Tasks can include:

assessing client's needs, abilities or behaviour using a variety of methods, including psychometric

tests, interviews and direct observation of behaviour;

working as part of a multidisciplinary team alongside doctors, nurses, social workers, education

professionals, health visitors, psychiatrists and occupational therapists;

devising and monitoring appropriate treatment programmes, including therapy, counselling or

advice, in collaboration with colleagues;

offering therapy and treatments for difficulties relating to mental health problems such as anxiety,

depression, addiction, social and interpersonal problems and challenging behaviour;

developing and evaluating service provision for clients;

providing consultation to other professions, encouraging a psychological approach in their work;

counselling and supporting careers;

carrying out applied research, adding to the evidence base of practice in a variety of healthcare
settings.

Case studies:
Chartered clinical psychologist
Eleanor works with children and adolescents with mental health difficulties, a role she enjoys due
to the variety and the ability to help improve lives
I gained an MA in Psychology at Edinburgh University and then studied a postdoctoral degree in Clinical
Psychology at Glasgow University. I currently work for the NHS as a chartered clinical psychologist with
CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) in Newcastle.
I secured my current job by gaining relevant experience during university and holidays. I then secured a
post as an assistant psychologist working with adults with learning disabilities. Once I had built up my
experience I gained place on the clinical psychology training course.
Following this I took up my current post. Both undergraduate and postdoctoral degrees were relevant and
essential to my current role.
In CAMHS, I work in a multi-disciplinary team seeing children and young people. I see young people with
a variety of different presentations and difficulties, ranging from depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress,
eating disorders, and psychosis as well as developmental difficulties including social communication and
attention difficulties. I work individually with children as well as with their families using a range of different
therapeutic techniques. We all carry our own caseload but there is also joint working and assessment
where needed.
A typical day will be spent seeing cases individually or with their family. There is also time spent updating
clinical notes and assessments, which are all held on the electronic system. I might also spend some time
discussing cases with other team members, either informally or in providing them with supervision. We
also liaise closely with other services that are involved in children's lives.

My role has developed in terms of being able to take on more complex presentations and developing my
therapeutic skills in particular areas. Providing supervision to other team members is also part of
developing a more senior role, as well as providing placements for trainee clinical psychologists.
My career ambition would be to take up a post at consultant level, taking on more responsibility to help
manage team and service-related issues and providing supervision and training to other staff.
I enjoy the varied range and nature of the work with children and their families, and helping children to get
better and get back on with their lives. It can be challenging to hear about the difficult experiences that
young people have been through. It is a busy service, so ensuring we manage to see everyone and
offering them the right service can be difficult.
The best part of my role is the service you are part of, and knowing that it is accessible to all who need it;
there is a good support network and opportunities for further training and development.
Don't forget the importance of getting voluntary experience in terms of working with people in either
voluntary or support work type settings, which is crucial to gaining an assistant psychology post, which in
turn is key to gaining a place on a clinical psychology training course. It can be very competitive in terms
of all stages of the ladder into this career so relevant experience is an important first step.

Case studies:Community clinical psychologist

Dana secured a considerable amount of work experience while studying for a degree in
psychology and after graduating. This is an essential part of gaining a place on a clinical
psychology doctorate programme
I studied a first degree in psychology at Glamorgan University and a doctorate in clinical psychology at
Cardiff University. I currently work for the NHS as a clinical psychologist.
During my undergraduate degree I worked as a mental health support worker, which helped me to
appreciate the content of my degree. Following my degree, I worked as a mental health worker and
worked in an international school. I also worked for a disability service and did voluntary work for a clinical
psychologist one day per week.
Eventually, I managed to secure my first post in Cambridge, at a medium secure unit for adults with
learning disabilities. I secured my second assistant psychologist job back in Wales. Again, I worked with
people with learning disabilities. I learnt more about different psychological models, research and service
development. From this post I secured a place on the doctorate programme.
My degree was highly relevant, although not essential. I am aware of a few individuals who have gained a
place on psychology doctoral training from a nursing background. However, they were very
psychologically minded and had extensive experience working clinically in the NHS, with supervision from
a clinical psychologist.
My current post is working as a community clinical psychologist. The most prominent duty of my role is to
carry out direct individual interventions with adults who are experiencing complex psychological
difficulties. This involves conducting assessments, offering appropriate interventions derived from the
formulations, monitoring and evaluating outcomes of therapy, and feeding back to other health
professionals.

I most enjoy doing therapy with people. It is very rewarding to be part of someone's journey to recovery. I
currently work in community adult mental health, which is quite a medically dominated service. Being a
lone psychologist in a medically dominated team can be challenging. The waiting list for psychology is
long so it feels as if there is a pressure to prioritise seeing clients.
One of the best aspects of the sector is that my current role is a permanent job, which is hard to come by
in the current economic climate. You also have a lot of autonomy to shape your own role.
My advice to students considering clinical psychology is to do relevant work during your undergraduate
degree (e.g. support work). Voluntary work, preferably for a psychologist, who can offer you clinical
supervision, looks very good on an application form. Try to find a psychologist that has good links to the
doctoral training course you'd like to go on. There is no rush, go travelling and enjoy yourself before
embarking on a career in clinical psychology. Life experience counts for a lot at interviews.
Be prepared for rejection, as it is a highly competitive profession to get into. However, do not let knock
backs put you off. If you are determined to be a psychologist, it is possible. Be prepared to move location
as jobs are few and far between and you could wait a long time for a job to come up in your area.