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Original post by Popolopolix
This may sound altogether silly, since I'm only just gearing towards UCAS and want to be a clinical psychologist, what do you mean by accredited?


Accredited by the BPS. You can search on their website whether courses are - most single honours courses are, it's more if you are considering joint honours that you would have to look into it
Reply 21
Hi, would a Psychology and Criminology course get me onto this as is it BPS accredited?
Original post by jhumfy
Hi, would a Psychology and Criminology course get me onto this as is it BPS accredited?


Yes it should altho you need work experience too and a decent enough grade
This has been so helpful!
I'm curently doing a BSc in Psychology and i've always wanted to do Clinical Psychology!

Never knew the difference between
PhD and DClinPsy course, so thanks for clearing that up!

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(edited 9 years ago)
Reply 24
Hello, I have a few questions. I am considering doing a psychology masters conversion degree as I think I would like to try to become a clinical psychologist. My biggest motivation for this comes from own experience of poor mental health. I would like to get something positive out of my experience by using it to help others. So my first question is, would it be stupid to broadcast this (for example in a personal statement) or should I keep it to myself?

Secondly, is there anything I can be doing right now, in terms of work, volunteering etc, to help me get on a course? I currently volunteer with the Riding for the Disabled Association and am also a volunteer environmental education assistant. Whilst these are not directly related to psychology, would they still help? I am working with children (many with learning disabilities) and I feel this could be linked to developmental and educational psychology. I am also looking into getting work as a support worker so I have some more relevant experience. Would this give me an advantage?
Original post by Prosopon
Hello, I have a few questions. I am considering doing a psychology masters conversion degree as I think I would like to try to become a clinical psychologist. My biggest motivation for this comes from own experience of poor mental health. I would like to get something positive out of my experience by using it to help others. So my first question is, would it be stupid to broadcast this (for example in a personal statement) or should I keep it to myself?

Secondly, is there anything I can be doing right now, in terms of work, volunteering etc, to help me get on a course? I currently volunteer with the Riding for the Disabled Association and am also a volunteer environmental education assistant. Whilst these are not directly related to psychology, would they still help? I am working with children (many with learning disabilities) and I feel this could be linked to developmental and educational psychology. I am also looking into getting work as a support worker so I have some more relevant experience. Would this give me an advantage?


Im not a clin psych but from what I understand you just need to be asking yourself what skills you have got and what you have learned... e.g. experience of mental health in itself isn't always helpful (and can throw up problems) but it may have given you a non judgemental attitude, an experience of some of the difficulties of therapy, understanding that mental health doesn't fit into neat boxes etc

your experience right now will be helpful but again focus on what you're learning, such as communication skills, building rapport + relationships, how to support someone to challenge without pushing too hard, how to draw appropriate boundaries etc, rather than a job title which sounds good ask yourself what you have learnt which will help in your career and think what else you need to experience and learn and how you might do that
Original post by Prosopon
Hello, I have a few questions. I am considering doing a psychology masters conversion degree as I think I would like to try to become a clinical psychologist. My biggest motivation for this comes from own experience of poor mental health. I would like to get something positive out of my experience by using it to help others. So my first question is, would it be stupid to broadcast this (for example in a personal statement) or should I keep it to myself?

Secondly, is there anything I can be doing right now, in terms of work, volunteering etc, to help me get on a course? I currently volunteer with the Riding for the Disabled Association and am also a volunteer environmental education assistant. Whilst these are not directly related to psychology, would they still help? I am working with children (many with learning disabilities) and I feel this could be linked to developmental and educational psychology. I am also looking into getting work as a support worker so I have some more relevant experience. Would this give me an advantage?


As above, but I will add that above the conversion course you'll need some paid work experience too, such as support worker or assistant psychologist. It is a very competitive course
Reply 27
Original post by doodle_333
Im not a clin psych but from what I understand you just need to be asking yourself what skills you have got and what you have learned... e.g. experience of mental health in itself isn't always helpful (and can throw up problems) but it may have given you a non judgemental attitude, an experience of some of the difficulties of therapy, understanding that mental health doesn't fit into neat boxes etc

your experience right now will be helpful but again focus on what you're learning, such as communication skills, building rapport + relationships, how to support someone to challenge without pushing too hard, how to draw appropriate boundaries etc, rather than a job title which sounds good ask yourself what you have learnt which will help in your career and think what else you need to experience and learn and how you might do that


Original post by *Interrobang*
As above, but I will add that above the conversion course you'll need some paid work experience too, such as support worker or assistant psychologist. It is a very competitive course


Thank you for the responses, they are quite helpful.

Regarding my mental health, I suppose what I was trying to ask is would it be inappropriate to disclose my issues in, say, a personal statement for example?
Original post by Prosopon
Thank you for the responses, they are quite helpful.

Regarding my mental health, I suppose what I was trying to ask is would it be inappropriate to disclose my issues in, say, a personal statement for example?


I don't know that specific course and what they look for with regards to that, but generally speaking it can be OK IF (and that's a big if) spoken about in the right way and not for too much space
Reply 29
Original post by *Interrobang*
I don't know that specific course and what they look for with regards to that, but generally speaking it can be OK IF (and that's a big if) spoken about in the right way and not for too much space


Great, thank you for getting back to me so quick and for your help.
Original post by Prosopon
Great, thank you for getting back to me so quick and for your help.


like I said, I think it will come down to how you sell it, if your mental health has been a large part of your journey to clinical psych (which is far from uncommon) then it isn't straight up wrong to mention it but you need to be careful that you don't come across that your mental health with affect your ability to do the job (i.e. it's not that you want to use your experiences to help people, it's that your mental health got you interested in psychology and having seen the challenges of therapy you feel you could do well - for example) and focus more on what you've done in terms of practical experience, mental health wont necessarily count against you but it wont count FOR you that much either... what I think they do want to see though is that you are able to reflect on your experiences and learn from them
I have applied to study clinical psychology this year. I currently volunteer as a play therapist for young children. Is this relevant experience if I wanted to apply for the DClinPsy later on?
I am 24 and have been working in advertising for 2 years. Without going into too much detail I have become attracted to re-training as Psychologist and hope to be fully qualified by 30/31. I was hoping you could clear my mind on a few things;

Firstly, is 6 years a realistic timeframe?

secondly, in terms of a conversion course it seems the top rated universities require a social sciences BSC degree, unfortunately I have a 2:1 BA in Media which means I am looking at other courses from universities slightly lower down the rankings that will accept my degree - will this have a big impact on my chances of joining clinical psychology training or is it the work experience and grade that really counts?

Finally, I have a caution for possession of a class A substance (on record for 3 years)- very stupid time in my life but will this be a significant barrier in clinical training or something that can be overcome despite the obvious set back.
(edited 9 years ago)
Reply 33
Hi, I'm a second year Psychology student, finding clinical Psychology quite challenging and need help with an essay question.. i'll be glad if anyone of you could help me with thay. Thanks a lot :smile:
Original post by Khalida
Hi, I'm a second year Psychology student, finding clinical Psychology quite challenging and need help with an essay question.. i'll be glad if anyone of you could help me with thay. Thanks a lot :smile:


This thread is for becoming a clinical psychologist and issues around that. Best to post in the Study Help forum for psychology :smile:
Reply 35
Hello. If I were to take a BSc in Psychology and Counselling, would I still be able to do a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology afterwards, or would I have to take an undergraduate in Clinical Psychology? The BSc is BPS accredited if that helps.
Original post by daucus
Hello. If I were to take a BSc in Psychology and Counselling, would I still be able to do a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology afterwards, or would I have to take an undergraduate in Clinical Psychology? The BSc is BPS accredited if that helps.

If it's accredited then you could just apply for the doctorate
do you know how important being able to drive is to progressing in this career path? I feel a little stuck at the moment as I have only found work in low paid jobs (support worker & LSA) and many jobs which appear better seem to ask for drivers but I don't get paid enough right now to actually learn to drive, I got a 1st in my degree, volunteering with adults w/mental health conditions and kids w/disabilities during uni and have one year as a support worker and now am working as an LSA... I feel like I'm not getting the most relevant experience but can't get anything better...
Reply 38
Original post by Lord Asriel
Clinical Psychology FAQ

As I have identified myself as a clinical psychologist, I quite often get messaged questions and notice lots of myths and misconceptions that float around. Inspired by GodspeedGehenna's brilliant Undergraduate Psychology FAQ, I thought I would post a similar one about Clinical Psychology in the UK.


What is Clinical psychology? What do clinical psychologists do?

Clinical psychology is an application of the psychology in order to reduce human distress. It is an applied science, in that it uses the academic field of psychology to do things in the real world.

Many equate clinical psychologists as psychotherapists. While most of us do quite a bit of psychotherapy, we do a lot more too. Most of us will have involvement in working with other healthcare professionals (like medics, nurses and Occupational Therapists), providing psychological supervision and guiding the practice of others, teaching, research and leadership. Another big strand of what clinical psychologists do is neuropsychological testing. This is often done in brain injury or rehabilitation settings, but it can pop up in other areas

Most of us work in mental health services mainly in the NHS, but you can find us in physical health settings, child services, universities, charities and the private sector.


How are clinical psychologists trained?

All clinical psychologists start out by getting an undergraduate degree (B.Sc.in Psychology) or a conversion course. This needs to give the person Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC). They then generally have to get a period of paid relevant work experience. There is no single way to get this, and many people take jobs as support workers and healthcare assistants when starting out.

A really good job to get is that of an Assistant Psychologist, where you will be directly exposed and assisting with much of the work clinical psychologists do. This is really good, as you get a better understanding of the field. Sometimes people (like me) do a clinically relevant PhD, which gives you a mix of clinical experience and research skills. Others have come through other routes like having a job in an Improving Access to Psychological Therapies service or similar mental health junior posts.
You then have to complete a Doctorate of Clinical Psychology training course (DClinPsy). This will last three years, and when you come out the other side you will be able to practice independently and be eligible for registration with the Health and Care Professional Council.

Please note, in the UK, that the DClinPsy is NOT the same as a Psychology PhD. A PhD is a qualification that is geared towards training people in research, and you don't get the trained in the skills needed to practice clinically.


What happens on a DClinPsy course?

A DClinPsy is a combined programme of academic, clinical and research work. It is a vocational course (like nursing or medicine) where trainees have to juggle lectures (1-2 days per week), a clinical placement (2-3 days per week) and on-going research projects. The placements are held in adult mental health, child and adolescent mental health, older adult mental health, learning disabilities as well as an elective placement you get to choose yourself. In addition to the Trainees' work is closely supervised to pick up the assessment, therapy and other clinical skills they will need. Trainees typically work 37.5 hours a week (they are considered NHS employees), but may end up working beyond that fit everything in.

During these three years have to meet specific competencies needed by all clinical psychologists and finish a substantial dissertation at the end of it. Some courses have exams, others have coursework, but all are required to produce psychologists with similar competencies.

The DClinPsy is fully funded, at the moment, and trainees are paid on a Band 6 NHS Salary.


How competitive is it to get on a DClinPsy course?

It is quite competitive, but not impossible. Last year there were 3857 applicants for 586 places, which was an overall success rate of 15%.

http://www.leeds.ac.uk/chpccp/BasicNumbers.html

Bear in mind, there is no indication of quality of these applicants, and they will range in experience and capability. If you have a solid academic background, good research skills, empathy or people skills and some good clinical experience to reflect on, you will stand a decent chance. However, if you are lacking in any of these areas, your chances will reduce dramatically.

A lot of courses will demand a 2:1 as a minimum, as evidence of academic ability (ideally with some postgraduate stuff too). Some courses have recently set their own selection exam that will examine anyone with a psychology degree and take performance on the day into account.


What is the best experience to get?

There is no best experience, although some jobs like assistant psychologist do give several advantages, as you will be directly supervised by a clinical psychologist. Anything that allows you to tick the academic, clinical and research boxes would do.


Is there a best undergraduate degree to do? What can I do to maximise my chances as an undergraduate?

As long as a course gives you GBC, then you should be fine. There are many undergraduate courses that call themselves fancy names like "Applied Psych" or "Clinical Psych" but I haven't seen them provide any edges.

Most courses will want to make sure you can get through them with minimum of difficulties and will be paying attention to your research methods and stats marks, rather than if you did any particular special modules. One advantage though is 4 years sandwich courses, which include a year long placement. If you get a clinical placement, this counts as experience and may help you get your first job.

Where can I find out more about the job?

What is Clinical Psychology?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Clinical-Psychology-John-Hall/dp/0198566891

A good overview of what a clinical psychologist does and how the profession came to be. It's a textbook, but it will answer most technical questions you may have about what we do.

How to Become a Clinical Psychologist: Getting a Foot in the Door
http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Become-Clinical-Psychologist-Getting/dp/1583912428

This is old favourite is a how-to-guide that gives you tips and advice about the sort of first jobs many of us do to get onto a DClinPsy.

Irrelevant Experience: The Secret Diary of an Assistant Psychologist.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Irrelevant-Experience-Assistant-Psychologist-ebook/dp/B00EQFE5JW/

This is a new novel about the life of an assistant psychologist. It's an easy, funny read and written a bit like Bridget Jones Diary. It covers the whole application process from a perspective of someone going through it all. It triggered lots of memories for me.

Links

You can browse for further clinical psych info at:

www.clinpsy.org.uk
www.bps.org.uk

Thanks for reading. I will be happy to answer any questions, and I know there are a few others around here who know quite a bit about the field, so I hope they chip in too.








hello,

first of all thank you for taking your time to inform us all about clinical psychology :smile:. I'm currently in my first year studying psychology and I would love to become a clinical paychologist.My only problem is that I haven't got any related work experience. Where can I start looking for jobs or work experience related to clinical psychology?

Any help would be appreciated

thanks again :smile:
Reply 39
Original post by germ18
hello,

first of all thank you for taking your time to inform us all about clinical psychology :smile:. I'm currently in my first year studying psychology and I would love to become a clinical paychologist.My only problem is that I haven't got any related work experience. Where can I start looking for jobs or work experience related to clinical psychology?

Any help would be appreciated

thanks again :smile:

You could start by googling!
Your student union may have volunteering projects,you could also go around your department and see if any lecturers need research assistants, website such as https://do-it.org/ publicise volunteering opportunities in your local area.

These posts are really helpful
http://www.clinpsy.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=449
http://www.clinpsy.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=267
Volunteering is a useful area to get experience. Helplines such as SANELine, The Samaritans, and No Panic provide good quality training, and you are guaranteed contact time with people with mental health difficulties, all be it, over the phone. It enables you to develop your listening skills as you do not have access to the non-verbal cues that we rely quite heavily on in our face-to-face interactions with others.

Mental Health & General

SANELine

The Samaritans

No Panic

Mindline

Learning Disabilities

Mencap

Children

NSPCC

Childline

Also, your local social services may run a mentoring scheme for children in care or young people leaving the care system.

Illness related

The Stroke Association

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