Psychology & Mental Health Volunteer Programmes

Hands-On Experience in Psychology and Mental Health: Volunteer Programmes Abroad

Take your psychology learning beyond the classroom with volunteer programmes designed to give you practical work-based experience. As part of charity-led projects, you’ll work side-by-side with local professionals and make a real difference in communities where mental health support is needed the most.

Whether you’re looking for a clinical psychology placement or a tailor-made psychology and mental health volunteer opportunity, get in touch and unlock the potential of your psychology degree while creating lasting change.

Choose a programme below and start your volunteer adventure today!

VOLUNTEER HIGHLIGHTS

  • Develop Practical Psychology Skills: Apply psychological theories and techniques in real-world settings, honing your counselling, assessment, and intervention abilities.

  • Experience New Cultural Perspectives: Gain insight into the psychological experiences and challenges of diverse communities, enhancing your cultural awareness and competence.

  • Make a Difference in Mental Health: Contribute to the improvement of mental health access and care, promoting well-being and resilience among individuals and communities.

  • Advance Your Psychology Career: Acquire valuable work experience, build professional connections, and strengthen your resume for future opportunities in psychology and related fields.

PSYCHOLOGY AND MENTAL HEALTH

Psychology & Mental Health Volunteer Programme In Ghana
Volunteer with the mental health teams at a local medical clinic and hospital. Observe clinical care and help with child development. Field visit to a psychiatric hospital. Engage in community outreach projects to raise awareness about mental health and wellbeing.
Location: Senya Beraku, Ghana
Price: From £350
Duration: 1-12 Weeks +
Dates: 1st week of every month (flexible start dates offered)
Age: 18+
Includes: Accommodation, meals, airport pickup/dropoff, in-country transport, professional programme development, 24/7 support
Clinical Psychology Volunteer Programme In Ghana
Shadow and assist mental health care professionals at a psychiatric hospital. Learn about clinical care and treatment. Support community outreach projects with education and awareness programmes.
Location: Cape Coast, Ghana
Price: From £400
Duration: 1-12 weeks +
Dates: 1st week of every month (flexible start dates offered)
Age: 18+
Includes: Accommodation, meals, airport pickup/dropoff, in-country transport, professional programme development, 24/7 support
Psychology & Mental Health Volunteer Programme in South Africa
Support a leading child abuse NGO. Gain clinical experience in victim support and receive training in child psychology. Work on a number of important community outreach projects raising awareness about gender based and sexual violence, human rights and teenage pregnancy.
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Price: From £400
Duration: 4 weeks +
Dates: 1st week of every month (flexible start dates offered)
Age: 18+
Includes: Accommodation, meals, airport pickup/dropoff, in-country transport, professional programme development, 24/7 support
CRIMINOLOGY & LAW VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME IN SOUTH AFRICA
Criminology & Psychology Volunteer Programme in South Africa
Volunteer with a leading child abuse NGO. Gain clinical experience in victim support and child psychology as well as learning about the legal, police, court and prosecution processes for investigating cases of abuse and criminal justice.
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Price: From £400
Duration: 4 weeks +
Dates: 1st week of every month (flexible start dates offered)
Age: 18+
Includes: Accommodation, meals, airport pickup/dropoff, in-country transport, professional programme development, 24/7 support
Psychology & Mental Health Volunteer Programme in India
Volunteer placement in the mental health unit at a local hospital in Jaipur. Work under the supervision of a psychology doctor. Observe clinical care and help with child development. Engage in community outreach projects to raise awareness about mental health and wellbeing.
Location: Jaipur, India
Price: From £350
Duration: 1-12 weeks +
Dates: 1st week of every month (flexible start dates offered)
Age: 18+
Includes: Accommodation, meals, airport pickup/dropoff, in-country transport, professional programme development, 24/7 support

WHY VOLUNTEER WITH
VOCATIONAL IMPACT?

We were founded with a goal to turn the volunteer travel industry on its head.

It’s simple really, the largest percentage of your donation goes directly to our long-term partner projects and we match your unique skills and goals to the place they’ll make the most impact.

We prioritise the sustainable development of communities around the world and want people to have rewarding experiences that they know really make a difference to the people they’re working with.

Get in touch with our volunteer coordinators to understand how your tailor-made programme can directly support projects across the world whilst giving you the professional experience that will help you stand out from the crowd.

Hear from our volunteers

Hands-on and Practical Psychology Experience
The psychology placement was very insightful. It was a very hands-on and practical experience that I will carry through my life as I wish to be a clinical psychologist. I was mainly involved in clinical history taking of patients with addiction (primarily alcohol and opium) and I also sat in on diagnostic sessions with the Dr. I learnt about clinical assessment in psychology, delved into the DSM and ICD-10, learned about psychiatric diagnosis and addictions, and helped run anxiety and depression tests for clients.

Spending time with the kids in the afternoon was wonderful! I feel like I have made friends for life. Meeting the kids and Smriti aunt and seeing the life she has built for them and the experiences she ensures they have was truly inspiring. Also seeing the children’s love for each other and how they built their own family away from their birth givers was great.
Pavani Duggal
University of St Andrews
December 2023
It Helped Me Understand Myself More
This was the first time I got to engage with Clinical Psychology practically. A lot of my studies (as a Law student) focus on the theory of rehabilitation, but I got to actually sit in rehab clinics and engage with the clients, which really helped put my studies into practice. As someone who wants to go into Clinical-Forensic Psychology, but is currently studying Law, this Psychology work experience will definitely benefit me when I do my Master’s.

When I was in the Psychology Department I got to learn and contribute to some of the case studies that were being taught to the Psychiatric Nurse students. The rehabilitation clinic had a visiting group of Americans who made us all have counselling sessions, along with the clients. Hearing everyone’s own stories as well as giving my own contributions really helped me understand myself more.
Marilyn Gomes
University of Cambridge
December 2023
Priceless Once-in-a-lifetime Experience in India
I really had the best time!! I want to thank Vocational Impact because it was very well organized, and I felt very safe and taken care of. I’m very grateful for all the work you guys put in! Overall, my experience and impressions of my time in India were impressive, unmatched and priceless, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It is hard for me to generally put into words what I learned and how much I feel I have grown during this time.

I cultivated so much compassion, empathy, and understanding that this will definitely help me in my future profession. I will be able to have a better understanding of situations that I cannot directly relate to. It gives me understanding and perspective for things that are not my own. I understand hardship on a new level and this understanding creates empathy and this empathy can only be of benefit for a psychotherapist.
Lena Funk
Erasmus University Rotterdam
November 2023
Life-changing Psychology Experience in Ghana
This was probably one of the most amazing but also the hardest and most intense experiences of my life to date. I was involved in some major breakthroughs with some of the rehab, bipolar & anger management patients. I also helped do a lot of psychoeducation on diagnosis and the brain, in both the male ward and rehab clinic and the counsellors let me write up the reports. This was all such an incredible experience and has really helped my professional and career development.

My time at the Psychiatric Hospital was phenomenal. It really was a life-changing, eye-opening, heart-wrenching, and incredibly rewarding experience. Tony, the coordinator there, was so inspiring, and the level of organization and care at the facility was truly impressive.
Jess Walch
University of Adelaide
October 2023

GET INSPIRED

Researching the cost of volunteering abroad? Check out these essential tips for fundraising success.

"International volunteering gives you cross-cultural experiences and understandings of your subject field - learning and applying your psych knowledge outside the classroom whilst having an amazing international travel experience - why wouldn’t you want to go?!"

Thinking of boosting your psychology career with real-world experience? Discover how volunteering abroad can be a game-changer for psychology students.

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