Clinical associate psychologist — Ethan

Although Ethan enjoys working as a clinical associate psychologist for an NHS mental health trust, he is looking forward to going back to university to complete a Doctorate in clinical psychology

What degree did you study and where?

I studied for a BSc (Hons) Psychology at the University of Portsmouth, graduating in 2020.

I then went on to do a Clinical Associate in Psychology (Adult Mental Health) MSc course at UCL (University College London). I will be returning to UCL in September to complete the Doctorate in clinical psychology.

How did you get your job?

I built on the experience I gained as an undergraduate student by working across various settings, including inpatient, community, forensic and neurorehabilitation, and in various roles such as assistant psychologist and support worker. These roles provided me with the skills and experience to apply for and get a clinical associate psychologist role.

How relevant is your degree?

Both my degree and Masters were accredited by the British Psychological Society, which is essential for working as a clinical associate psychologist. Also, during my studies I did placements in clinical mental health settings, which have proved invaluable in getting my jobs.

What's a typical working day like?

I currently work for two teams - a complex emotional needs (personality disorder) pathway team and a perinatal mental health team.

I tend to have several individual sessions a day, run groups twice a week and complete research as part of my role. The individual sessions involve using a variety of treatment models, including structured clinical management (SCM), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)-informed interventions and CBT-informed interventions, as well as completing structured and unstructured assessments.

I attend meetings, both with my teams and with other stakeholders, which can be about complex cases I'm working on, information on the specific therapy models I use or consultations with other services, for example. I also periodically run training sessions in my NHS Trust and nationally.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I most enjoy the collective approach and problem solving that occurs within the teams when complex cases are referred to us. Learning as part of a system with several different forms of expertise is really helpful.

Where do you hope to be in five years?

I will hopefully have completed the Doctorate and be a chartered psychologist. I may decide to return to work in a forensic setting, although I expect the placements I do on the Doctorate will help me decide.

What advice can you give to others?

• Get experience as early as you can, while at university if possible (if you have the time and motivation) - assistant psychologist roles are not the only way into the field.
• Try to keep your research skills up to date and get published if possible - research skills are just as useful and important as clinical skills.
• It can take a while to get on to the Doctorate, so try to enjoy the bit before this instead of trying to make it a race.

Find out more

• Read about being a clinical psychologist.
• Discover what you can do with a psychology degree.