Psychology

The vast majority of psychologists working in the NHS are clinical psychologists. This means they’re applying the principles of psychology to healthcare issues – for example, working with people struggling to come to terms with mental health problems, those living with chronic illness or those who’ve experienced a severe trauma. You’ll also find psychologists working in counselling, education, forensics, occupational health and academia.

Patients are referred to clinical psychologists by general practitioners, consultants or senior nurses who’ve identified that they need specialist help with emotional issues. They’ll see a psychologist for group or individual therapy and, although treatment can sometimes take several months, on average about five appointments are needed.

As a psychologist, you may see patients on home visits, in a primary care setting such as a GP’s surgery, in hospitals or in schools if you’re a child or educational psychologist. You can even work from home if you’ve set up your own private practice. It’s a diverse workforce and the services lend themselves to flexible working practices such as part-time work and flexitime.

Your aim as a clinical psychologist is to help patients help themselves and improve their own well-being using psychological theory and therapies, so you’ll often work closely with a team that includes allied health professionals and patients’ carers. An important part of any psychologist’s work is to support colleagues: patients may have enduring mental health problems, be coming to terms with a terminal or chronic illness or have been disfigured in an accident, and it can be tough working with people in distress or pain.

New developments

Much of the work you do as a psychologist will be guided by government policy and initiatives. Like all healthcare professionals you’ll need to keep up to date with National Service Frameworks and guidance from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE). Future work, particularly the way psychology services are delivered, is likely to be steered by the Layard Report, which recommended that many people currently on benefits and unable to work through mental illness could benefit from cognitive behavioural therapy. The Agenda for Change, which affects pay in the NHS, is also likely to have a major impact on the profession – it’s already led to a reduction in the number of jobs available to newly qualified staff.

Skills required

• Resilience – it can be frustrating and upsetting working people with complex problems.
• Compassion and empathy.
• Practical skills such as teamworking and listening skills.

Starting out

After completing an undergraduate degree in psychology (ideally getting a 2.1 or above), you’ll need to get an assistant psychologist post before studying for a professional doctorate. This is how the professional qualification you’ll need to be a chartered clinical psychologist. As an assistant psychologist you’ll be helping qualified staff, but you’ll still have your own responsibilities. You might enter data from questionnaires, help with research projects, carry out literature reviews or run relaxation groups. You may get to see individual patients with very specific guidance from a qualified member of staff. You’ll be closely supervised, meeting regularly with qualified colleagues. And there’s always support available from other trainees and assistants, so you’re never alone. For more information on psychology careers, see the British Psychological Society.

In brief

• Best bits
  It can be a great privilege meeting and working with patients.
  Seeing the changes patients have made in their lives can be inspiring.
• Worst bits
  Uncertainty about the future of the NHS.
  For clinical psychology, the training route is long and there’s stiff competition for training places and jobs.
• Don’t bother if...
  ...you’re not a people person.
  ...you want to use the job to solve your own problems – you’ll need to focus 100 per cent on those of your patients.

JEN UNWIN is a senior university clinical teacher at the UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL. She has a degree in psychology from the University of Exeter and a masters in clinical psychology from the University of Manchester and has been working as a clinical health psychologist since 1996.