Practitioner Psychologist (Clinical/Counselling) or Psychotherapist

Practitioner Psychologist (Clinical/Counselling) or Psychotherapist

The closing date is 09 December 2025

The Women's Health Psychological Services (WHPS) at UCLH is a highly experienced multi professional group of psychologists, psychotherapists and counsellors delivering quality psychological care in a variety of designated sub specialities including maternity, neonates, reproductive medicine, and gynaecology services. We are now looking for an enthusiastic and compassionate individual to join the service, providing input across a number of sub specialties.

Please be advised that we will only accept applications from candidates qualified to use the protected title of Clinical Psychologist or Counselling Psychologist or psychotherapists with UKCP registration. The role will be mainly remote, although there may be an occasional requirement to be onsite, possibly at short notice. You will need to be available on Wednesdays.

Main duties of the job

The post holder is expected to demonstrate training and experience relating to working in the NHS and with medical populations. Experience in trauma informed care and psychological models of treatment is essential, as is the capacity for effective teamwork with medical, midwifery, nursing, and allied health professionals.

About us

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) is one of the most complex NHS trusts in the UK, serving a large and diverse population. We provide academically led acute and specialist services, to people from the local area, from throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. Our vision is to deliver top quality patient care, excellent education, and world class research.

We provide first class acute and specialist services across eight sites:

• University College Hospital (incorporating the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing)
• National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery
• Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals
• University College Hospital Grafton Way Building
• Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine
• University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre
• The Hospital for Tropical Diseases
• University College Hospital at Westmoreland Street

We are dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of many complex illnesses. UCLH specialises in women's health and the treatment of cancer, infection, neurological, gastrointestinal and oral disease. It has world class support services including critical care, imaging, nuclear medicine and pathology.

We are committed to sustainability and have pledged to become a carbon net zero health service, embedding sustainable practice throughout UCLH. We have set an ambitious target of net zero for our direct emissions by 2031 and indirect emissions by 2040.

Job responsibilities

For the full Person Specification and more information regarding the main responsibilities of this role, please refer to the attached Job Description.

Come and be a part of the best NHS trust in England to work for, according to our staff

UCLH top trust to work at in England - In the most recent NHS staff survey UCLH had the highest percentage of staff who said they would recommend us as a place to work, out of all general acute or acute/community NHS trusts in England for the third year in a row.

UCLH recognises the benefits of flexible working for staff To find out more, visit: Flexible working.

To discover more about what makes UCLH a great place to work, visit: Why Choose UCLH?

Person Specification Knowledge and Qualifications

• Honours degree in psychology or related disciplines, and a Doctorate and/or PhD level in clinical/counselling psychology (or equivalent doctorate level clinical training)
• Registered Practitioner Psychologist by the HCPC to use the protected title practitioner psychologist (clinical/counselling) or UKCP for psychotherapists
• Knowledge of trauma informed care and psychological treatments for trauma presentations.

Experience

• Psychological practice within an NHS service or equivalent, providing short term interventions to women and couples and groups in medical settings and multi disciplinary teams
• Working with people who are socially deprived and disadvantaged, including working with interpreters
• Experience of working in a multi professional team involving physicians, surgeons, nurses, and allied health professionals and giving psychological formulations and as part of multidisciplinary assessments and care planning.
• Working in a women's health setting in an acute Trust e.g. in obstetrics or gynaecology
• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment with medical populations and of offering psychological preparation for complex medical or surgical treatments taking into account factors affecting decision making, current health status, emotional well being and psychosexual functioning.
• Experience of supervising junior staff e.g. trainees, assistants

Skills & Abilities Communication

• Advanced professional verbal and written communication skills with patients, carers and other health professional staff in service delivery
• Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS where information may be highly sensitive and there may be barriers to acceptance

Academic and research

• Previous experience of NHS based research (including submission to HRA and local R and D) and publication process, indicating the ability to critique and conduct research/audit autonomously, with supervision as required.
• Ability to critique and evaluate scientific data and best practice clinical guidelines

Quality and service improvement

• Evidence of working well in multidisciplinary teams
• Evidence of a commitment to service improvement from patients' perspectives
• Competent IT skills (word processing, spreadsheets, statistical packages)

Personal Qualities

• A high level of interpersonal and communication skills and be able to communicate effectively in a caring non judgemental manner.
• Ability to be self reflexive and realistically appraise own performance, accepting an offering constructive feedback
• Balanced capacity between autonomy and appropriate request for support

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

£56,276 to £63,176 a year per annum inclusive of HCAS, pro rata