BSc Applied Psychology
(Clinical)
Dr Paul Farrand
Programme Director
BSc Applied Psychology (Clinical) at
Exeter
• 10th in the UK for Psychology
• Excellent teaching quality
– 90% for Overall Satisfaction in National Student
Survey 2011
• Internationally rated research (RAE 2008)
– 11th in UK for world leading research
Teaching Facilities
• Resources of specialist clinical training group (CEDAR)
with national reputation
• Clinical skills training suites with full audio/visual
recording capacity
• State-of-the-art computer laboratories
• Specialist practical laboratories
Teaching Expertise
• International expertise in translating research evidence
into training and intervention development
– CBT Mindfulness (Professor Kuyken)
– Rumination (Professor Watkins)
– Low Intensity CBT (Professor Richards, Dr Farrand)
• Nationally recognised clinical training expertise
– Dr Farrand nominated for National Teaching
Fellowship
• Clinically active staff
• Research on clinical training methods incorporated into
programmes
Teaching Delivery
• Full range of teaching and assessment methods used:
• Simulated competency assessments with actors
(Richards, D & Whyte, M., 2008).
• Problem Based Learning (Stedman, J., Wood, J., Curle, C. &
Haslam, C, 2005).
• Self-Practice/Self-Reflection to support training in CBT
(Haarhoff, B. & Farrand, P., 2012).
• Reflective blogs to support Self-Practice/SelfReflection (Farrand, P., Perry, J., Linsley, S., 2010).
Teaching Delivery
• Nationally recognised centre of excellence for training
Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners.
• Dedicated Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner Clinical
Educator team.
Research Facilities
• Mood Disorders Centre: internationally recognised
specialist research group
• Specialist facilities including:
– access to fMRI imaging and psychophysiological
labs
– group research treatment rooms
– clinical labs
Clinical Facilities
• AccEPT Clinic: psychological therapies service
offering access to psychological treatments under
development
• Provides research placement opportunities
• Enables academic staff to retain clinical practice
• Offers a broad foundation in the core areas of
psychology
• Provides a specific focus on the clinical applications of
psychology
• Develops clinical competency in low intensity cognitive
behavioural therapy
• Provides a range of academic, clinical, research and
transferable skills to prepare you confidently for
employment or future study
Professional and National Recognition
“The BSc Applied Psychology (Clinical) has been
developed in line with The Future of Undergraduate
Psychology in the United Kingdom, a joint paper between
the BPS, the Higher Education Academy, Psychology
Network and the Associated Heads of Psychology
Departments aimed at considering how to provide
students with an undergraduate learning experience that
will enable them to apply their psychological literacy
throughout their lives. The programme has been designed
to improve employability following graduation, whether
they decide to go into a clinical psychology role or move
into a different career and reduce stigma of mental health
sufferers through increased public understanding”.
‘The Psychologist’ (March, 2012;p224)
• Core psychology modules shared in years 1 and 2
with
BSc Psychology
• Increasing focus on clinical applications of psychology
50%
62.5%
100%
• Four modules making up clinical training
Year 1
Term 1
Professional
Issues and
Development
Historical &
Conceptual
Issues in
Psychology
and Clinical
Psychology
Introduction to
Clinical
Psychology
Introduction to
Statistics
Term 1 & 2
Term 2
Introduction to
Research
Methods
Introduciton to
Cognition,
Cognitive
Development
& Emotion
Introduction to
Social
Psychology
Evidence
Based
Psychological
Therapy
Practice
Year 2
Term 1
Personality,
Individual
Differences &
Mental Health
Biological
Basis of
Behaviour
Cognition &
Emotion
Developmental
Psychology &
Psychopatholo
gy
Term 1 & 2
Term 2
Methods &
Statistics in
Psychology II
Engagement &
Assessment of
Patients with
Common
Mental Health
Problems
Social
Psychology II
Evidence
Based Low
Intensity
Treatment for
Common
Mental Health
Problems
Final year
Term 1
Term 1 & 2
Term 1 or 2
Term 2
One from:
Clinical
Practice
Placement
Clinical Research
Project
Methodological &
Statistical Approaches in
Clinical Psychology &
Health Services
Research
Cognitive-Behavioural Approaches to Mood
Disorders
Applied Positive Psychology
Parental Psychiatric Disorders
Compulsive Behaviour
Interpersonal Processes in Psychopathology
Improving
Access to
Psychological
Therapies
Dual Accreditation
• BPS accreditation to confer
eligibility for:
– Graduate basis for
chartered membership
– Clinical training component
• Practitioner accreditation with
BABCP as NHS role as a
Psychological Wellbeing
Practitioner following brief
period of employment
Clinical Practice Placement
• Located within an Improving Access to Psychological
Therapies (IAPT) service or equivalent
• Organised by Exeter Clinical Training Centre (CEDAR)
• Two days per week between September and
December of Year 3
– Competency developed and assessed in previous
term on IAPT modules
• Undertake role of Trainee Psychological Wellbeing
Practitioner
– Have own caseload
– Receive supervision
Clinical Research Project
• Undertaken in final year
• Supervision provided within Mood Disorders Centre
– Opportunity for research placements from year 2
– Opportunity to link topic to current/proposed
research projects
• Supported by clinically focused statistics and
methodology modules in years 2 and 3
Examples of Clinical Research Projects
Does learning style
predict choice of
psychological
intervention?
Personal and Professional Development
• Establish an ongoing Personal and Professional
Development (PPD) Planning Portfolio
• Supported through personal tutor system with clinical
practitioners
– Individual monthly PPD meetings
– Monthly PPD tutorials
• Supports continued reflection on learning and
development of transferable skills
• Bridges theory-practice divide
• Identifies ongoing development opportunities
• Improved general employment prospects
• Excellent experience contributing to clinical
psychology training in the future
• Examples of clinically related posts
– Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner
– Psychology Assistant
– Mental Health Support Work
– Clinical Research Assistant
What is a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner?
• Patient-facing mental health professional role
• Undertakes all mental health roles
– Assessment and informal diagnosis
– Psychological intervention
– Signposting
– Supporting medication management
– Collaborative care
• Spearheads new ways of working
– Face-to-face, telephone, email support
– Range of evidence-based interventions
What Interventions are Supported?
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) self-help based
on books, manuals, computerised CBT, moving into
mobile phone apps
• Support for specific evidence-based low intensity CBT
interventions including:
– Behavioural activation
– Exposure therapy
– Problem solving
– Cognitive restructuring
– Behavioural experiments
Improved Employability
Personal
Statement
Academic
(AAA-AAB)
Experience/
Knowledge
Personal
Qualities
Interview Process
Getting
Here
Personal Statement
• Highlight any experience you already have related to
mental health
– Work experience
– Personal knowledge
– Project work
• Mention any work experience you have (of whatever
type)
• Express your passion for this programme
• Convey what you learnt from all of these experiences
Rolling Interview Process
• Small group discussion about mental health with
members of the Mood Disorders Centre ‘Lived
Experience Group’
• Brief individual interview
– Aim to identify potential for development
– Acknowledged that applicants often will not
demonstrate at this stage the range of qualities
desired by the end of the programme
Still interested?
Additional presentation on the
Mood Disorders Centre, Clinical
Training (CEDAR), and Career
Development.
www.exeter.ac.uk/bscappliedpsychology