Cognitive Behavioural Therapist/Clinical/Counselling Psychologist: Sponsorship Available

Job summary

Come and join our expanding psychological therapies team within a passionate and friendly service.

An exciting and rewarding opportunity has arisen to develop services by offering a 12-month fixed-term opportunity for a Band 7 CBT therapist or Clinical or Counselling Psychologist (up to 0.77 wte). We are keen to consider applications from individuals with direct perinatal experience or those seeking to develop their skills in a new and innovative role. Applications from trainee psychologists soon to qualify are welcome.

The Specialist Perinatal service is a well-established multidisciplinary community team providing a range of tailored approaches to meet the mental health needs of women, birthing people, and their families in the perinatal period.

Our core purpose is to work with women, birthing people to address their mental health needs and mitigate any impact on the unborn baby and infant. We aim to provide a timely, integrated, high quality, and effective service.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will undertake initial assessments and direct therapeutic work with women/birthing people experiencing a wide range of mental health problems, often relating to complex trauma or attachment difficulties. This may take the form of individual or dyadic therapy (with baby present), or group therapy.

There are also opportunities for indirect working, including consultation and training to both colleagues within the Specialist Perinatal Team and wider systems, including PETALS (the maternal mental health service), maternity services, perinatal IAPT, specialist psychotherapy services and parent-infant mental health services.

The post offers an incredibly supportive team working environment. The successful post holder will receive regular and consistent line management, clinical and professional supervision, and develop relationships with established psychologists and psychological therapists (family therapy, CBT, IPT) working within the service who regularly meet for ongoing CPD, discussion of clinical / professional issues and invaluable peer support. There are also opportunities for professional development and additional internal training is actively encouraged and supported.

Requirements to Travel

There is a regular requirement to travel across the footprint of the Trust.

Person Specification

Education and Qualifications

Essential

• oProfessional qualification in Clinical / Counselling Psychology at doctoral level (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996)
• oRegistration as a Clinical Psychologist / Counselling Psychologist with the HCPCA qualification in health care at graduate level in nursing, social work or allied health profession PLUS professional registration (e.g HCPC, NMC)
• oA post graduate diploma in cognitive behavioural therapy and accreditation (or working towards accreditation) with the British Association of Cognitive Behavioural Therapies

Desirable

• oPost qualification training in a specialised area of psychological practice (e.g, EMDR, DBT)
• oTraining in recognised Perinatal & Parent Infant Mental Health courses

Experience

Essential

• oExperience in offering appropriate assessment of clients, to use judgement in the planning of care, and to implement specific evidence-based therapies.
• oExperience of applying cognitive behavioural therapy/other psychological approaches.
• oExperience of using trauma focused interventions.
• oExperience of using psychometric measures.
• oExperience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients’ psychological care and treatment.
• oExperience of conducting high quality risk assessments and implementing risk management plans.
• oExperience of working effectively within a multidisciplinary team.

Desirable

• oExperience of providing supervision to other professionals.
• oExperience of teaching and training to other professionals.

Knowledge

Essential

• oBe able to provide effective liaison with colleagues in the wider maternity system, as well as other statutory / non statutory services relevant to the client and their ongoing needs.
• oContribute when required, to team research and development activities.
• oEvidence of CPD as recommended by a professional registration body.

Desirable

• oKnowledge of policy and legislation in relation to service specialism and of relevant mental health legislation.

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• oCommunicate directly with clients, partners and families and other healthcare professionals, complex and potentially emotive information
• oDemonstrate skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
• oDemonstrate well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, highly technical, and clinically sensitive information to clients, their families and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
• oAbility to organise time effectively.
• oAbility to use own initiative and to work under supervision where appropriate.
• oAbility to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team and to liaise effectively with other professionals.

Desirable

• oSkills in organising and facilitating groups for the provision of psychological interventions.
• oSkills in providing consultation to other professionals and non-professional groups.

Closing Date: 6 September 2026