Clinical / Counselling Psychologist

NHS; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 47,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider is seeking a Senior Clinician in Reading to lead psychoeducational group interventions for individuals facing emotional intensity difficulties. This role requires a Professional Psychologist with relevant qualifications and experience in evidence-based practices. The position offers flexible working options, opportunities for career development, and a supportive team environment, with a salary ranging from £47,810 to £54,710 annually. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Benefits

Flexible working options

27 days' annual leave

Generous NHS pension scheme

Excellent career development opportunities

Cycle to Work scheme

Staff discounts

Qualifications

• Must be a qualified Clinical or Counselling Psychologist.
• Evidence of continuous professional development.
• Experience working in evidence-based ways.

Responsibilities

• Support psychological care of adults with mental health issues.
• Lead psychoeducational group programmes.
• Provide clinical leadership and oversight.

Skills

Assessment and intervention

Effective communication

Team collaboration

Education

Post graduate doctorate in clinical or counselling psychology

Accreditation with HCPC as a Practitioner Psychologist

Chartered Membership of BPS

Tools

MS Office

RiO

Job description

Job Summary

Are you an enthusiastic and dedicated CBT Therapistor Clinical/Counselling Psychologist? Are you looking to progress and develop your clinical and leadership skills within an important new area of service transformation?

We are introducing a new programme of psychoeducational group interventions aimed at people with emotional regulation and emotional intensity difficulties. If you feel passionate about service development, addressing the gap between primary and secondary care and wish to expand your clinical leadership skills, this role could be ideal for you, and we would love to hear from you!

You will be involved in the planning and delivery of a variety of online and/or in-person psychoeducational and therapy groups, including leading on the delivery of a new skills-based group programme where participants can learn new skills to manage difficulties with emotional intensity and related behaviours.

You will be working closely with our Community Mental Health Psychological Therapies (CMHPT) and our Mental Health Integrated Community Teams (MHICS). There will be opportunities for you to contribute to the wider psychological therapies provision depending on your interests and needs, which can include the potential for individual work.

You will be joining a dynamic team that values staff wellbeing and you will be well supported and supervised by a Senior Psychologist. Your work base will be in Reading, although a significant proportion of the service delivery will be online.

Main Duties of the Job

We have one vacancy where we are looking to fill with a Senior Clinician. This role can be filled by either a Psychological Therapist (CBT) or an Clinical / Counselling Psychologist. If you are a Psychological Therapist (CBT), please use the following link to apply: https://www.berkshirehealthcare.nhs.uk/work-for-us/our-vacancies/#!/job/v7692430

Responsibilities

• To work as part of a team to support and enhance the psychological care of adults with significant mental health issues in primary care.
• To support and lead on the delivery of a variety of psychoeducational and therapy group programmes for people with emotional regulation and emotional intensity difficulties and SMI across Berkshire, together with holding a small caseload of clients requiring individual CBT for SMI.
• To liaise and work closely with other Psychological Therapists within MHICS and CMHPT in jointly delivering and facilitating the group programmes.
• To participate in the implementation and development of system-wide mental health services that will contribute to improved experience for people with serious mental health problems in primary care.
• To provide clinical leadership and oversight of the service delivery of the groups aimed at people with emotional intensity difficulties as well as oversight into other digital offers for people with emotional regulation difficulties.
• To supervise and support junior psychological staff in the facilitation of psychoeducational groups.

About Us

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated 'outstanding' by the CQC, we're committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we're committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.

Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:

• Caring for and about you is our top priority
• Committed to providing good quality, safe services
• Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions

Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:

• Flexible working options to support work‑life balance
• 27 days' annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
• Generous NHS pension scheme
• Excellent learning and career development opportunities
• 'Cycle to Work' and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
• Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
• Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
• Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
• Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
• Free parking across Trust sites

Job Details

Date posted: 18 December 2025

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 7

Salary: £47,810 to £54,710 a year per annum

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Part‑time

Reference number: 371-MHS953

Job locations: Prospect Park Hospital, Honey End Lane, Reading, RG30 4EJ

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications/Training (Essential)

• Post graduate doctorate in clinical or counselling psychology (or equivalent for those who trained prior to 1996 or for those who completed their training overseas)
• Accreditation with Health Care Professional Council (HCPC) as a Practitioner Psychologist (Clinical/Counselling)
• (Eligibility for) Chartered Membership of British Psychological Society (BPS)

Desirable

• Additional training and accreditations (or working towards these) in relevant therapeutic approaches or psychological models to reflect post qualification interests/specialism (e.g., specific therapy models and accreditations, Health Psychology, Neuropsychology).

Continuous Professional Development (Essential)

• Evidence of training and/or interest and knowledge in psychological models or therapeutic approaches relevant to the post
• Commitment to continuing professional development as recommended by the relevant accrediting body

Experience (Essential)

• Experience of working in evidence-based ways with service users (and their carers/families) presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the range of settings, maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse
• Experience of dealing with highly distressing or emotional circumstances, such as serious mental illness, child and sexual abuse, exploitation, and complex family dynamics
• Experience of working effectively in a multi-disciplinary team and multi-agency environments
• Experience of service development and carrying out clinical audits, evaluative research and applying the findings
• Experience of working with, and addressing, issues of diversity, including experience of working with diversity, multiculturalism, and equality of access to the service

Experience (Desirable)

• Experience of delivering teaching and training to staff
• Experience of providing clinical supervision, mentoring and structured guidance to other staff

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (Essential)

• Demonstrable knowledge, skills and abilities in the practice of assessment, formulation and intervention, relevant to the specialist modality and service area
• Knowledge and understanding of service evaluation, audit and research and how to undertake these activities in an NHS context, including how to implement learning
• Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, complex, technical and or sensitive information to service users, their carers/families and other professional colleagues, both within and outside of an NHS setting
• Well-developed interpersonal skills, with the ability to support, influence and engage with clinicians, stakeholders and service users to create change and improvement
• The ability and skills to act as an advocate for the service, to engage and foster positive relationships with all health professionals in promoting the good integration of the service within the wider health care system
• Advanced IT skills and the ability to navigate various systems and software packages (such as RiO, Outlook, databases, MS Office/Teams, One Consultation and the Internet)

Additional Requirements (Essential)

• Able to work flexibly around working patterns as required
• Ability to travel independently between locations in Berkshire to fulfil the requirements and duties of the position

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see the NHS Careers website.

Contact

We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don't hesitate to contact Dr Helen Kyritsi (Consultant Clinical Psychologist) on 0118 960 5612 or via email [e-mail] who will be delighted to help.

Equal Opportunities

We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.