Huey-li

Huey-li joined the VACorps program in 2026 from Penang, Malaysia. She is completing a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology at UCSI University Kuala Lumpur. During her time in Cape Town, she completed a clinical psychology internship at a private psychiatric clinic under the supervision of a clinical psychologist.

Cape Town was never on my bucket list, but when I saw an internship opportunity here, I just had to come. Finding a clinical psychology internship overseas is hard, and when I saw that VACorps offered this opportunity, I knew I wanted to do it. It also gave me the chance to travel to a new continent that has many negative stereotypes back home, and I loved that I would be close to the beach.

The thing I loved most about my internship was honestly everything. There isn’t one specific thing. I loved being part of the groups, interacting with patients, learning about DBT and addiction, and just being in the environment. I even loved lunchtime with my colleagues.

One of my main goals was to gain more practical experience with group work. During my internship, I had the opportunity to facilitate group sessions on psychological resilience and attachment styles, as well as co-facilitate a session on abuse. I also learned a lot about the cycle of addiction, the mechanisms behind addiction, and the principles of group therapy. Being able to observe different psychologists and occupational therapists also gave me the chance to learn from their different approaches and styles of facilitating groups.

I learned so much about different disorders that I would never have been exposed to in the same way back home. The experience also helped me become more confident working in a multidisciplinary environment. I am most grateful for this internship, hands down.

Outside of the internship, I loved how close the beach was. It was usually no more than a 30-minute drive away, and that is probably what I will miss most. The weekly VAC activities were fun, and the staff were definitely very supportive. I also really enjoyed getting to experience different places around Cape Town and learning more about the local culture.

I stayed for 89 days, and for me, around 70 days would probably have been perfect. My biggest tip is not to wait until the last few weeks to explore outside of central Cape Town. Places like Kalk Bay, the Cape of Good Hope, and Gansbaai were some of my favourite experiences, and I wish I had started exploring them earlier.

Overall, I feel that the internship was very worth it, and I am incredibly grateful that I had the opportunity to do it.