Psychological Therapist (CBT) | Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization seeks an enthusiastic CBT Therapist or Clinical/Counselling Psychologist to lead psychoeducational group interventions aimed at individuals facing emotional regulation challenges. This role offers opportunities for clinical leadership within a supportive team. With a focus on professional development, the position promotes flexible working arrangements. Ideal candidates should have a relevant postgraduate qualification and accreditation as a practitioner psychologist. The position is located in Reading, with significant online service delivery.

Benefits

Flexible working options

27 days annual leave

Generous NHS pension scheme

Learning and career development opportunities

Cycle to Work scheme

Access to wellbeing tools

Discounts at popular retailers

Staff networks for equality

Generous parental leave

Free parking across Trust sites

Qualifications

• Post graduate qualification in CBT or doctoral qualification in Clinical/Counselling Psychology.
• Accreditation with BABCP or HCPC as a Practitioner Psychologist.
• Experience in psychoeducational CBT-based interventions.

Responsibilities

• Plan and deliver psychoeducational and therapy groups for emotional intensity difficulties.
• Lead on a new skills-based group programme.
• Support and enhance psychological care in primary care.

Skills

Experience in mental health multidisciplinary teams

Training of health care professionals

Leading psychoeducational skills groups

Knowledge of emotion regulation difficulties

Education

Post graduate qualification in CBT

Doctoral qualification in Clinical/Counselling Psychology

Job description

Are you an enthusiastic and dedicated CBT Therapist or 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.

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 a Clinical / Counselling Psychologist. If you are a Clinical / Counselling Psychologist, please use this link to apply: Apply here

• 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.

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

The “must haves” for you to be considered for this role:

• Post graduate qualification in CBT or doctoral qualification in Clinical/Counselling Psychology (or equivalent) or Advanced Mental Health Practitioner with significant experience in psychoeducational CBT‑based interventions
• Accreditation with BABCP or Registered with HealthCare & Professions Council (HCPC) as a Practitioner Psychologist
• Experience and interest of working in mental health multidisciplinary teams / multi‑agency environment as well as experience of teaching / training of health care professionals
• Evidence of specific psychological training in working with clients with significant mental health difficulties
• Knowledge of working with clients with emotion regulation difficulties
• Experience in leading and delivering psychoeducational skills groups.

For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.

We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point‑by‑point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.

We’re 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.

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.

Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.

This advert closes on Thursday 1 Jan 2026.