Your guide on how to become a psychologist in the UK
Careers in psychology are broad in scope and responsibilities. Some paths are research-based, some will see you offering short-term support with a range of different service users in any given week, while others rely on being able to forge long-term relationships.
That’s the route that Elysium’s Dr Rebecca Doyle’s career journey has taken. Rebecca is the Principal Forensic Psychologist and Deputy Lead Psychologist for Chadwick Lodge and Eagle Stone View Hospitals.
“I really like the variety that working in a secure hospital brings,” says Rebecca. “It gives me the chance to work with service users over a longer period of time, supporting them to build therapeutic relationships, working with them to assess and formulate their needs.”
Education and Training
Training to become a Psychologist takes 6-7 years. It’s a career path that requires academic and practical training, a deep commitment to lifelong learning and a genuine passion for helping others grow.
Dr Rebecca Doyle’s study journey
“I did a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology (PGDip) because my undergraduate degree didn’t have something called the Graduate Basis for Registration (GBR) with the British Psychological Society,” explains Rebecca, “and you need that in order to move forward in terms of Psychology.”
“I went on to study a Master’s degree (MSc) and then a Professional Doctorate in Forensic Psychology (D. Foren.Psy) and gained experience along the way. It’s long and it’s difficult, but I think it’s worth it in the end!”
The first two most important steps to becoming a psychologist
Step 1: Complete a BPS-accredited degree
A psychology degree that is accredited by the British Psychological Society is always the first real step in a career in psychology. You can find a comprehensive list of courses and the universities that offer them on the BPS website.
Step 2: Postgraduate Study
The next step is a BPS-backed Master’s degree. Once you have both an undergraduate and postgraduate degree behind you, though, you can begin to specialise even further.
Elective qualifications offer a chance to deep dive into particular topics, gaining specific knowledge and experience in more niche psychological fields.
Clare’s postgraduate degree journey
Elysium’s Clare Peatson has recently passed her Stage 2 in Forensic Psychology and qualified as a Chartered Forensic Psychologist.
“I decided to do the Stage 2 route as it provided me with extensive on-the-job experience,” says Clare. “It’s great because you can see the theory come to life in front of you.”
“You get to see into lots of different challenging situations that you learn from and know how to deal with similar situations in the future. Overall, it’s a great opportunity to put what you learn into day-to-day practice, which is really valuable”
At Elysium, we have two programmes for psychology graduates and training psychologists that provide excellent development opportunities for aspiring psychologists and valuable experience that you’ll take with you for the rest of your career.
Becoming a Chartered Psychologist
By completing Stage 2 in Forensic Psychology, Clare now has a Doctorate-level qualification as a Chartered Forensic Psychologist. But what does it mean to be chartered?
Basis for chartered membership
When you have chartered status, as a Psychologist or other professional discipline, it is a symbol that you operate at the highest standards of knowledge and expertise.
Only the BPS can grant chartered status, and only then after an application is submitted and a fee is paid. This fee makes it possible for the BPS to look into the qualifications of every applicant, ensuring only those with the relevant qualifications and experience are given a charter and can use ‘CPsychol’ after their name.
What could your career path at Elysium look like?
When you work in psychology at Elysium, landing a job as a Clinical Psychologist is not the end of your career path; it’s just the start.
We know that each of our clinical psychologists has a wealth of unique skills, skills that can lead them to different areas of psychology. Career paths are rarely linear, which is why we support our psychologists through further training.
Claire’s career path at Elysium
“Elysium are very generous in supporting you to access training that’s relevant to your role”, explains Rebecca. “For example, learning different therapies or assessments to support your service users using the best methods.”
Clare adds, “I can only comment from my experience…but the different opportunities that I was able to get involved in, the different sites, working with different genders, it’s meant that I’ve gained such a strong foundation of my career that I can really build on. My Psychology department was also so welcoming and supportive, I learnt so much from everyone I had the pleasure of working with.”
Of course, it’s also possible to complete all your training and find your niche before coming to Elysium, or anywhere else you choose to practise clinical psychology. With clinical psychology, though, there’s always something new to learn and a new experience to be had.
Clinical psychology speciality
Once you have a grounding in clinical psychology (thanks to your BPS-accredited undergraduate degree or equivalent qualification), it becomes possible to choose a speciality.
When we talk about clinical psychology, we’re actually talking about an incredibly broad range of specialisms, including:
- Forensic Psychology – Working within the criminal justice system, frequently on police cases or with offenders.
- Child and Adolescent Psychology – Focusing on children and teenagers on developmental issues, behavioural challenges, and emotional issues.
Geriatric Psychology – Engaging with the mental health of older adults, such as dementia and depression in later life. - Addiction – Addressing substance abuse and the behavioural issues that arise from it.
- Psychosis and Complex Mental Health – Supporting service users suffering with extreme psychotic symptoms as well as other complex mental health issues.
- Health Psychology – Examining the links between mental and physical health.
Of course, those are just a few of the most well-known specialities in clinical psychology. It’s not a comprehensive list, and each comes with different challenges to face and overcome.
Work experience and volunteer work
At Elysium, we want it to be as easy as possible for employees and service users to start making a difference. That’s why we have so many ways to gain experience and advance careers.
Work experience
Finding meaningful, achievable work is actually a great way to promote recovery from mental illness. Having tasks and responsibilities not only provides structure to a day, but the added meaning has been shown to boost self-esteem and confidence.
Elysium’s Real Work Opportunities programme gives service users a chance to develop vocational skills, skills that also support their recovery and growth. Whether working as a Service User Representative, ward-based cleaner, groundskeeper, newsletter editor or exercise co-facilitator, each role is reflective of general employment.
Apprentceships
We also offer apprenticeships that allow our team members to continue their professional growth, whether in clinical psychology or other areas.
Jennifer is Elysium’s Learning and Development Team’s MEL Content Creator and completed an apprenticeship with us. Here’s a look at her journey:
“When I joined Elysium, I was already in the middle of my apprenticeship and needed to transfer it from my old employer to my new employer,” says Jennifer. “My manager at Elysium was very supportive, and together we identified a project I could run, write about, and include as part of my assessment. I managed to complete the project, write it up, and present it alongside my previous work.
I finalised everything, completed the endpoint assessment, and received my results. I’m proud to say I achieved a merit”
Jennifer’s story is one of many. Apprenticeships take commitment, skill, and determination and at Elysium, we’re dedicated to supporting individuals in achieving their career goals and advancing their careers within Elysium
Is psychology a good career path?
It takes time, dedication, and empathy to build a career as a clinical psychologist. There are multiple qualifications, difficult cases, and a duty of care, but there are also huge rewards. Showing people how to overcome their addictions, helping them to relearn behaviours, and being a positive force for change in multiple lives, to name a few. You can do all that with a career in psychology with Elysium.
“You need a lot of drive and motivation,” adds Rebecca. “It can be a very difficult or competitive area to get into…but there are many different ways to move forwards, and I think if you know that’s what you want then that is what you need to keep working on.”
Start your career in psychology today
Curious about where a career in psychology with Elysium could take you? Whether you’re just starting out or looking to take the next step in your journey, explore the opportunities on our careers page today.