Clinical Psychologist

Clinical psychologists aim to reduce psychological distress and enhance and promote psychological wellbeing. They often work in health and social care settings, as part of a multidisciplinary team. They use the methods and findings of psychology and psychological theories with clients to enable them to make positive changes in their lives.

Clinical psychologists work with people of all ages who experience mental or physical health problems. These may include: anxiety and depression, serious and enduring mental illness, adjustment to physical illness, neurological disorders, addictive behaviors, eating disorders, behavior disorders, personal and family relationship problems, learning disabilities.

Most clinical psychologists work with a particular client group, or in a particular setting, e.g. adult mental health, forensic services, child and family, learning disabilities or older adults. Typical work activities include: assessing a client's needs, abilities or behavior using a variety of methods, including psychometric tests, interviews and direct observation of behavior.

Working as part of a multidisciplinary team alongside doctors, nurses, social workers, education professionals, health visitors, school health nurses, occupational therapists and physiotherapists, devising and monitoring appropriate programmers of treatment, including therapy, counseling or advice, in collaboration with colleagues, offering therapy for difficulties relating to anxiety.

Depression, addictions, social and interpersonal problems, challenging behavior and, increasingly, a range of more difficult problems, rehabilitating long-stay patients into the community, developing and evaluating service provision, providing consultation to other professions, encouraging a psychological approach in their work.

Developing and supervising high-quality assessment and therapeutic work by colleagues in multidisciplinary teams,counselling and supporting carers,carrying out applied research, adding to the evidence base of practice in a variety of health care settings, More experienced clinical psychologists are often called on to write legal reports and act as expert witnesses.