Sectors: Counselling and psychotherapy

For any role in psychology, counselling, or psychotherapy you need to be:

• empathetic, able to build rapport and have excellent listening skills
• broad minded, non-judgemental and have respect for others, regardless of their actions or circumstances
• confident in exploring difficult and potentially painful aspects of a patient’s life
• willing to reflect on your own actions, listen to feedback, learn from experiences, and apply that learning to your future practice.

Exposure to the potential patients/client groups that you’d like to work with will help you to decide whether you would enjoy a career in psychology (or a related profession).

Work experience is highly valued when applying for both entry-level roles and postgraduate study. If you are considering training as a Chartered Psychologist, some courses will particularly look for experience gained as an Assistant Psychologist. Due to its confidential nature, it can be difficult to secure experience in counselling or psychotherapy, particularly at the 1:1 level, but there are plenty of other possibilities.

In hospital

• Healthcare assistant work is particularly valuable for careers in Nursing, but also gives good general experience of working with individuals experiencing mental health problems (see the NHS Jobs website).
• Volunteering in hospitals, as a ward volunteer or at outpatient units/clinics can be another way of developing your skills and gaining exposure to patients. Addenbrooke’s hospital in Cambridge has a range of volunteering opportunities. A minimum commitment is required.

Other settings

• Look for volunteering opportunities that involve client contact, such as Samaritans, Nightline and other mental health charities that need listening volunteers or group leaders.
• Volunteer through Student Community Action.
• Assisting psychological research can be helpful, particularly if that research is clinically oriented.
• Paid work as a care assistant.
• Mentoring young offenders.
• Volunteering with the Witness Service, Victim Support, or the Prison Advice and Care Trust.
• Volunteering at homeless shelters.
• Holiday clubs, community youth groups and play schemes can be a good way to gain experience. working with children.
• Find out more in our Volunteering page

Chartered Psychology

To become a Chartered Psychologist you will need to complete BPS accredited vocational training, usually encompassing a Professional Doctorate or BPS Stage 2 qualifications as set out on their Careers pages.

To begin vocational training you will normally need Graduate Membership of the BPS. At Cambridge you can become eligible through completion of the Psychological and Behavioural Studies tripos and Natural Sciences, where you meet the examination requirements for NST IB Experimental Psychology and NST Part II Psychology. If you are studying or have graduated from another discipline, you can undertake a psychology conversion course.

Psychology Related, Counselling and Psychotherapy

A degree in psychology is not always required. The training for these roles is varied, and can include vocational qualifications, postgraduate study, and on-the-job training programmes, depending on the role you choose.

• British Psychological Society
• British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
• UK Council for Psychotherapy
• British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies
• NHS Health Careers

• Relevant experience (paid or voluntary) involving client contact will help you to demonstrate your suitability for a face-to-face helping role.
• Your personal statement or application should clearly articulate your motivation for the role, reflecting on what you learned from your experiences and how they have informed your decision to pursue this career path.
• For chartered psychology roles, you will need to demonstrate the academic ability to succeed in training at doctorate level.

There are several local organisations where you can gain valuable experience:

• Cambridge Hub - supports students to tackle social challenges and connect with each other
• Cambridge Streetbite - a student-run project that helps the homeless community in Cambridge
• Cambridge University Hospitals - volunteer at one of the best-known hospitals in the UK
• Citizens Advice - helps people with their problems and campaigns to improve government policies
• Jimmy's - for over 20 years, Jimmy's has been providing help for the homeless in Cambridge
• Nightline Association - a night-time listening service which is run by students for students
• Samaritans - help support anyone who needs someone to talk to
• Student Community Action - facilitates student involvement in voluntary community work
• Student Minds - formerly known as the Mental Wealth Campaign

Competition for chartered psychology training and Assistant Psychologist roles can be fierce. It is not uncommon for graduates to undertake a substantial period of full-time work experience after graduation, beyond the requirements for professional training.
For Clinical Psychology in particular, it is not unusual for candidates to apply for several application rounds before securing a place. There is, however, a 95% employment rate following vocational training.
 

Now you have looked at this page, think about your next steps. Everyone's journey is different. There are many ways to move forward. Here are some actions you could take now:

• Look for roles using the resources above.
• Talk to alumni working in this field via Handshake or LinkedIn.
• Talk to a Careers Consultant - book a 1:1 appointment through Handshake.
• Attend events - watch for relevant events.
• Ready to apply? Use the CV and cover letter guide to draft a CV or an application. CareerSet is a tool you can use to review your CV and cover letter. Write a speculative application.