughts you want to share? 

I would just like to say thank you! I am immensely grateful for this opportunity and hope to return as an employee at Anna Freud sometime in the future. As a Black woman who has continuously sought out research opportunities, words cannot express my gratitude for this internship.

What are you doing next in your career and or education? 

I will be going on to work as an assistant psychologist, working with young people with autism spectrum disorder or learning disabilities. In the future, I would like to further the experience and knowledge gained from this internship by working as a full-time research assistant.

Would I recommend this internship?

Yes! Anna Freud houses some of the kindest and most knowledgeable staff I've ever met. This internship is also for people who may have personal or physical struggles accessing or re-entering a workforce. I want more people who may feel nervous and doubt their worth to apply and know there is flexibility here to support you as you need to be supported. 

I encourage you to apply and trust the interview process to determine your suitability (it's a pretty simple process). If you are hired, you can always open the door for the next person by highlighting the weird and beautiful ways we all might need to work differently together as a team, so that the project work is well delivered and supports the wellbeing of young people from every walk of life in the UK. 

Have you achieved the goals you were hoping to during your internship?

I definitely think I have achieved most of my goals coming out of this internship. I was able to participate in many projects which helped me develop my research skills in more of a practical setting. I think I was able to build up my confidence in the work I was doing and I was challenged by things that I don’t often do, like presenting information to wider groups.

What is your main takeaway from the internship? 

My main takeaway from this internship is probably a sense of direction for the career path I wanted. Before the internship I found it quite difficult to bridge the gap in experience between my degree and a career in research.

Would you recommend the internship to someone else? 

Yes! It’s been such an amazing experience where you can contribute to meaningful work while learning as you go along. The people here are so passionate about what they do so finding out more about the range of projects running at Anna Freud was always an illuminating experience.

Was the learning and work pitched at the right level for you?

Yes, even if there was a learning curve with some work it never felt like I couldn’t ask someone for support or to clarify. The learning and work always varied, so I developed a lot of skills and learnt so much in a short space of time.

If you had to summarise this internship into a couple of sentences what would you say? 

This internship is a great way to develop a range of skills, you have access to so many incredible people and resources providing you with a really well-rounded experience. 

Any other comments or thoughts you want to share?

I’m really grateful to everyone I’ve met through this internship. It has been such a wonderful experience and I think that the people I met here have honestly been my favourite part of this experience.

What are you doing next in your career and or education? 

I really want to continue this trajectory of research and now that I have experience in the field I want to work in I feel more confident to apply for those jobs with the skills I developed and the people I connected with.

I learnt so much during my 3 months as a researcher intern; being part of a charity that values children, young people and families as well as their staff was influential. Everyone was so welcoming, willing to share their knowledge, experiences, provide training and give me valuable advice and support, which was like nothing I had experienced previously. Anna Freud is a truly collaborative and inclusive working environment, which continues to strive for diversity throughout its working practices.

The researcher internship gave me an opportunity for growth, learning and development as a black woman, to get into the field of mental health research. I would recommend this internship to anyone, as it has been hugely instrumental in my journey towards my future goals. I feel lucky to have been able to continue my journey, becoming an Assistant Psychologist with the Schools and Colleges Early Support Service.

I hope this scheme goes on for many, many years to come and expands it reach to many more individuals who may face barriers or are underrepresented in the field of mental health research, as representation really is key.