Principal Clinical/Counselling Psychologist

NHS Highland - More jobs by this advertiser

NHS Highland would like to invite applications for an important and challenging 0.8wte 8b Clinical/Counselling Psychology post working across inpatient services including our Rehabilitation Service where the post-holder will be based 0.5 wte.

Experience working in an in-patient environment is essential and training in therapeutic approaches for people with a diagnosis of a psychotic illness would be beneficial.

You would be joining a friendly team of 8 Clinical/Counselling Psychologists, 4 CBT Therapists, and 3 Clinical Associates in Applied Psychology, and Assistant Psychologist and trainees. Quite uniquely, you would sit within the Psychology team, while providing input into the secondary care Mental Health Inpatient Service. This has the benefit of having the regular contact and support of your Psychology colleagues, while also allowing you to establish good working relationships with our multidisciplinary teams. Within the department there are a variety of therapeutic orientations, with clinicians delivering a range of psychological therapies including EMDR, ACT, CFT, CBT, Schema Therapy, CPT and more. Specialist supervision groups are available as well as monthly departmental CPD meetings and peer supervision. Clinical supervision would be provided by more senior Clinical/Counselling Psychology staff working in the department.

Clinical work would include formulation, care planning and contributing a psychological perspective to the work of the Rehabilitation and Ward Multi-Disciplinary Teams. Psychological interventions would be delivered both individually and in groups.

An interest in trauma work would be beneficial and you would be well supported in developing competency in this area and further Continuing Professional Development (CPD) opportunities are supported. The role involves regular consultation to MDTs and there are also opportunities for providing training and supervision for other professionals. The Psychology Service has strong working links with the West of Scotland Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and Masters training programmes; including opportunities for teaching, supervision of trainees, and research.

Our team is based at New Craigs Hospital, in the growing city of Inverness, which offers amenities including restaurants, bars, music venues, theatres, cinema, history, culture, and sports. The city provides a high quality of life with excellent transport links, including regular air services to hubs such as London and Amsterdam.

The Highlands of Scotland is the largest and most sparsely populated health board in Scotland covering 41% of the country’s landmass.  The scenery and quality of living is outstanding. Renowned for its beauty, its varied scenery ranges across mountains, beaches, lochs, castles, and glens. With excellent opportunities for an outdoor lifestyle, facilities include sailing, mountain biking, snow sports, hiking and open water swimming. Relocation packages are available through application. Many of the team have moved to the Highlands for the fantastic lifestyle it can provide and we are always welcoming and inclusive to those who have relocated.

The Psychology Service within NHS Highland is a supportive, dynamic, and developing department, providing services across the region. The nature of the health board area requires us to be innovative and continually adapting to change. Due to the current challenges faced by the NHS, we are embracing change and improvement to our service. This is a great opportunity to contribute to the development of psychological services and the wider Adult Mental Health Service. 

Informal enquiries and visits are welcomed. Please contact Dr Alyson Jack, Head of Psychology Services for Adult Mental Health: email [email protected].

NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES

  • You should apply for this post by completing the application process on Jobtrain.
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NHS Highland is geographically the largest of the 14 regional boards of NHS Scotland, covering an area of 12,500 square miles, across Highland and Argyll & Bute.

As a board we strive to ensure the environment is conducive to nurturing a positive culture, supported and delivered through our NHS and Social Care values.






Care and compassion

Dignity and respect

Openness, honesty and responsibility

Quality and teamwork




NHS Highland
Direct Employer


Inverness, (United Kingdom)

Company Profile

1 April 2024
Location: United Kingdom Scotland Inverness
Salary: Band 8B (£67,285 - £71,978) per year
Work type:
Full time
PLEASE! No enquiries from Recruitment Agencies or Headhunters.

Only direct applications will be considered.

This career opportunity is no longer open.
Please search for current vacancies here.


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