High Intensity Therapist

Job summary

We are looking for an enthusiastic and skilled Clinical/Counselling Psychologist or CBT Therapist to join our committed and friendly team of clinicians.

Wandsworth Talking Therapies service for Wandsworth - offers evidenced-based psychological treatments, including CBT, IPT, DIT, NET, EMDR and BCT to its residents. The service is professionally led by a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and operationally led by a Clinical Manager. The high performing Talking Therapies (TT) team provide evidence-based psychological treatments to people with common mental health problems including depression, anxiety disorders and PTSD within a stepped-care model. The clinical team includes qualified TT High Intensity CBT Therapists, Clinical and Counselling Psychologists, and Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners, who provide evidence-based psychological interventions in line with NICE guidance.

The service operates from 8am - 8pm Monday to Thursday, and Friday 8-5pm. Shift patterns are from 8am - 4pm and 12noon - 8pm and the post holder will be required to work flexible hours in line with this. Typically we expect full time staff members to work two days 12-8pm and three days 8-4pm. Your working pattern can be negotiated and many of our clinicians prefer to work condensed hours to allow for a better work/life balance.

It would be desirable if you have completed a top up TT course like the Long term conditions training or hold an accreditation in another modality of treatment such as IPT.

Main duties of the job

You will be providing Step 3 diagnostic assessments and evidence-based CBT treatment on an individual and group basis to clients aged 18 and over presenting with depression, anxiety disorders and PTSD. You will also be involved in the clinical supervision of Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners, Low Intensity Trainees and High Intensity Trainees, for which training will be provided. There will be opportunities to develop areas of interest such as working with long term health conditions, working with clients with learning disabilities, working with perinatal clients, by contributing to project groups or taking a Champion role. The 5 services in SWLSTG Trust work closely together to develop care pathways and share expertise.

High quality supervision and CPD are a priority for the team. You will receive regular weekly individual clinical supervision from one of our band 8a or 8b Clinical/Counselling Psychologists or CBT Therapists working within the service. You will also have the opportunity to attend a monthly clinical training session facilitated by lead clinicians from across the SWLSTG Trust and to attend quarterly CBT training workshops. You will be supported to undertake and obtain accreditation in further modalities, e.g. EMDR, IPT, BCT, and the majority of TT clinicians in the Trust have received funding to train in a number of further modalities of interest to them.

About us

We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust.

We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good' - we aspire to be 'outstanding'.

This is a great time to join us. We are transforming the way we care for our communities to support our mission of Making Life Better Together. We have built two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital, which are amongst the best in the world. More developments are planned across our sites and services.

We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co-produce and involve our local communities in all that we do.

We offer flexible working, career development and a variety ofbenefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.

Come and join our inclusive teams and help our patients on their recovery journey.

Details

Date posted

25 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£56,276 to £63,176 a year per annum inclusive of inner London HCAS

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

294-COMM-7498368-JB

Job locations

Wandsworth Talking Therapies

56 Garratt Terrace

London

SW17 0RN

Job description

Job responsibilities

1. To deliver 20 attended clinical contacts per week.

2. To provide specialist psychological therapy assessments to clients referred to the NHS Talking Therapies service based on the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources. This will include client self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi- structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the clients care.

3. To provide at least one NICE recommended psychological therapy for anxiety disorders and/or depression.

4. To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a clients mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the clients problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy.

5. To be knowledgeable about DSM-V diagnosis of common mental health problems (as relevant to NHS Talking Therapies) and skilled in the differential diagnosis of clinical disorders.

6. To be able to clinically formulate clients problems and develop and implement plans for the formal Step 3 treatment and/or management of a clients problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy.

7. A good understanding and ability to apply CBT treatment strategies (or other Talking Therapies evidence based approach to appropriate presentations) flexibly across the whole range of disorders seen in NHS Talking Therapies, particularly common mood disorders, including group interventions.

8. To be responsible for implementing psychological interventions for individuals, couples, carers, and groups, adjusting and refining psychological formulations and drawing upon relevant explanatory models.

9. To be able to use a specific psychological therapy for anxiety and/or depression, in line with NICE guidance, at a specialist level in assessments and interventions, including 1:1 and group interventions.

10. To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, couple or group.

11. To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are managed by psychologically based standard care plans.

12. To provide specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals in order to support accurate diagnosis, formulation and treatment plan.

13. To undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual clients in line with the services risk management policy, and to provide advice to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management.

14. To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under their care and to monitor progress during the course of treatment.

15. To assess and deliver highly complex, sensitive and contentious information. e.g. deciding whether clients are suitable or unsuitable for particular services, having to break confidentiality at times e.g. referring clients to Social Services regarding safeguarding issues.

16. To provide expertise, advice and support to facilitate the effective and appropriate provision of psychological care by all members of the treatment team.

Job description

Job responsibilities

1. To deliver 20 attended clinical contacts per week.

2. To provide specialist psychological therapy assessments to clients referred to the NHS Talking Therapies service based on the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources. This will include client self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi- structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the clients care.

3. To provide at least one NICE recommended psychological therapy for anxiety disorders and/or depression.

4. To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a clients mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the clients problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy.

5. To be knowledgeable about DSM-V diagnosis of common mental health problems (as relevant to NHS Talking Therapies) and skilled in the differential diagnosis of clinical disorders.

6. To be able to clinically formulate clients problems and develop and implement plans for the formal Step 3 treatment and/or management of a clients problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy.

7. A good understanding and ability to apply CBT treatment strategies (or other Talking Therapies evidence based approach to appropriate presentations) flexibly across the whole range of disorders seen in NHS Talking Therapies, particularly common mood disorders, including group interventions.

8. To be responsible for implementing psychological interventions for individuals, couples, carers, and groups, adjusting and refining psychological formulations and drawing upon relevant explanatory models.

9. To be able to use a specific psychological therapy for anxiety and/or depression, in line with NICE guidance, at a specialist level in assessments and interventions, including 1:1 and group interventions.

10. To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, couple or group.

11. To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are managed by psychologically based standard care plans.

12. To provide specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals in order to support accurate diagnosis, formulation and treatment plan.

13. To undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual clients in line with the services risk management policy, and to provide advice to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management.

14. To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under their care and to monitor progress during the course of treatment.

15. To assess and deliver highly complex, sensitive and contentious information. e.g. deciding whether clients are suitable or unsuitable for particular services, having to break confidentiality at times e.g. referring clients to Social Services regarding safeguarding issues.

16. To provide expertise, advice and support to facilitate the effective and appropriate provision of psychological care by all members of the treatment team.

Person Specification

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Psychological assessment skills and skills in DSM-V- based diagnostic assessment
• High -level knowledge of the theory and practice of one or more NHS Talking Therapies-recognised psychological therapies.
• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment and intervention which require sustained and intense concentration
• Knowledge of effective care pathway navigation across primary and secondary care psychological therapies services
• Skills in the assessment and evaluation of clinical risk
• Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
• Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non -professional groups

Desirable

• Knowledge of the academic literature concerning common mental disorders and their treatment within a Talking Therapies service
• Knowledge of the theory and practice of adapting specific NHS Talking Therapies-recognised psychological therapies for anxiety and/or depression in the context of co-morbidity and complexity (e.g. personality disorder, additional disabilities etc)
• Knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical field of psychological therapies

Experience

Essential

• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients within an NHS Talking Therapies service
• Experience of working with a variety of client groups and presenting problems that reflect a range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
• Experience in establishing DSM-V diagnoses and in clinical formulation
• Experience of assessment and treatment of people with common mental health problems, of varying severity and complexity, using evidence based psychological therapies, particularly CBT
• Experience working with one or more NHS Talking Therapies-recognised psychological therapies at a specialist level

Desirable

• Post-qualification experience of working in primary care settings
• Experience in running Step 3 therapy groups
• Experience of specialist psychological therapy assessment and treatment of clients across a range of care settings relevant to an NHS Talking Therapies service, including outpatient, community, and primary care settings

Qualifications

Essential

• Doctoral level training in clinical or counselling psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS including models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and (for Clinical Psychologists) neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology; or alternative training outside of the UK that is recognised by the Health & Care Professions Council leading to registration in the UK as a Clinical or Counselling psychologist or oPost-graduate level training in an evidence based psychological Therapy from a formally accredited course recognized by NHS Talking Therapies.
• Accredited as a cognitive behavioural psychotherapist by the British Association of Cognitive and Behavioural Psychotherapies (BABCP) or eligibility for accreditation and working towards completing accreditation within one year. or One or more NHS Talking Therapies specified counselling or psychotherapy accreditations (as detailed in the NHS Talking Therapies Manual): British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) Accredited; United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) Registered as a Psychotherapist or Psychotherapeutic Counsellor; Association of Christian Counsellors Accreditation; National Counselling Society Accredited Professional registrants, British Psychoanalytic Council Registered

Desirable

• Training in the supervision of Step 2 clinicians (GMHWs and PWPs)
• Training in working with clients experiencing long term conditions
• Accredited in another modality of therapy (e.g EMDR)

Person Specification

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Psychological assessment skills and skills in DSM-V- based diagnostic assessment
• High -level knowledge of the theory and practice of one or more NHS Talking Therapies-recognised psychological therapies.
• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment and intervention which require sustained and intense concentration
• Knowledge of effective care pathway navigation across primary and secondary care psychological therapies services
• Skills in the assessment and evaluation of clinical risk
• Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
• Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non -professional groups

Desirable

• Knowledge of the academic literature concerning common mental disorders and their treatment within a Talking Therapies service
• Knowledge of the theory and practice of adapting specific NHS Talking Therapies-recognised psychological therapies for anxiety and/or depression in the context of co-morbidity and complexity (e.g. personality disorder, additional disabilities etc)
• Knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical field of psychological therapies

Experience

Essential

• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients within an NHS Talking Therapies service
• Experience of working with a variety of client groups and presenting problems that reflect a range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
• Experience in establishing DSM-V diagnoses and in clinical formulation
• Experience of assessment and treatment of people with common mental health problems, of varying severity and complexity, using evidence based psychological therapies, particularly CBT
• Experience working with one or more NHS Talking Therapies-recognised psychological therapies at a specialist level

Desirable

• Post-qualification experience of working in primary care settings
• Experience in running Step 3 therapy groups
• Experience of specialist psychological therapy assessment and treatment of clients across a range of care settings relevant to an NHS Talking Therapies service, including outpatient, community, and primary care settings

Qualifications

Essential

• Doctoral level training in clinical or counselling psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS including models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and (for Clinical Psychologists) neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology; or alternative training outside of the UK that is recognised by the Health & Care Professions Council leading to registration in the UK as a Clinical or Counselling psychologist or oPost-graduate level training in an evidence based psychological Therapy from a formally accredited course recognized by NHS Talking Therapies.
• Accredited as a cognitive behavioural psychotherapist by the British Association of Cognitive and Behavioural Psychotherapies (BABCP) or eligibility for accreditation and working towards completing accreditation within one year. or One or more NHS Talking Therapies specified counselling or psychotherapy accreditations (as detailed in the NHS Talking Therapies Manual): British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) Accredited; United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) Registered as a Psychotherapist or Psychotherapeutic Counsellor; Association of Christian Counsellors Accreditation; National Counselling Society Accredited Professional registrants, British Psychoanalytic Council Registered

Desirable

• Training in the supervision of Step 2 clinicians (GMHWs and PWPs)
• Training in working with clients experiencing long term conditions
• Accredited in another modality of therapy (e.g EMDR)

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

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

South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust

Address

Wandsworth Talking Therapies

56 Garratt Terrace

London

SW17 0RN

Employer's website

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

Employer details

Employer name

South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust

Address

Wandsworth Talking Therapies

56 Garratt Terrace

London

SW17 0RN

Employer's website

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