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Clinical psychologist

Alternative titles for this job include

Clinical psychologists help people manage mental health issues, phobias and addiction.

Average salary (a year)

£48,000 Starter

to

£63,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

37 to 39

You could work

evenings / weekends occasionally

Meet Sam

Sam supports patients as well as designing and delivering research studies.

1 minute 55 second watch

View transcript

I'm Sam Malins. I’m a consultant clinical psychologist at Nottinghamshire Healthcare Trust and I'm honorary associate professor at University of Nottingham.

Part of what I do is kind of directly supporting patients. There's a bit of kind of like supervising and supporting other members of the team. And then in the research job, what I'm doing is designing and delivering kind of research studies that are kind of building on top of one another to try and identify what could help people, therapists in particular, to ... what could they do that would help them to get better at giving therapy.

I think it is worth just even from like a kind of early stage in career, like research skills, are like ... clinical psychology emerged from research. So actually, the ability to be able to manage and... collect, manage and analyse data effectively is probably like, easily overlooked.

The ability to communicate effectively, to listen well. I guess this idea of active listening that it's not just I'm just going to sit silently, but actually, what does it look like? What would I be saying to demonstrate that I'm listening well?

Stuff that probably doesn't come to me as naturally that I think is like worth its weight in gold is like being able to be kind of organised, manage your time. But not just therapeutic relationships with patients, being able to work well with other people like peers, as well as supporting others.

So seeing people that I've been involved, as in part of that journey, like as a therapist, which is amazingly rewarding. And yeah, it just feels like a real privilege to have been part of that because I'm not really doing anything. I'm meeting with them and they are doing, right, they are changing their lives and using this, what little we've been able to do to make that happen.

And that feels amazing.

How to become

Explore the different ways to get into this role.

How to become

You can get into this job through a university course or an apprenticeship.

University

The first step is to get a degree in psychology accredited by The British Psychological Society.

If you have a degree in a subject other than psychology, you can apply for an accredited conversion course.

Postgraduate course

After your degree, you'll need a postgraduate doctorate (PhD or DClinPsych) in clinical psychology. There's usually a lot of competition for places on doctorate courses.

To get a place, you'll need:

  • a first or 2:1 (upper second class) in your degree
  • evidence of excellent research skills
  • some work experience

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 3 A levels or equivalent

More Information

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do a Clinical Associate in Psychology Level 7 Degree Apprenticeship.

As a qualified clinical associate, you could apply for graduate membership of The British Psychological Society.

You would work within the field you trained for under the supervision of a registered clinical psychologist.

You would also continue with further postgraduate doctorate training (PhD or DClinPsych) to become a clinical psychologist.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • a degree in a relevant subject

More Information

More Information

Registration

Professional and industry bodies

You can join The British Psychological Society for professional development and training opportunities.

Further information

You’ll find more about careers in clinical psychology from The British Psychological Society and Health Careers.

You can also explore other careers in the psychological professions.

What it takes

Find out what skills you’ll use in this role.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • knowledge of psychology
  • counselling skills including active listening and a non-judgemental approach
  • the ability to understand people’s reactions
  • sensitivity and understanding
  • analytical thinking skills
  • active listening skills
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

What you’ll do

Discover the day to day tasks you’ll do in this role.

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

As a clinical psychologist, you'll:

  • work out what your client needs using interviews, tests and observations
  • decide on appropriate treatments, such as therapy or counselling
  • work closely with medical professionals like other doctors
  • write reports and act as an expert witness in court
  • go to conferences and keep up to date with developments in the field
  • develop research projects to improve understanding of conditions and how best to treat them

Working environment

You could work in an NHS or private hospital, at a client's home, at a university or at a health centre.

Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.

Career path and progression

Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities.

Career path and progression

With experience and further training, you could:

  • specialise working with certain people, such as children or young offenders
  • specialise in clinical neuropsychology
  • move into research or teach at a university
  • work as a freelance consultant, advising other professionals and clients
  • set up your own psychology practice

Current opportunities

Find apprenticeships, courses and jobs available near you.

Current opportunities

Courses In England

Access to Medical and Health Science - ELearning

  • Provider: EAST SUSSEX COLLEGE GROUP
  • Start date: 04 August 2025
  • Location: Not known

Access to Science, Medical and Health

  • Provider: HEART OF YORKSHIRE EDUCATION GROUP
  • Start date: 01 September 2025
  • Location: Not known
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