Philosophy and Values
Training at Royal Holloway is underpinned by an ethos of public service, that is, we believe that the state (in this case, the NHS) has an important part to play in the wellbeing of individuals and communities. We aim to equip trainees with the skills and knowledge to be effective practitioners within the NHS, or related organisations, in their chosen areas of practice. The values enshrined in the NHS Constitution underpin the values of the Course.
We adhere to a belief that the quality of a person's experience is of supreme value and that actions that promote the quality of life for a person and reduce impediments to that quality of life are therefore of great value. Our work is based on the view that psychology has a role to play in facilitating wellbeing – helping people to live lives that are good for them – and that psychological knowledge can be applied and brought to bear on enhancing people's experience and in tackling some of the impediments to wellbeing and thereby reducing distress. A desire and commitment to make a difference to people's lives through the compassionate application of psychological knowledge is fundamental to training and practising as a clinical psychologist. We believe that this is a shared enterprise between psychologists and the users of psychological services, and that the rights and dignity and autonomy of all service users, whatever their social or personal characteristics, are paramount. In line with this view, we also believe that the benefits to be derived from the application of psychological knowledge to people's lives arise through a process of active collaboration, with both service-users and their families and with other professionals.
Training Objectives
The Course Team aims to facilitate the development of Clinical Psychologists for the NHS who:
 are respectful and responsive to all clients and colleagues, with an awareness and
 understanding of diversity in all its aspects; will have experienced an up-to-date, balanced coverage of the major orientations, ideas and knowledge that inform clinical practice;
 will be a continuing resource for the NHS, its clients and staff;
 are aware of and contribute to NHS policy development and initiatives;
 engage in reflective practice in relation to their own work and that of their colleagues and services and, in consequence, act constructively to foster good practice;
 will become clinicians able to manage their own work, learning and continuing professional development needs, including learning from their mistakes and recognising and working within their limits of competence;
 can work both independently and collaboratively and provide and accept professional support from peers;
 are competent to undertake the differing forms of research and teaching that
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 contribute to the advancement, in all its forms, of psychological healthcare; encourage and foster a commitment to improving people's lives, with a commitment to high standards that is guided by a compassionate understanding of service-users' experiences and difficulties sometimes in embracing change; foster high standards of professionalism and value-based practice in relation to conduct and practice, including collaborative working with colleagues alongside the courage to challenge poor practice.