MSc Foundations of Clinical Psychology
In your MSc, you will develop the listed knowledge and skills through the following different units. By the end of the course, you should be able to confidently demonstrate to employers where and how you developed these skills.
(Please note that these intended learning objectives have been modified for the toolkit and may vary in wording from the handbook)
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Units include: Roots and Range of Psychological Disorders; Psychological Therapy; Dissertation, Advanced Research Methods, Advanced Statistics
Careers
The staff who teach on the Foundations of Clinical Psychology have very good links with local NHS mental health services. As a result, each year a number of opportunities arise for Foundations of Clinical Psychology MSc students to work on a voluntary basis alongside NHS clinical psychologists and other mental health professionals. For example, in 2018-2019 two students from the MSc worked as honorary Assistant Psychologists in a specialist NHS Personality Disorder psychotherapy service. This work included sitting in on psychotherapy group sessions to take clinical process notes, and developing specialist personality disorder assessment skills. Another student in the same year worked as a voluntary research assistant on a clinically-relevant research project in the Bournemouth University Clinical Trials Unit.
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For MSc students aiming to apply for clinical psychology training or other mental health jobs in the future, gaining clinical work experience is essential. An ideal form of experience to prepare for applying for Clinical Psychology doctoral training is to have paid employment as an Assistant Psychologist working alongside a Clinical Psychologist in the NHS. Another very good form of work experience is working in NHS IAPT (Increased Access to Psychological Therapy) services as a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner. However, there is a great deal of competition to attain one of these kinds of jobs, so students often need to work their way up a hierarchy of work experience as follows:
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1. Voluntary work in any mental health or relevant clinical or educational setting including mental health charities, care homes, NHS mental health hospital wards, special schools, nurseries etc.
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2. Voluntary work in the NHS with a clinical psychologist or with IAPT service clinicians.
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3. Paid work in any mental health or relevant clinical or educational setting including mental health charities, care homes, NHS mental health hospital wards, special schools, nurseries etc.
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4. Paid work in the NHS either as an Assistant Psychologist or as an IAPT worker.
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The higher up this hierarchy you can start, the better! To that end, some health and social care providers have part-time posts that can provide good experience for MSc students. For example, mental health charities such as MIND and Autism Wessex sometimes have part-time vacancies for support workers
Similarly, NHS trusts and other healthcare providers often have part-time Health Care Assistant posts that might be relevant, for example: http://www.shelleypark.co.uk/jobs/37
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In addition to clinical and psychotherapy career paths, Foundations of Clinical Psychology MSc graduates also pursue careers as researchers and academics, focussing on clinically-relevant topics. This usually involves studying for a PhD that addresses a mental health or similar issue. For example, one graduate of the MSc is currently studying for a PhD which involves testing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as an intervention for Social Anxiety Disorder. A clinically-focussed PhD would open up access to university-based post-doctoral research jobs, research fellowships, and eventually, university lecturer/researcher posts.
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Links to professional bodies:
BPS Division of Clinical Psychology
BPS Division of Counselling Psychology
Health and Care Professions Council
British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
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Click here to find out more about placements
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