South Wales

Online Open Event

Our programme will be holding an online Programme Open Event at:

4:00pm on Tuesday 7th October 2025

At the event you can find out more about us and meet some of the programme team. To register your interest for this event, please follow the link above and complete the form.

Course Structure

Year 1

In year 1 the focus is on developing competence in:

• Professional practice skills
• Understanding equity, diversity, inclusion and societal context
• Understanding mental health across the adult life-span, including older age
• Behavioural and cognitive therapies for adults and older adults
• Neuropsychology
• Adult clinical health psychology

Clinical experience

We take a competency-based approach to training. In year 1, as noted above, the focus is on developing direct clinical competencies working with adults.

Placements can be for either 6 months or 12 months, with the majority of placements currently offered as 12-month placements.

Placements can be in a range of settings, including:

• Older adult services
• Adult mental health services
• Health psychology services
• Forensic settings

The Clinical Stream reviews the placement availability in each Health Board every year, alongside the needs of the trainees and other placements may be offered.

Year 2

Year 2 builds on year 1 and has a focus on developing competence in:

• Behavioural and cognitive therapies for children, young people & families
• Behavioural and cognitive therapies for people with learning difficulties
• Neuropsychology
• Systemic practice and indirect working (with professionals and carers)
• Paediatric health psychology
• Neurodiversity and intellectual disability

Clinical experience

As part of the competency-based approach to training; placements focus on settings where indirect experiences can be obtained. This can include Systemic approaches as well as other forms of indirect work.

As with Year 1, placements may be offered on a 6-month or 12-month basis. This is based upon Trainee competency-development needs as well as placement availability.

Placements can be within a range of settings, including:

• Children and young people services
• Learning difficulties services
• Health psychology services

Other placement options may be considered based upon trainee competency development needs and placement availability.
 

Year 3

Year 3 builds on years 1 and 2 and has a focus on:

• Organisational and leadership skills
• Introduction to other therapies and models
• Neuropsychology
• Equity, diversity, inclusion and societal context
• Transition to qualified life

Placements in this year will provide an opportunity to address any outstanding competency needs and/or pursue specialist interests.

Research

Research teaching is embedded primarily in years 1 and 2.

Trainees will need to complete a small-scale research project and a large-scale research project. Trainees choose from a range of large-scale research project (LSRP) topics that reflect staff expertise across key research themes. These are:

• Child and adolescent mental health
• Intervention development and service improvement
• Mental health and wellbeing across the lifespan
• Clinical health psychology

Staff profiles and research interests are available to view on the Cardiff University website.