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    DCP Pre-Qualification Group

    The BPS Division of Clinical Psychology Pre-Qualification Group is a special interest group for aspiring or trainee members interested in pursuing a professional career in clinical psychology.

    About

    The BPS Division of Clinical Psychology Pre-Qualification Group (PQG) represents members on their journey towards the doctorate in clinical psychology (DClinPsy) and becoming qualified clinical psychologists and trainee clinical psychologists.

    Our aspiring clinical psychologist members come from a wide range of psychology related professional background including (but not limited to): Assistant Psychologists, Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners, Support Workers, and Clinical Associate Psychologists.

    Our trainee clinical psychologist members are enrolled on DClinPsy course centres from across the UK.

    Being part of the PQG allows you access to a wide range of benefits to support you towards your future career as a qualified clinical psychologist, including:

    • Online and in-person events
    • Reduced rates for CPD
    • Networking and workshop events
    • Regular newsletters
    • Access to resources on our digital portal

    Joining the Pre-Qual Group

    When joining the DCP you will automatically be granted membership of the PQG at no extra charge and be able to access all perks and resources.

    If you are unsure about your current membership status, please contact [email protected]

    Get in touch

    Want to find out more? Please contact the co-chairs of the PQG committee at [email protected].

    DCP Pre-Qual Group

    News

    DCP Pre-Qual Group

    Events

    DCP Pre-Qual Group

    Guidelines

    Our current committee: 

    Co-Chairs: Richard Malkin and Ken Cheung 

    Member Engagement Co-Leads: Max Keeley and Lois Turner 

    DCP Faculty Representatives: 

    • DCP Addictions Faculty: Callum Gray 
    • DCP Faculty of Clinical Health Psychology: Fiona Jenkins 
    • DCP Children, Young People and their Families Faculty (CYPF): Bliss Warland-Edge 
    • DCP Faculty of Eating Disorders: Elena Coria 
    • DCP Perinatal Faculty: Kenya Fantie 
    • DCP Faculty for the Psychology of Older People: Jamie Benyon 
    • DCP Faculty for People with Intellectual Disabilities (FPID): Zara Rahman 
    • DCP Holistic Faculty: Maria Romero Rosado 
    • DCP Faculty for Psychosis and Complex Mental Health: Phoebe Hodgkins 
    • DCP Workforce and Training: Cheng Liu 
    • DCP HIV and Sexual Health: Maxime Levasseur 
    • DCP Leadership and Management Faculty: Irene Gould and Jen Webb-Bowen 

    DCP Nations and Branches Representatives: 

    • DCP London and South East: Ray Cuffe 
    • DCP Wales: Jack Griffiths 
    • DCP Northern Ireland: Richard Dooley

    Become a part of our committee

    We have several open positions and are looking for enthusiastic members, both aspiring clinical psychologists and trainee clinical psychologists, who want to make a meaningful impact within our community. 

    Being a committee member is a great opportunity to advocate for aspiring and trainee members, network with peers, and support you in your journey toward becoming a qualified clinical psychologist.  

    A quote from Jack Griffiths, DCP Wales Representative: 

    "I have had the privilege of serving as the Pre-Qualification Wales representative for over two years, and it has been an incredibly rewarding experience. The committee has provided numerous opportunities for professional growth, allowing me to connect with a diverse group of professionals from across the UK, relationships I might not have made without the DCP. 

    I have enjoyed representing pre-qualification interests in Wales, as well as advocating for Wales within the pre-qualification framework. A particular highlight was the opportunity to interview the BPS President last month at the BPS Wales Branch conference, where I spoke in front of a full audience in Cardiff.

    My time on the committee has not only enhanced my networking capabilities but has also enabled me to develop many of the core competencies essential for a career in clinical psychology.

    Current vacancies (please note that these may change as positions are filled):

    If you want to discuss your expression of interest or learn more about becoming a committee member, please email: [email protected].

    Assistant Psychologist and Aspiring Psychologist Peer Support Groups

    This document tracks the current NHS and non-NHS peer support groups across the UK that are currently running for assistant psychologists and aspiring psychologists to access. 

    Find out more about Assistant Psychologist and Aspiring Psychologist Peer Support Groups

    To add or update your groups details, please email [email protected].

    Guidance on recruiting and employing assistant psychologists

    The BPS have published new guidance setting out the expected standards for recruiting and employing assistant psychologists in the UK.

    This guidance is aimed at employers, recruiters, and supervisors but can also be a great resource for current assistant psychologists to ensure your role complies with the expected standards.

    Access the guidance on BPS Explore

    Tips for pre-qualified psychologists

    DClinPsy Application Advice and Assistance

    The following videos, produced by the BPS DCP Pre-Qualification Group Committee, provide some guidance and insights for prospective applicants interest in applying for the doctorate in clinical psychology (DClinPsy).

    Please note: all comments expressed in these videos are the personal opinions of the panel members and not those of the organisations they are currently (or have previously been) associated with.

    Seeing is Believing: The Changing Face of Clinical Psychology

    The Clinical Psychology profession in the UK is made up of predominantly White, middle-class women.

    There are various systemic barriers to people from Black, Asian, and other Minority Ethnic backgrounds trying to enter the profession.

    These include a lack of access to advice within the profession and an off-putting lack of representation.

    To put it plainly, "You can't be what you can't see".

    This channel (developed as part of the DCP BME Mentoring Scheme, founded & led by Dr. Kat Alcock) aims to provide honest advice & reflections from trainee & qualified clinical psychologists from Black, Asian and Other Ethnic Minority backgrounds.

    The videos were created for school students, undergraduates, families, aspiring clinical psychologists, career advisors & lecturers.

    Visit the Changing Face of Clinical Psychology channel

    Covid-19 resources relevant to pre-qualified members

    There are also a variety of other resources available on the society's main Coronavirus Resources hub.

    Podcasts

    Insights: The DCP Pre-Qualified Group Podcast

    Join hosts Melissa McRae and Liam Myles as they interview a variety of clinical psychologists working in various services and roles, bringing insights and reflections on the nature of their work.

    Episode 1: Dr Claire Stark

    Episode 2: Alison Spencer

    Episode 3: Amra Saleem Rao and Sophie Doswell

    Episode 4: BPS Careers Festival Special

    Let's Get to Clinical

    A podcast which seeks to enrich the journey for anybody working towards a career in clinical psychology. Q&A and topics.

    Hosted by Mark Guyers and Beth Marsh.

    We're really excited to be launching Let's Get to Clinical, which will be a valuable resource for people just like us, working towards a career in clinical psychology.

    The aim is to guide you and ourselves on the journey to qualification.

    The Pre-Qualification Group exists to support and enrich the journey to becoming a clinical psychologist, and our new podcast is just the latest reason why people should get involved.

    Episode 01

    You can always find an interesting question to ask in any context

    Beth invites Prof. Val Curran, Professor of Psychopharmacology and Clinical Psychologist from University College London to talk about her career in research, applications to the doctorate and leadership.

    Episode 02

    It just doesn’t feel like work

    Beth invites Dr Sunjeev Kamboj, Clinical Psychologist from University College London to talk about his research on memory, the usefulness of health roles on the journey to qualification and how to keep participants safe whilst studying useful questions.

    Episode 03

    They are no longer a patient, they are now your colleague

    Graham Belchamber, committee member for the Faculty of Clinical Health & expert by experience, gives advice to pre-qualified professionals who may want to support service user input in the services they work.

    Episode 04

    You will never find losing a watch in the evidence base: our time in IAPT

    Mark and Beth reflect on their time in the Improving Access to Psychological Therapy (IAPT) programme. We talk about the skills you gain, research you can do, the importance of supervision and support and how you can make surprising additions to the evidence base.

    Episode 05

    Major trauma events transcend role

    Beth invites Alistair Teager, a Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist to talk about his clinical work, his journey to qualification, multidisciplinary work at Salford Royal Hospital and the role clinical psychology has and can have when responding to major trauma.

    Episode 06

    It’s not how many eyes look over it - it’s who looks over it that makes the difference

    Mark invites Joanne Iddon, a Principle Clinical Psychologist to talk about her journey to the clinical doctorate, what clinical psychology can offer our physical health clients and colleagues, how the profession can embed itself into multi disciplinary teams and how important research and audit can be.

    Episode 07

    Psychology can make a difference in so many areas

    Mark speaks to Leanna Ong, Co-Chair of the British Psychological Society's Pre-Qualification Group @DCPPreQual and trainee clinical psychologist about her journey to clinical training. Leanna reflects on her experiences in Sri Lanka, the NHS and what part clinical psychology can play in ever changing times.

    Episode 08

    Psychology is making my job more enjoyable

    Mark speaks to Graeme Green, a Senior Physiotherapist in persistent pain conditions. Graeme talks about his experiences of working with pre-qual psychologists, tips on how pre-qualified psychologists can work effectively in a multi-disciplinary team & how helpful psychology input is in physical health.

    Episode 09

    There are opportunities to show leadership at any level

    Mark speaks to Melissa McRae, a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner and DCP Leadership and Management Faculty Representative. Melissa talks about her experiences working in IAPT, the changes she has seen through the Covid-19 pandemic, how leadership can be shown in any role on the pre-qual journey and how attending different spaces in clinical psychology can initiate reflection.

    Episode 10

    A psychology degree can offer so much

    Mark, Leanna Ong (Trainee Clinical Psychologist) & Kate Knott (Assistant Psychologist) the current Co-Chairs of the British Psychological Society's Pre-Qualification Group answer questions from A-level students about the journey towards training in clinical psychology.

    Everything from "how do you deal with failure" to "how much do you get paid" is covered!

    Alternative Handbook For Postgraduate Training Courses in Clinical Psychology

    Choosing which courses to apply for to undertake your professional clinical training is an important decision in your journey towards becoming a clinical psychologist.

    There are many factors which may influence this decision - including the course ethos, content, and location, selection procedures, placement opportunities, research topics and the support available - and shape your experiences as a trainee clinical psychologist.

    In our interactive online report, we have asked the current trainees from every course, across all year groups to tell us what it is like to be a trainee on their course.

    Find out more about the alternative handbook for postgraduate training courses

    Previous editions

    DClinPsy

    The Doctorate in Clinical Psychology Interview Webinar 2025, part one and two, are now available to members of the Division of Clinical Psychology. 

    To watch the webinars, sign in to the website, and the videos will appear below. 

    Part 1: Qualified Clinical Psychologist Guest Speaker Panel

    In this first part, Ken Cheung (Co-Chair, DCP Pre-Qualification Group) is joined by a guest speaker panel of three qualified clinical psychologists from across the UK, Dr Claire Stark (Chair, DCP Scotland), Dr Bethan Phillips (Chair, DCP Wales) and Dr Sarah Meekin (Chair, DCP Northern Ireland). They discuss the role of a clinical psychologist and reflect on the learning and development they've gained across their careers.

    Part 2: Trainee and Newly Qualified Clinical Psychologist Q&A

    In this second part, Richard Malkin and Ken Cheung (Co-Chair's, DCP Pre-Qualification Group) are joined by 10 Trainee and Newly Qualified Clinical Psychologists in an interactive Q&A to share their advice and tips to applicants which have DClinPsy interviews.