Principal Clinical/Counselling Psychologist or CB Psychotherapist

South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust; Greater London; On-site; GBP 72,000 - 84,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading mental health institution in Greater London is seeking a Principal Clinical/Counselling Psychologist or CBT Psychotherapist to contribute to its National OCD/BDD Service. The role involves delivering specialized cognitive behavioral assessments, providing consultation to healthcare professionals, and supervising other clinicians. Candidates should have qualifications in mental health professions, specialized training in CBT, and experience with diverse mental health issues. A support team and modern facilities are available to enhance your practice in a collaborative setting.

Benefits

Flexible working

Career development opportunities

Inclusive and diverse workplace

Qualifications

• Registered practitioner of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) with BABCP.
• Experience working with a variety of client groups with complex mental health issues.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist cognitive behavioural assessments and interventions for patients.
• Offer consultation and expert advice on psychological care to healthcare professionals.
• Contribute to the training and supervision of psychologists and therapists.
• Work closely with the team manager to improve service delivery.

Skills

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

Mental health assessment

Risk assessment and management

Clinical supervision

Communication skills

Education

Qualification in a core graduate or post graduate mental health profession

Advanced training in Behavioural Cognitive Psychotherapy

Job description

Go back South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust

Principal Clinical/Counselling Psychologist or CB Psychotherapist

The closing date is 25 January 2026

We are seeking a passionate and dedicated Clinical / Counselling Psychologist or CBT Therapist to join our highly respected National OCD/BDD Service at Springfield Hospital. This is a unique opportunity to work at the forefront of specialist care for individuals with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD).

The National OCD/BDD Inpatient Service at Springfield University Hospital, operated by South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust, provides intensive, specialist care for adults experiencing severe and treatment-resistant Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). As part of a nationally commissioned specialist consortium, the service plays a vital role in supporting individuals across the UK who have not responded to conventional treatments.

Located on Seacole Ward, a 14-bed mixed-gender facility for adults aged 18 and over (with no upper age limit), the unit offers a structured, evidence-based six-month treatment programme. This programme is delivered by a highly skilled multidisciplinary team, including specialist nursing staff, and is designed to address OCD and BDD alongside complex comorbidities—ensuring a holistic and person-centred approach to recovery.

Main duties of the job

The postholder will be based on Seacole Ward, our specialist inpatient unit, and will play a key role in delivering high-quality, evidence-based psychological care. Responsibilities include:

• Providing specialist cognitive behavioural assessments and interventions for patients referred nationally.
• Offering consultation and expert advice on psychological care to healthcare professionals across the UK.
• Contributing to the training and supervision of clinical / counselling psychologists and cognitive behavioural psychotherapists working on the ward, supporting the delivery of effective, evidence-based interventions.
• Leading on clinical supervision and offering education, training, and consultation to multidisciplinary team (MDT) colleagues.
• Working closely with the Consultant Psychiatrist Lead and Team Manager to ensure the safe and efficient running of the service and jointly lead on service improvement projects.
• Participating in service development and clinical audit, using research skills to inform and enhance practice.

About us

We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust.

We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good' - we aspire to be 'outstanding'.

This is a great time to join us. We are transforming the way we care for our communities to support our mission of Making Life Better Together. We have built two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital, which are amongst the best in the world. More developments are planned across our sites and services as we invest a further £120m to upgrade and modernise our estate by 2027.

We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co-produce and involve our local communities in all that we do.

We offer flexible working, career development and a variety of benefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.

Come and join our inclusive teams and help our patients on their recovery journey.

Job responsibilities

To provide a comprehensive specialist assessment and high intensity therapeutic service for adult patients with OCD/BDD. These patients will be referred nationally by other secondary and tertiary services, and most interventions will be based on evidence based cognitive behaviour therapy principles, working within the context of the agreed policies and procedures of the specialist services.

To identify the nature, severity and complexity of adult patients' mental health problems, and to advise both patients and their referrers on appropriate management of those problems, enabling referral to other highly specialist services and/or non-statutory services where appropriate.

To formulate and implement plans for the intensive CBT treatment and/or management of a clients mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the client's problems, and employing methods of intervention that are based upon evidence of treatment efficacy.

To make appropriate use of specialist assessments of patients' mental health, including structured and semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, rating scales and guided inquiry methods.

To undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and to provide advice to other clinicians in Secondary and Primary Care on psychological aspects of risk assessment, including the risk of self-harm.

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, couple or family.

To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the efficiency of all aspects of the service, including assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are within the service remit.

To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under their care and to monitor progress during their treatment within the national service.

To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are within the service remit.

Person Specification

Training and Qualifications

• Qualification in a core graduate or post graduate mental health profession and registered with a professional body as an accredited practitioner of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) with the British Association of Behavioural Cognitive Psychotherapy (BABCP) with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) under the appropriate domain specific title PLUS: Evidence of regular post qualification development Evidence of continuing professional development formal training in supervision of other cognitive behaviour therapists and/or related clinicians
• Advanced training in Behavioural Cognitive Psychotherapy and / or Accreditation with BABCP as CBT Supervisor

Experience

• Experience of assessment and treatment of people with a wide range of mental health problems, of varying severity and complexity including profound refractory OCD. Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems and verbal and physical abuse.
• Demonstrate further specialist training/experience through having received a minimum of 50 hours clinical supervision of behaviour therapist or clinical / counselling psychologist over a minimum of 2 years.
• Experience of working in both primary and secondary mental health care, including multiagency working Experience of mental health problems and the capacity to use that experience to the benefit of patient care
• Experience of CBT group work and in supervising/facilitating others practice in running educational groups

Knowledge & Skills

• Skills in the use of complex methods of assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration Ability to demonstrate knowledge and therapeutic skills necessary to deliver psychological treatments in line with NICE guidelines as relevant to anxiety disorders in particular OCD/BDD
• Skills in the assessment and evaluation of risk associated with mental ill health and related psychopathology
• Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
• Knowledge of legislation and its implication for clinical practice and the appropriate management of people presenting with mental
• Advanced practitioner skills in at least one model of psychological therapy
• High-level knowledge in the assessment and evaluation of the psychological therapies

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.

South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust

£72,921 to £83,362 a yearpro rata per annum inclusive of inner London HCAS