I work as a Clinical Psychologist, ask me anything (within reason)

Thank you, I am best doing a Bsc it seems

Hello,
Regarding your last query about being accepted on to the Clinpsy in record fashion, it is rare of course but does happen. I would be wary of trying to copy this route though, as there are a multitude of factors intrinsic to the individual that are far more important than simply ticking the same boxes. For what it is worth I was accepted on the clinical doctorate 18 months post my undergrad, so you may assume I had a similar path/experience than this other individual. However, what is often hidden in these accounts is the intrinsic factors like I alluded to, namely that I took psychology as a second career and had another career to draw upon. Even if this other person was straight into Psychology and got on at circa 23, it does not mean they didnt have valuable lived experience to draw upon as a child/young adult etc, not all important experiences are paid or on your CV. Some course are also more focused on research skills and some valuable more therapeutic skills, so course choice does make a big difference. Regardless, it is not a race and taking time to develop yourself as a person and a potential practitioner is invaluable. I still draw on experiences I had pre doctorate, and you cant truly know you want to do this job until you have had the privilege to work and sit alongside both psychologists but more importantly different people who need our support. Taking your time now and giving yourself to grow in these spaces is always time well spent.
1/2 as above are just as valuable, it all depends what you have learnt from it and how you can reflect and incorporate these into your work. My doctoral interview only focused on one volunteering role i had pre-doctorate (was a rich example where i learnt a lot about myself and the psychologist i wanted to be). Nearly all doctorates require at least 1 year fulltime experience, but often most candidates have 2 to 3 years. An asst psy role is great as it allows you to see what the real job can be like first hand, but is not mandatory so dont focus too much on getting one. Apply of course but keep your options open.
Regarding experience abroad, i cant see what it wouldnt count. Just make sure you hit the pre-residence requirements (normally 3 years in UK pre doctorate).
Greg

Hi Greg,
Thank you so much for your thoughtful response
I have a couple of follow-up questions:
1. When you mentioned pre-residence requirements, in last para above -could you please clarify what that means? I'm an Indian citizen, and I'm unsure how that applies to someone like me .
2. I also wanted to briefly share a bit about my background, as I’m considering applying for the DClinPsy and would deeply value your perspective. I'm 25, originally from India, and my academic and professional background has been in mathematics and finance. I have a bachelor's and master's in Mathematics and professional experience in finance roles. I moved to Germany in late 2021 for further studies, but shortly after arriving, I soon tumbled into clinical depression. This onset a deeply troubling and agonizing period in my life with apparently no way out. Being completely alone, far from home during the pandemic, along with other challenges, further proliferated my mental health decline.
I took some therapy but it didn't work really and waiting times were also huge in Munich where I was residing..In the midst of all that struggle and helplessness, I eventually found my way to a Buddhist monastery, almost as a last resort. I stayed there for extended periods : sometimes up to 5–6 months, while continuing to manage my studies and part-time work. Through deep engagement with mindfulness-based healing practices rooted in Buddhist understanding-I found something profoundly transformative. What stood out to me was that these practices weren’t religious or dogmatic at all, instead, they were grounded in a clear, experiential understanding of the human mind and suffering, based on cause and effect, observation, and introspection. The approach was logical and deeply reflective, encouraging inquiry rather than blind belief. It helped me see and work with my own patterns of thought, emotion, and reactivity in a grounded and compassionate way -and over a lot and lot of time, though this significantly helped me recover and rebuild gradually.
This experience not only helped me overcome my own depression but also inspired a profound desire to help others suffering in similar ways.
Since then, I’ve been immersing myself in reading, volunteer work (in elderly care and refugee support), and reflecting on how I might pursue a meaningful career in clinical psychology. I'm especially drawn to contributing to research and clinical work in depression, as I believe there's still so much to be done- particularly in developing accessible, affordable therapeutic options. I feel that my background in maths and finance could actually be an asset in exploring such solutions.
That said, I realise my path is quite unconventional, and I wonder about my eligibility for the DClinPsy in the UK, given my academic background and citizenship as well as my age which is already 25- a part of me feels that I might be weak in terms of my application- given so much competition. Plus self paying is almost impossible for me since it's damn expensive that way. Thus, If you have any advice or thoughts on how someone like me might begin preparing seriously for this path, I’d be truly grateful.
Warm regards,
Harry

As above please feel free to ask my any burning questions around how to get into this field.
Take care,
Greg

Hi Greg !!
Im currently a Level 3 Btec health and social care student, and I want to be a clinical psychologist, but to do that I have to introduce myself to the field of psychology in general, I'm unsure of where to start, do you have any advice on books, courses or programs ?
And if I were to do psychology in Uni should I start with the foundation year or can I just go straight into it, Like the university of Plymouth have a foundation course I can do for three years but they also have a clinical psychology course and i'm worries that if I do the foundation in psychology I might be behind and not know as much as I would have if I had done in the clinical psychology course.
Thank you so much !!!

The foundation course (if you need to do it) would be a prior step to a BSc psychology, which is then a prior step (as well as work experience as a minimum) to the doctorate for clinical psychology. Check the requirements for the courses you are interested in to see if you need to do the foundation course first or if your current course is enough

Hi Greg, thanks for the time you've spent on this thread - I've found your answers really helpful. It's educational psychology I'm looking at, so it might be a bit different. I'm a (potential) career changer and aware that the doctorate is highly competitive for a reason: it's possible I wouldn't get on, or even that I will for various reasons decide against it. Is there a high turnover of assistant psychologist roles in your experience? Is it common that people decide to stay in an assistant role rather than undertaking the doctorate? If so, how is that looked upon?

Hi,
Good to hear the thread has been helpful. Good question also.
In general people do rotate between Asst Psy roles for many reasons, sometimes to get more varied experience or due to contracts being fixed term (12 month contracts are not uncommon). So its not as common for people to stay in one role for longer periods. Most people see it as a time limited stepping stone rather than a career (if that makes sense). However, i have been lucky to work with some APs who have stayed in post for many years (one I worked with loved the role and had been there for 5 years when i met her). None of the team looked down on her as ultimately she had some brilliant knowledge and was often an oracle for new members.
Regarding competition, all the practitioner psychologists pathways are competitive but some people get on quickly and some take many years and are not successful. So what i am trying to say is beware of the competition but try not to get too distracted by it. I wouldnt forget you will have some valuable experience (both personal growth and professional) to draw upon also, and this is very valuable in Psychology and means you wont be starting behind new graduates (id argue you might even be ahead if you can reflect and draw upon these experiences).
Greg

Hi Greg
I'm currently undertaking my undergrad bsc psychology at kcl, and am in 3rd year of a 4 year course (graduating next summer). I'm just finishing up my placement year as an honorary AP within a camhs service, and am thinking of my career trajectory ahead. I have a 4 week metal health related research internship lined up for this summer, and am planning on volunteering with a helpline and befriending service alongside my final year of study. I'm on track for graduating with a first, and am aiming to have my dissertation published (fingers crossed). Then, once I graduate I hope to get a role as an AP. I wasn't planning on completing a masters as the fees combined with living costs make it unfeasible for me - almost £17k tuition fee at ucl and kings!!
Do you think I have a chance of getting an AP role after graduating, or am I being unrealistic given how competitive the field is?
Would I be better off finding a way of completing a masters? - my concern is not getting the research experience required to apply to doctorates if i don't do one
And if you do think my current plan is possible (and goes accordingly), would it be enough to complete 2-3 years as an AP/research experience to sucessfully get onto a doctorate programme?
Thanks so much,
Rianna

As above please feel free to ask my any burning questions around how to get into this field.
Take care,
Greg

Hi Greg,
I hope you’re well! Thank you for answering our questions 🙂
I’m currently working as a registered mental health nurse in a private setting, providing more therapy-based care within education (RMN qualification necessary to do my role) rather than the NHS. Alongside this, I have counselling qualifications and completed relevant clinical placements during my nurse training.
I’m planning to undertake a part-time MSc Psychology (Conversion), and my longer-term goal is to apply for the Clinical Psychology Doctorate (DClinPsy).
I wanted to ask your opinion on whether my current experience — along with my nursing background, therapeutic work, and historic counselling qualifications — would typically be considered competitive for DClinPsy applications. Or, would I realistically need to gain additional experience in a role such as Assistant Psychologist (AP) or Research Assistant (RA) before applying?
Any guidance you can offer would be greatly appreciated.
Best wishes,