The Psych Health Experience

Hello! I’m Dr Katharine Chaudhuri and I’m a Clinical Psychologist at Psych Health.

I have been a Clinical Psychologist for 16 years, spending most of my time working for the NHS before practicing independently for a while, and then joining Psych Health two years ago, recently advancing into the Senior Clinicians team.

My days are quite varied and include providing psychological assessments and treatment; preparing and delivering mental health workshops; supervising and managing other clinicians; and providing support to colleagues with clinical issues or questions when they arise.

I love the variety of work at Psych Health and the opportunity to be clinically creative. We work with individuals from diverse backgrounds, meaning the therapy goals are varied and we often have to work at a fast pace.

I was initially drawn to Psych Health as I missed being part of a team and the financial security being part of an organisation offers, and whilst I enjoy the quiet and ease of working from home, I also feel very much part of a team of fantastic colleagues – I’ve been surprised by how much warmth and camaraderie can be developed remotely. I value being able to work hours which allow me to do ‘school runs’ and outside of work, I’m kept busy by family, friends, and an energetic dog! I have also recently discovered a passion for Zumba!

I appreciate being in a company which was founded by and continues to be led by clinicians. I feel that the provision of high-quality services remains at the heart of the organisation. I would certainly encourage other clinicians to consider working for Psych Health.

There is a genuine investment in clinicians in terms of supervision, CPD, a range of clinical opportunities and support for flexible working – values which are highlighted in our regular team meetings and incorporated into the working day. Psych Health values clinical excellence and I know that there are lots of exciting opportunities and changes on the horizon.   

I’m Emma, a Counselling Psychologist with nine years’ experience. I work one day a week for Psych Health and work in primary mental health services in the NHS the other four days of the week.

I entered the profession at an early age, I knew by the time I was doing my A Levels that I had an interest in Psychology and pursued it at university too. In my personal life I have always valued hearing others’ stories, so it eventually became clear I was to combine the two and become a counselling psychologist.  

Specialising in trauma, psychosis and complex anxieties, I most often offer compassion, acceptance and commitment therapy to my patients, but I always aim to fit my approach to their specific needs. I believe the therapeutic relationship is the most important thing in treating patients; building up a rapport and making it a safe space. 

Even though I only work with Psych Health one day a week, I have felt welcomed as part of the team from the very beginning. Development is a priority for Psych Health, every week there is some sort of meeting involving CPD – whether that’s understanding the wider Psych Health system, building on knowledge and skills, or supervision. For example, I recently completed the EMDR qualification. To progress further, you then need supervising by an EMDR consultant, which Psych Health have provided.  

I find Psych Health a much less stressful place to work, it is fun and supportive. You feel much more connected to the reason you went into this profession in the first place – it’s all about the clients! 

I’m Kornilia, a Counselling Psychologist with 13 years’ experience. I joined Psych Health as a network clinician in 2018, before becoming an employed clinician in August 2020, subsequently becoming a Clinical Manager in the service.

I grew up wanting to be an actress, and I was for a while! When I chose my university degree, I settled on Psychology, as it combined my passion for human emotions, motivation and language, with something that is also important to me, dealing with pain. I completed my training as a Clinical Psychologist in Greece and then moved to the UK, completing my Doctoral Degree in Counselling Psychology at City University, London. I have lived and worked in London since. 

As a Clinician, I see a lot of common mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression, but I specialise in working with self-harm and trauma. I use a combination of theoretical modalities in my work, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Psychodynamic Therapy, and EMDR. 

As a Clinical Manager I supervise and line manage other psychologists, supporting their own clinical development, and work on service development, designing clinical processes, such as Triage or Safeguarding. I love the mix of clinical work with the management and development opportunities.

If I was to give advice to anyone considering joining Psych Health, it would be – come! Psych Health is structured around good clinical work. The Directors are practicing Psychologists, which means they have a first-hand understanding of what we do and how to help us do it well. There is an extensive structure, from CPD, to events and the day-to-day processes, which is all aimed at supporting clinicians well, so they can, in turn, support our patients well. 

Since qualifying as a Clinical Psychologist I had worked for the NHS and had always been slightly hesitant to work elsewhere. However, moving to Psych Health feels like it has allowed me to thrive as a clinician. Working as Clinical Lead for Jaguar Land Rover allows me to use a lot of my skills as a Clinical Psychologist. From service development and leadership, to working alongside other psychological professionals as well as multidisciplinary colleagues and providing group and/or one to one intervention as well as providing training – the role enables me to wear ‘lots of hats’ and stay true to my values as a clinician; whilst allowing me to grow and develop.

For me, the Jaguar Land Rover project is unique and innovative in that it allows us to provide support to keep individuals ‘well’ in addition to support for those who may be experiencing psychological distress and/or mental health difficulties.  Psychological professionals often think about ‘preventative’ work but rarely get a chance to complete such work. Working alongside professionals who can support with employee’s physical health and wellbeing also ensures a holistic approach to wellbeing.  This is one of the best things about working for Psych Health and on the Jaguar Land Rover project; we are working alongside and learning from other colleagues – whilst having fun in the process!

I joined Psych Health in 2020 during the early months of the pandemic as a locum Clinician, working remotely, officially joining six months later as a Counselling Psychologist.

I first became interested in psychology many years ago as a student of Business and Management. I spent some years working in the financial industry in private, public and third sectors and almost a decade in the debt advice sector. Working with a diverse range of people affected by financial insecurity meant I had to be sensitive to the real fear and anxiety that goes along with potentially losing your home or being unable to meet basic needs. For some people, this was a systemic, long-term problem, and for others it may have been illness that changed their world. I massively valued receiving feedback that I had helped the people I had spoken to, if even in a small way. From here, I transitioned into the world of mental health services.

The core model I trained in was Person-Centred Therapy. As with many of my colleagues, I utilise a range of models including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Compassion Focused Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

My clinical work is varied – initially my role with Psych Health was to deliver psychological therapy, but that has branched out, and now some days I might be undertaking triage calls to assess which pathway might suit someone’s needs, and others I might be creating and delivering workshops or seminars for various groups.

Psych Health provide a flexible structure, agreeing to the hours I initially requested, which has been vital in achieving my work/life balance, but also allowing me to volunteer for work that interests me, so my weekly schedule has been moulded over time that I can work to my strengths, and in the areas that I perform best in and am passionate about. There’s no need to get myself motivated each day – that’s already been taken care of.

The team are brilliant in allocating appointments to my diary so I’m always clear on what’s expected of me. I feel I have the best of both worlds, where I have variety throughout the week, but I can also roughly plan out in my mind what’s coming up and when. The highlights of my week include the regular team meetings, supervision, CPD and other activities where I can connect with colleagues.

For anyone considering joining Psych Health, I would definitely say; don’t be afraid to say what your interests or strengths are to find your ideal caseload! There are so many options and opportunities available, or conversely you can streamline your caseload. Before I moved to a permanent role, being able to keep a streamlined caseload and regular hours gave me capacity to manage other personal and professional commitments.

Having worked for other private sector employers, what I value about Psych Health is the personality of the organisation. There is a necessary hierarchy but are no barriers where managers or directors are at arms’ length. They are visible, involved and approachable. Something I largely value is the consistency in their messaging and actions – there are many initiatives, resources and benefits available to promote health and wellbeing.

I’ve been with Psych Health for nearly 2 years as a Counsellor.

When I left school, I wanted to be a social worker, but at the time I pursued other options and ended up working in HR, which eventually led me to work in recruitment. But when I was in my 40s the recruitment agency shut down and that was a real turning point for me, I had the opportunity to start again, and I wanted to be a counsellor, so I went back to college and trained. I qualified in 2014 and became accredited in 2017, but I didn’t see becoming a Counsellor as a viable option, until one day an opportunity with Psych Health came along and here I am, at 56, finally doing what I want to do!

It’s amazing to be able to work with such a diverse set of Clinicians, Psychologists, CBT Therapists and Counsellors at Psych Health, to come together to deliver a complete service, and who are all here for the same reason; we’re all passionate about the therapeutic world.

I feel privileged to be able to do this every day, especially from where I live on the Isle of Wight, if remote working wasn’t available, I couldn’t be doing it.

Psych Health gives you the autonomy and respect to get on with your job, but also provides a safety net. You have supervision, peers, team meetings, professional development, and they’re always on hand when you need them. While working remotely, the role is standalone, but I also feel a strong team ethos.

As a Counsellor at Psych Health, I mainly deliver one-to-one short-term work with patients presenting a wide range of issues and mild to moderate mental health difficulties. I currently work one day per week at their Castle Bromwich site and three days remotely.

After my previous career as a Project Manager, I decided to move in the direction of supporting people more directly. I began volunteering on helplines and moved on to do a postgrad training course at the University of Derby, which was brilliant. I completed the course part-time whilst working part-time as a Senior Manager at a mental health charity. I was fortunate enough to gain a full-time post in an NHS IAPT service for a year after that. This allowed me to gain experience and achieve my BACP accredited status relatively quickly. Following that I worked at a specialist rape and sexual violence charity and then a busy student counselling service at a university, whilst completing a master’s conversion course in Psychology.

I work remotely three days a week and deliver on-site appointments one day a week, offering a great work/life balance. My days have a lot of structure, often seeing three patients in the morning and three in the afternoon, each for 50-minute sessions. I love the focus on the clinical work and see a high volume of patients with a wide range of presentations. There are sometimes reports, admin or follow-up actions to do and our attendance rates are very good, so the day invariably flies by. We have team meetings once a week and supervision at least every two weeks too, so even when working remotely I feel supported.

Psych Health is led by psychologists, and it shows, the support for clinicians is very good and the focus is on delivering good quality work and good outcomes for clients and patients. It’s great being able to work in a team with plenty of other qualified and experienced professionals.

I joined Psych Health on a part time basis in 2020. At the time I also worked part time for the NHS, and I subsequently made the decision to transition into full time employment with Psych Health as I really appreciated the service’s values and I felt challenged as well as supported, while the clinical work has been diverse and rewarding.

I have always been curious about why we do what we do, in other words, what governs our behaviour and what resides in deepest corridors of our psyche (including my own, of course!). I have learnt that understanding human nature in its complexity, is a never-ending endeavour, which is what makes this journey so fascinating, but I would say that this curiosity was one of the key factors that propelled me to pursue career in psychology, among many other personal experiences that equipped me with certain qualities which, in turn, aligned me with the calling of this profession. 

I completed my undergrad degree in psychology at University of West London and my doctorate at City University London. At the beginning of my career, I had the opportunity to work across a wide range of services and contexts, including primary care settings, community, voluntary and private sector as well as in-patient and forensic settings. I would be inclined to say that my experiences of working on a psychiatric ward and in prison settings, shaped me and my professional identity and my therapeutic stance in a most profound way.

Working part-time for Psych Health provided me the sense of fulfilment that I was missing, and it was the best decision I’ve ever made! There was definitely a grieving process leaving the NHS, but it was the right thing to do – I now have the freedom to be the best clinician I can be and meet my patients’ needs more fully. 

Since the beginning of my time with Psych Health I have felt supported and valued. I compare it to the cup analogy; ‘you have to be held in order to offer containment’ or the other, ‘you can’t pour from an empty cup’.

The best part of my role is helping people to make changes that are needed but not necessarily aware of. It’s like a 2-sided coin – change is painful and change is loss, it’s the most challenging but also most rewarding thing. The heart of my treatment is psychodynamic – exploring the unconscious and how the past effects the present, with an emphasis on emotions and relationships.

I have also participated in various exciting service development projects and have been involved in organising their annual CPD Clinicians Conference, as well as the curation of in house CPD program as a CPD Lead in the service. Such variety of opportunities leads to greater professional fulfilment and meaning as well as to growth and development.

Without a shadow of a doubt, I would recommend working at Psych Health to anyone considering it – the work is very interesting and rich, and the diversity of our clients helps ease the pressure associated with clinical work. Their robust support structure allows you to flourish and grow in your role with a clear career trajectory, highlighting pockets of opportunity and niche areas to advance into. It is a flexible, thoughtful and accommodating place to work.