Arts Psychotherapist

St Andrew'S Healthcare; Basildon; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

St Andrew’s Healthcare in Essex is seeking an Arts Psychotherapist to join our multidisciplinary team. You will deliver creative therapies (art/drama/music/movement) to adults with complex mental health needs in a secure inpatient setting.

This fixed-term post offers clinical autonomy, collaborative care planning, and opportunities to shape a growing service. The role requires HCPC registration and a recognised arts therapy qualification, with strong communication, documentation, and

Qualifications

• HCPC registration as Arts Psychotherapist.
• Recognised qualification in Art Psychotherapy, Drama Psychotherapy, Music Therapy, or equivalent.
• Experience working with adults with complex mental health needs.
• Ability to facilitate both individual and group interventions.
• Excellent communication, assessment and report-writing skills.
• Strong understanding of trauma-informed and recovery-focused practice.
• Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team.

Responsibilities

• Deliver arts psychotherapy assessments and interventions to individuals and groups in a secure inpatient setting.
• Develop, implement and evaluate tailored treatment plans.
• Facilitate art, drama, music or movement psychotherapy depending on registration.
• Contribute to multidisciplinary case discussions, risk assessments and care planning.
• Maintain accurate clinical records and outcome measures.
• Support patients in addressing trauma and recovery goals.
• Provide consultation on the therapeutic value of creative interventions.
• Ensure practice aligns with safeguarding and governance standards.

Skills

Excellent communication

Assessment & reporting

Team collaboration

Trauma-informed practice

Education

HCPC registration as Arts Psychotherapist

Qualification in Art/Drama/Music Therapy or equivalent

Experience with adults with complex mental health needs

Job description

Job Title: Arts Psychotherapist - Essex

Location: Essex, East

Salary: £37,969 - £45,418 dependent on experience plus £1,250 Essex Allowance

Contract basis: Full Time

Contractual hours per week: 37.5

Salary: £37,969 - £45,418 dependent on experience plus £1,250 Essex Allowance

Location: Basildon, Essex

Contract: Full Time

9-12 month fixed term contract

Transform Lives Through Creativity

We are seeking a compassionate, innovative, and highly skilled Arts Psychotherapist to join our multidisciplinary team within our Essex Hospital. This is an exciting new opportunity for Essex, offering the chance to shape and grow an emerging service that will make a real difference to the lives of our patients and have a chance to step into a position where your clinical expertise directly influences patient flow, discharge progression and length of stay.

St Andrew’s is a charity specialising in complex mental health. Its mission is to help people with complex mental health needs transform their lives.

With its history dating back nearly two centuries, St Andrew’s today is undergoing significant change to deliver on its mission for years to come.

St Andrew’s has hospitals in Birmingham and Essex, with its base in Northampton. It delivers inpatient and outpatient services, as well as dedicated care services for adults.

This is a rewarding opportunity to work with adults experiencing complex mental health needs, personality disorders, trauma, and forensic histories within a secure care setting. Through creative therapeutic interventions, you will support patients in exploring emotions, developing coping strategies, improving self-awareness, and progressing on their recovery journey.

As part of a well-established clinical team, you will work collaboratively alongside Psychologists, Occupational Therapists, Nurses, Psychiatrists, Social Workers, and other Allied Health Professionals to deliver high-quality, patient-centred care.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver specialist arts psychotherapy assessments and interventions to individuals and groups within a secure inpatient environment.
• Develop, implement, and evaluate treatment plans tailored to individual patient needs.
• Facilitate a range of creative therapeutic approaches, including art, drama, music, or movement psychotherapy, depending on your professional registration.
• Contribute to multidisciplinary case discussions, risk assessments, and care planning processes.
• Maintain accurate clinical records and outcome measures in line with professional and organisational standards.
• Support patients in addressing trauma, emotional regulation, interpersonal difficulties, and recovery goals.
• Provide consultation and guidance to colleagues on the therapeutic value of creative interventions.
• Ensure all practice is delivered within the framework of safeguarding, security, governance, and professional ethics.

To be successful in this role, you will have:

Essential

• HCPC registration as an Arts Psychotherapist.
• Recognised qualification in Art Psychotherapy, Drama Psychotherapy, Music Therapy, or equivalent.
• Experience working with adults experiencing complex mental health needs.
• Ability to facilitate both individual and group therapeutic interventions.
• Excellent communication, assessment, and report-writing skills.
• Strong understanding of trauma-informed and recovery-focused practice.
• Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team.

Desirable

• Experience within forensic, secure, inpatient, or rehabilitation services.
• Knowledge of personality disorders, psychosis, trauma, and risk management.
• Experience working with challenging behaviours and complex presentations.
• Training in additional therapeutic modalities.

You'll join a motivated, skilled and supportive Psychology team that celebrates individual strengths and nurtures emerging specialisms. This is a place where you can grow, innovate and shape your career.