Clinical/Counselling Psychologist/CBT Therapist: Sponsorship Available

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen to recruit a 0.8 WTE, permanent Clinical/Counselling Psychologist or Psychological Practitioner to join our Maternity Trauma and Loss Care (MTLC) Service.

The service is aimed at supporting women/birthing people who are affected by pregnancy loss (including terminations for any reason), still birth, neonatal loss, perinatal trauma, and those who have a fear of pregnancy/childbirth (Tokophobia). The service offers a combination of specialist psychological therapy and specialist midwifery input, to those whose needs cannot be met by other primary or secondary care services.

MTLC has been developed in conjunction with Experts by Experience, drawing on the invaluable input of women and birthing people locally who have faced maternity trauma and loss.

The post holder will be a part of an MDT with dedicated psychological practitioners and midwives. They will provide trauma informed assessments and evidence-based interventions to women and birthing people presenting to the service.

As a tri-borough service, the successful candidate will be asked to work across Hammersmith & Fulham, Ealing and Hounslow.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will work across the three West London boroughs covered by the service as part of a multidisciplinary team (MDT), providing a qualified clinical psychology service to women and birthing people referred to, or receiving care from, the team.

Under the supervision of a senior psychological practitioner, the post holder will screen referrals, undertake specialist psychological assessments and provide trauma-informed, evidence-based interventions for women experiencing trauma, loss and a range of mental health, social and emotional difficulties related to the maternity context.

The post holder will apply a range of psychological models and deliver specialist perinatal psychology interventions, including developing and facilitating group programmes in community and virtual settings. Interventions will be tailored to the needs of women and their infants, taking account of varying levels of complexity, distress and illness.

Using a psychological and trauma-informed approach, the post holder will provide consultation and advice to colleagues and the wider professional network involved in maternity care across the North West London footprint, including West Middlesex, Chelsea and Westminster, St Mary’s, Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea, and Hillingdon Hospitals.

The role requires autonomous practice within professional guidelines and service policies, alongside contribution to research, audit, service evaluation, policy development and improvement.

Person Specification

Qualifications and training

Essential

• Honours degree (2:1 minimum) in Psychology (A)
• Full registration with the Health Professionals Council (A)
• Post-graduate doctorate in Clinical Psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) or equivalent in Counselling Psychology (A)
• Qualification level that would allow acceptance as a BPS chartered clinical or BPS chartered clinical psychologist status or allow for full BABCP accreditation. (A)

Desirable

• Perinatal Mental Health Training (A)
• Training in Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy (A)
• Training or experience in Behavioural Couples Therapy/Couples Therapy for Depression (A/I)
• Training or experience of running groups (A/I)
• Training in DIT/IPT (A/I)

Experience

Essential

• Experience of at least 6 months’ work in a severe and enduring mental health service (A/I)
• Experience of working with people across the lifespan in a mental health setting (A/I)
• Training and experience in assessing and delivering evidence based trauma focussed therapy (A/I)

Desirable

• Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision (A/I)
• Experience of working in a perinatal mental health service or work with this client group in another setting (A/I)
• Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts (A/I)
• Experience of clinical psychology in a health-related setting (A/I)
• Training or experience in working with loss/grief/perinatal loss (A/I)

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Highly developed specialist knowledge, both theoretical and practical, of psychology applied to clinical practice, particularly in respect of adults with severe and enduring mental health disorders (A/I)
• Able to plan, prioritise and organise own caseload, treatment programmes involving other staff, and other aspects of the work such as research activity (A/I)
• High levels of ability to communicate effectively with the network around women and birthing people and their families during the perinatal period (A/I)
• Able to use database, word processing and test administration/scoring software (A/I)
• Post-graduate level knowledge of research design and methodology (A/I)

Desirable

• Specialist theoretical and practical knowledge of psychology applied to perinatal issues (A/I)
• Knowledge of relevant legislation and its implications for work women and birthing people and families in the perinatal period (I)
• Knowledge of safeguarding children and adults (A/I)
• Evidence of continuing professional development in areas relevant to perinatal mental health (A/I)

Personal

Essential

• Able to maintain concentration frequently for prolonged periods (A/I)
• Able to function in potentially traumatic circumstances and in emotionally distressing circumstances (I)
• Able to motivate oneself and work independently in day to day work (A)
• Able to respond adaptably to changing service demands (A/I)

Desirable

• Able to look after own wellbeing in and outside of work (I)

Others

Essential

• Knowledge of the professional code of conduct of the BPS/BABCP (I)
• Must be capable of being guided by precedent, clearly defined policies, procedures and codes of conduct (I)
• Able to reflect on own professional practice through the clinical supervision process (I)
• Willing to participate actively in CPD in line with BPS/BABCP guidelines (I)
• Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material (I)

Desirable

• Record of having published in either peer reviewed or academic or professional journals and/or books (A/I)
• Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings (I)
• Experience of working within a multicultural framework (I)

Closing Date: 16 September 2026