NLP Research Intern

At Talkspace, we are committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and belonging-centered workplace where everyone can thrive while making a difference in mental health. Want to help over two million people receive quality mental healthcare? Come join our mission of getting therapy in the hands of everyone!

We are looking for a NLP Research Intern to join our research team this summer. The intern will develop a computational framework using Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Large Language Models (LLMs) to analyze therapeutic dynamics. The primary goal is to identify linguistic patterns predictive of clinical and therapy outcomes across key populations. This role culminates in the production of high-impact, peer-reviewed clinical evidence.

*This is a remote position based on Eastern Time. Talkspace Headquarters is located in NYC*

As part of your application, please include a cover letter. We’d love to hear why you're interested in Talkspace and this internship in particular. Make it personal—we want to hear your voice, not ChatGPT's . 

Internship Details:

• Duration: June 1st, 2026 - August 21st, 2026
• Commitment: 20 hours per week
• Projects: You'll work on 2-3 key initiatives, with one serving as your final deliverable. 
• Compensation: Our compensation policy ensures a minimum of $15/hour or the legally required local minimum wage, whichever is greater, to maintain fairness across regions.
• Mentorship: You'll be paired with a Talkspace mentor to guide you throughout the program.

What You’ll Do

• Build and refine tools for model training, and evaluation specifically for conversational data.
• Design and apply methods for keyword/topic extraction, emotion/sentiment identification, and text summarization to de-identified transcripts.
• Analyze conversational dynamics to determine which patterns correlate with patient engagement, adherence, and clinical improvement.
• Assist in translating clinical research questions into machine learning workflows.
• Apply the NLP framework to specific demographic cohorts (e.g., veterans, teens, women) to identify unique therapeutic needs.
• Synthesize complex technical methodologies and findings into academic-quality manuscripts.
• Prepare at least one manuscript for submission to a top-tier peer-reviewed journal (e.g., Nature Digital Medicine or JMIR).
• Implement best practices in AI ethics and bias mitigation.
• Maintain clean, documented code following best practices for reproducibility and sharing.

About You 

• Currently pursuing a PhD or Master’s in Computer Science, Computational Linguistics, Data Science, or a related Engineering discipline.
• Strong proficiency in Python and SQL, with experience in NLP libraries
  • Familiarity with deep learning frameworks and LLM fine-tuning/prompt
    engineering.
  • Experience with cloud-based environments (AWS) is a plus.
• Proven track record of research, evidenced by at least one peer-reviewed publication or workshop paper in a relevant venue.
• Understanding of healthcare data privacy (HIPAA) and a commitment to identifying and mitigating bias in AI models.
• Ability to articulate complex technical methodologies clearly for both technical and non-technical (clinical/business) audiences.

Why Talkspace? 

Talkspace is the world’s leading online therapy company, serving over 2 million users looking to begin their wellness journey through tele-health. According to the World Health Organization, close to 1 billion people worldwide live with a mental disorder, and on average more than 75% with mental, neurological, and substance use disorders receive no treatment for their condition at all. Additionally, one-third of the world’s population – 2 billion people – live in countries that spend less than 1% of their health budgets on mental health. Therapy is an universal need and it's our mission here to change the world by cultivating an intentional space for people to feel supported through quality care that is simple and accessible.

Combining our passion for innovation along with our desire to help others overcome the stigma behind “getting h