Job overview
Are you looking for a unique position to grow your career and experience?
We are pleased to offer a unique opportunity to join our Adult Mental Health Psychological Service as an Honorary Psychotherapist. This voluntary role is designed to support qualified psychodynamic psychotherapists in gaining valuable NHS experience and to contribute to the ongoing development of psychodynamic psychotherapy within specialist NHS mental health services.
As a team, we are committed to supporting psychodynamic practitioners in preparing for clinical work within the NHS and fostering the integration of psychoanalytic approaches into multidisciplinary mental health care.
You will be based at the Whiteleaf Centre in Aylesbury, working with the Buckinghamshire Psychological Therapies team—a friendly, experienced group of psychological therapists, psychotherapists, and psychiatrists. The service is embedded within a vibrant NHS environment that includes adult and older adult mental health services, a primary care mental health team, the Early Intervention Service for psychosis, the crisis team, and the community mental health team.
Main duties of the job
About the Role
* This is an unpaid honorary position, with flexible working arrangements available to accommodate other paid employment.
* We ask for a minimum commitment of 2 patients per week, with an initial commitment of 6 months.
* There may be opportunities to undertake psychotherapy assessments, depending on your experience and interest.
* The role will be reviewed on a 6-monthly basis.
Working for our organisation
Oxford Health is a great place to work and to be able to showcase the best of yourself when making an application please read the “candidate guide to making an application” and ensure your supporting statement is tailored to the role you are applying for and addresses any essential criteria.
As a Trust we provide physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and Northeast Somerset. Our services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and people’s homes, delivering care as close to home as possible. Our vision is that no matter who you are or where you are, you will tell us that you receive: “Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team”
Our values are: “Caring, safe and excellent”
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
What you'll gain:
* Hands-on experience working psychotherapeutically with individuals with complex and enduring mental health difficulties in an NHS setting.
Close collaboration with a diverse team of senior psychotherapists, a medical psychotherapist, group analysts, and other professionals including clinical and counselling psychologists, family therapists, and multidisciplinary colleagues
* Opportunities to observe and learn from other areas of the service, such as family therapy, pre-therapy groups, or the Complex Needs Service, depending on your interests and availability
* Weekly supervision from a qualified psychodynamic psychotherapist and access to weekly multidisciplinary team meetings
* Enhanced clinical skills through reviewing patient histories, contributing to assessments, writing reports, and potentially conducting your own therapy assessments
* Involvement in audit, quality improvement initiatives, and ongoing professional development, including access to NHS training and workshops on topics such as sleep, neurodiversity, and more.
Who Should Apply
We welcome applications from individuals who have completed their training and obtained a qualification in Psychodynamic or Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy (BPC or UKCP accredited – CPJAC, CMP or UTC).
Ideally, candidates will have prior experience working with complex presentations, given the specialist nature of our service. IT skills and the ability to work independently under supervision are also essential.
What We’re Looking For
We are seeking enthusiastic, self-motivated, and trustworthy individuals who are:
* Passionate about psychodynamic work within the NHS
* Organised and reliable
* Comfortable working both independently and as part of a team
* Keen to contribute to a multidisciplinary clinical environment
Person specification
Question 1 – Essential criteria
* Do you hold qualification with BPC or UKCP accredited – CPJAC, CMP or UTC?
Prior experience – Essential criteria
* This role is an volunteer role on an honorary contractual basis. Please confirm you are happy to continue on this basis.
Question 3 – Essential criteria
* Please tell us about a time you've worked with a client who had a complex presentation. How did you manage the case and what was the clinical outcome?
Question 4 – Essential criteria
* Have you worked independently under supervision in your clinical work?
Question 5 – Essential criteria
* Do you hold competent IT Skills?
Documents to Download
Job description and requirements (PDF, 195.7KB)
Recruiter Contact Details
Name: Dr Stella Newrith
Title: Consultant Psychiatrist in Psychotherapy
Email: stella.newrith@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
Telephone: 01865 901620
#J-18808-Ljbffr