Cognitive Behavioural Therapist

Job summary

NHFT have an exciting opportunity to join our well-established psychology team within the Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service (SPMHS) as a CBT therapist.

The SPMHS is an award-winning service that supports women and birthing people who are experiencing, or who are at risk of, experiencing moderate to severe mental health conditions within the perinatal period (from 12 weeks of pregnancy until 24 months post-partum). Some of the mental health conditions that the team work with include postpartum psychosis, postnatal depression, maternal OCD, bipolar disorder, PTSD, tokophobia, and anxiety disorders.

The psychology team within the SPMHS comprises of Clinical Psychologists, CBT therapists, Psychological Therapists, and Assistant Psychologists. They provide specialist psychological assessment and therapy in accordance with NICE guidance. This may include EMDR, trauma-focused CBT, CBT for OCD, anxiety and/or depression, Compassion Focussed Therapy, and Parent-Infant Psychotherapy. Interventions are provided on both a group and one-to-one basis. We provide both face-to-face and remote interventions. We also support with psychological thinking and formulation within the team and offer consultations to staff.

Proposed Interview Date - 9th January 2026

Main duties of the job

The post holder will provide specialist psychological interventions involving assessment, formulation, and intervention for women under the care of the SPMHS. The post holder will work autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the team's policies and procedures. The post holder will be expected to work closely with all members of the SPMHS, as well as with the network of Psychologists and Psychological Therapists within NHFT. They contribute to service, practice and clinical governance developments, both within the team and the wider network.

The post holder will be involved in multi-disciplinary team discussions to inform psychological thinking throughout the service. They will use their research skills to contribute to audit, service evaluation, and service improvement. They will assist in developing pathways of care to meet the service needs in line with National and Local strategies and evidence-based best practice. There might also be opportunities to become involved with research within the area served by the service. The post holder may also support with staff training, both within and external to the trust.

The post holder will work with people with different cultural backgrounds and ages. They will use interpreters when necessary and may be called upon to work in various community settings (including women's homes and other community venues).

About us

NHFT is an integrated primary care and mental health Trust, providing physical, mental health and specialty services in both hospital settings and out in the community. Because we put the person at the centre of all we do, we focus on delivering care that is as easy to access as possible. This means many of our services can be provided at home, work or in schools.We also provide health services to various prisons and detention centres in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

NHFT promotes a culture of learning to improve the care and safety of our patients and staff, which focuses on people who enable our Trust to be 'outstanding' by supporting opportunity, innovation, development and growth.

Details

Date posted

08 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year pa, pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

270-TG573-MH

Job locations

Campbell House

Campbell Square

Northampton

NN1 3EB

Job description

Job responsibilities

For further information on the advertised role, please refer to the job description located under the Supporting Documents heading. The full person specification can be accessed under the About You Section of the document.

Job description

Job responsibilities

For further information on the advertised role, please refer to the job description located under the Supporting Documents heading. The full person specification can be accessed under the About You Section of the document.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) Level 2 accredited Post Graduate Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
• Current professional registration with professional body such as NMC, HCPC, BABCP or similar.

Desirable

• A recorded registered qualification in one of the following: nursing, social work, occupational therapy, arts therapy or a psychological therapy.

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Experience of working with a broad range of psychological and psychiatric problems within a core professional role.
• Experience of working in a community setting with people experiencing complex presenting difficulties.
• Experience of developing, implementing and evaluating specialist interventions.
• Experience of facilitating group-based therapy.
• Experience of multidisciplinary working.
• Advanced knowledge of psychological models of complex mental health presentations, and up-to-date techniques and treatment protocols relevant to psychological therapy with these groups. Knowledge of evidence-based practice and clinical governance in relation to this clinical area.
• Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to service-users, their families, carers and other professional colleagues (both within and outside the NHS).
• Basic IT and keyboard skills.

Desirable

• Experience of working with severe and complex mental health difficulties during the perinatal period
• Experience of multi-disciplinary and multi-agency working across primary, secondary, tertiary and non-statutory organisations.
• Experience of delivering Teaching or training and the supervision of others
• Knowledge of specialist mental health services for mothers and their infants and the wider network of mental health services in the NHS.
• Experience of risk assessment and risk management strategies and their application to practice, particularly in the perinatal period.
• Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Training.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) Level 2 accredited Post Graduate Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
• Current professional registration with professional body such as NMC, HCPC, BABCP or similar.

Desirable

• A recorded registered qualification in one of the following: nursing, social work, occupational therapy, arts therapy or a psychological therapy.

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Experience of working with a broad range of psychological and psychiatric problems within a core professional role.
• Experience of working in a community setting with people experiencing complex presenting difficulties.
• Experience of developing, implementing and evaluating specialist interventions.
• Experience of facilitating group-based therapy.
• Experience of multidisciplinary working.
• Advanced knowledge of psychological models of complex mental health presentations, and up-to-date techniques and treatment protocols relevant to psychological therapy with these groups. Knowledge of evidence-based practice and clinical governance in relation to this clinical area.
• Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to service-users, their families, carers and other professional colleagues (both within and outside the NHS).
• Basic IT and keyboard skills.

Desirable

• Experience of working with severe and complex mental health difficulties during the perinatal period
• Experience of multi-disciplinary and multi-agency working across primary, secondary, tertiary and non-statutory organisations.
• Experience of delivering Teaching or training and the supervision of others
• Knowledge of specialist mental health services for mothers and their infants and the wider network of mental health services in the NHS.
• Experience of risk assessment and risk management strategies and their application to practice, particularly in the perinatal period.
• Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Training.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

Address

Campbell House

Campbell Square

Northampton

NN1 3EB

Employer's website

https://www.nhft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

Address

Campbell House

Campbell Square

Northampton

NN1 3EB

Employer's website

https://www.nhft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)