Trent - Lincoln & Nottingham

The programme is delivered equally by the Universities of Nottingham and Lincoln. The staff team are based across both universities.

Academic modules run from both universities and you will attend teaching at both locations.

Clinical placements are usually aligned to your employing trusts and are allocated primarily according to learning need.

The research pathway begins as soon as you join the programme, and all research assessments build towards the final thesis submission. 

Our programme is delivered by a team of clinically active academic/research psychologists, service user and carer colleagues and clinical psychologists from our partner NHS Trusts.

Service user and carer colleagues are involved in nearly all aspects of the programme, including the summative assessment of trainees’ work, advising on research, co-teaching the curriculum and influencing the strategic development of the programme through sub-committees. 

The broad structure of the programme is outlined below.

Year 1

Academic Modules

Core Professional Skills

You will develop core engagement and interviewing skills in the context of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy; learn how to conceptualise and formulate psychological distress; understand professional ethics. This module offers problem-based learning opportunities, group-work tasks and skills role-play sessions.

Your learning will be assessed through group presentation. 

Therapeutic Work with Individuals

You will learn how to work therapeutically with common mental health difficulties using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and third-wave CBT approaches. You will be introduced to other evidence based-approaches, for example systemic and psychodynamic approaches.

Learning on the module is assessed through a written case report.

Clinical Placements

Individual Placements

You will complete one ten-month placement in a clinical service where you will be integrated into a team and have intensive clinical supervision to build your clinical proficiency.

All placements support the assessment of clinical proficiency through a portfolio document. 

Research Pathway

Research Orientation and Design

You will engage in teaching on the philosophy of science, research methodologies and a range of factors that are important in clinical research e.g. the involvement of service users. You will share ideas for your thesis project in sessions that provide feedback to support the design of your thesis project.

Your learning is assessed by completion of a systematic literature review.

Year 2

Academic Modules

Lifespan and Psychological Development

In this module you will learn to apply developmental theories to clinical contexts and develop your understanding of life stage-specific factors e.g. perinatal mental health, trauma across the lifespan, relationships and aging, death and bereavement.

Your learning will be assessed through a presentation. 

Specialist and Integrative Modalities

You will select a programme of intensive teaching in an alternative evidence-based approach and you will work in small workshops to build skills in formulating and intervening from that approach.

You will learn about working integratively and demonstrate your learning through a case study viva.

Clinical Placements

Multi-Person Placements

These will each take place across five months. You may work with young people and families, older people or people with intellectual and/or physical disabilities. You will build clinical skills in working with small systems and more complex clinical need.

All placements support the assessment of clinical proficiency through a portfolio document. 

Research Pathway

Thesis Project

You will undertake the main work towards completion of your thesis research, gaining ethical approvals, and collecting and analysing data.

Research Activation and Delivery

You will present a small-scale research project e.g. a single-case design or service evaluation at our annual ResFest event. The small-scale project can be conducted in a clinical placement service or elsewhere and at any point up until presentation at the end of Year 2.

Year 3

Academic Modules

Systems and Contexts 1

In this module you will learn skills in group working and how to use therapy in multi-person settings. You will receive teaching that helps you to critically apply theory to more complex clinical situations.

Your learning will be assessed through a written submission. 

Systems and Contexts 2

This final module will build leadership skills, enabling you to work in complex systems. Teaching will focus on organisational wellbeing and the issues relevant to taking on a qualified clinical psychologist role e.g. supervising and teaching others.

Your learning is assessed through assessment of your clinical skills and a brief written report.

Clinical Placements

Organisational Placements

Each placement of five months will enable you to build proficiency working with complex mental health needs and within larger systems and organisations. These can be across a range of clinical specialties, and one will be allocated on the basis of your preference for a specialist placement.

All placements support the assessment of clinical proficiency through a portfolio document. 

Research Pathway

Research Analysis and Presentation

You will submit your thesis research in Year 3 and will engage in a viva voce examination to defend and refine your work. This completes the pathway towards becoming an independent researcher who appreciates the importance of clinically impactful research.