Highly Specialist Clinical/Counselling Psychologist

South West London & St George's Mental Health NHS Trust; Camden Town; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading mental health trust in Camden Town is seeking a Band 8a Clinical / Counselling Psychologist for a one-year fixed-term role. This position involves providing psychological assessments and evidence-based treatments for PTSD alongside a multidisciplinary team. The ideal candidate will have at least 18 months of post-qualification experience and a strong interest in trauma work. Opportunities for clinical research and professional development are included.

Benefits

Opportunities for CPD and specialist supervision

Inclusive workplace committed to diversity

Support for the Armed Forces Community

Qualifications

• At least 18 months post qualification experience required.
• Registered with the Health & Care Professions Council.
• Experience with treatments like tf-CBT or EMDR preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist psychological assessments of clients.
• Implement plans for psychological treatment and management.
• Evaluate treatment options considering complex factors.
• Exercise responsibility for assessment, treatment, and discharge.
• Provide consultation to other professionals.

Skills

Experience in evidence-based treatments for PTSD

Strong interest in working with trauma

Ability to conduct psychological assessments

Ability to formulate treatment plans

Skills in psychological interventions

Education

Qualified Clinical or Counselling Psychologist

Job description

We are delighted to announce an exciting opportunity for a one year fixed-term post (Jan-Dec 2026) for a Band 8a Clinical / Counselling Psychologist in the Traumatic Stress Service. We will also consider applications to enter the post at Band 7 from applicants who can demonstrate significant experience of providing evidence-based treatments for PTSD e.g. tf-CBT or EMDR. The Traumatic Stress Service is a tertiary-level specialist service which provides psychological assessment and evidence-based treatment to people with PTSD and associated conditions. People treated at the service have experienced traumatic events in adulthood such as physical or sexual assault, torture or serious accidents. Approximately half of patients referred are refugees or asylum-seekers. The service provides assessment and NICE guideline recommended treatments for PTSD: trauma-focussed CBT (tf-CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR). You will join a team of 1 Consultant Clinical Psychologist, 3 Clinical Psychologists, 2 Counselling Psychologists, Trainee Clinical Psychologists and 1 Assistant Psychologist. The service has a strong commitment to research and evidence-based practice, with regular opportunities for CPD and specialist supervision. The service has also been involved in several research projects including a multi-site RCT of cognitive therapy for complex PTSD. The post is primarily a clinical post, alongside which there are opportunities to be involved in clinical research, supervision, consultation, and delivering training to the Trust and more widely.

• To provide specialist psychological assessments of clients referred to the team based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the client's care.
• To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a client's mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the client's problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy in the treatment of acute and chronic/complex PTSD, as recommended by the NICE guidelines for PTSD.
• To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions for individuals, employed individually and in combination, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing on several different explanatory theoretical models and maintaining several provisional hypotheses.
• To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options considering both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group.
• To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are managed by psychologically based standard care plans.
• To provide specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals, as appropriate, to assist in the formulation, diagnosis and treatment of clients presenting with acute and chronic/complex PTSD.
• To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings and agencies
• To undertake risk assessment and risk management for relevant individual clients and to provide general advice to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management, as well as to external agencies concerned with Public Protection, such as Social Services, Probation, Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA).
• To provide reports and communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients to other health professionals, family and carers, the client, legal professionals and other relevant agencies.

At South West London St Georges Mental Health Trust we are committed to providing services which embrace diversity and that promote equality of opportunity. We are a Disability Committed Employer, and welcome applications from all sections of the community and people of all protected characteristics. We are Members of Stonewall Diversity Champions and Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion. As part of the Trust's commitment to Equalities and Diversity, the Trust supports the establishment of Staff Networks groups to promote diversity in the workplace: BME (Evolve) Staff Network, Christian Staff Network, DiverseAbility, Deaf Staff Network, Mental Health Staff Forum, Women's Staff Network, LGBTQIA+. We are committed to supporting the Armed Forces Community and have signed the Armed Forces Covenant. We provide reasonable adjustments to the interview process for any candidates with a disability. We are a smoke-free Trust.

The post is for a qualified clinical or counselling psychologist registered with the Health & Care Professions Council and who has at least 18 months post qualification experience. We are particularly interested in recruiting someone with a strong interest and experience of working with people with PTSD and associated difficulties. We will also consider applications for those with less than 18 months post qualification experience to enter the post at Band 7, if they can demonstrate significant experience in providing evidence‑based treatments for PTSD e.g. tf-CBT or EMDR.