Doctorate in Clinical Psychology DClinPsy

King's College London, University of London

The three-year, full-time Doctorate in Clinical Psychology is based within the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN). Trainees spend three days a week on supervised clinical practice placements and two days a week are dedicated to teaching, study and research. Aims & philosophyTo benefit service users, carers and wider society by training clinical psychologists who:are skilled in evidence-based psychological assessment and interventionproduce applied research of the highest quality and impactprogress to become leaders within the NHS, clinical academia and beyondThe training programme values the reflective scientist-practitioner model as a basis for clinical psychology. There is a strong emphasis on integration of theory, research and practice in all aspects of the programme.The biopsychosocial framework underpinning the Programme identifies biological, psychological and social factors that contribute to the development and maintenance of psychological difficulties and mental disorders across the lifespan. Our understanding of the framework is that it is linked to a continuum view of psychological difficulty. Thus, the programme seeks to understand these difficulties from an assumption of commonality of experience and human potential to support wellness and resilience.The programme takes cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) as its primary therapeutic modality, reflecting the world-leading research expertise within the IoPPN and its evidence base. Family therapy/systemic practice is the second therapeutic modality.The Programme is based predominantly within King's Health Partners (an Academic Health Sciences Centre) which comprise King's College London and three of the highest rated NHS Foundation Trusts in the country: South London and Maudsley, King's College Hospital, and Guy's and St Thomas'. A particular strength of the programme is the cohesive and comprehensive range of local and national specialist placement opportunities across these trusts and other placement services. In line with the goals of the NHS long term plan, placements offer trainees opportunities to work in local clinical pathways improving access to services for people from our diverse local communities.The IoPPN DClinPsy Training Programme is committed to the principle of equality of opportunity for all trainees and staff. The Programme values and positively promotes equality, inclusion and diversity. At the IoPPN and local Trusts, there is much expertise relating to Culture, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) in clinical, research, and teaching activities.