January’s profile is Stephanie Clegg. Stephanie graduated in 2012 with a BSc in Social Psychology. She now works for the NHS as an Assistant Psychologist

Where are you now?

I am an Assistant Psychologist working in the NHS. I am based within an acute inpatient mental health service and work alongside Clinical Psychologists, Family Therapists, Art Therapists and many others. My clinical roles include helping to assess inpatients on many psychological scales, scoring their responses, inferring them and writing reports. I also help run therapeutic groups alongside a Clinical Psychologist and am responsible for creating accessible information on these therapies for staff and service users. My role as an Assistant Psychologist is also heavily research based. I am currently involved in five different research projects, some of which are in association with the University of Leeds and The University of Sheffield. They incorporate the topics of: cultural competency of NHS staff; the merging of acute mental health services in the community and in hospitals; improving access to psychological therapies (x2); measuring outcomes in depression.

How did you get there?

I decided that I definitely wanted to go into professional psychology towards the end of my second year of study at Loughborough. I therefore went to the Careers and Employability Centre who advised me about the different career paths, where to get information on these, and where to get the all-important experience. I joined two weekly Action projects in my third year of study, one at a local Mencap home and one at a local school for children with severe learning difficulties. I also have paid work experience as a swimming teacher, lifeguard, library assistant, call centre worker and Sure Start worker that count towards relevant experience. I applied for the role of a CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) based Assistant Psychologist during my final term at university (along with what seemed like 5000 other jobs). I was very lucky to get an interview for this post but lacked sufficient CBT experience to be successful. A few months later I was approached by the same employer for my current, more research based, Assistant Psychologist post which they felt I was more suited to. I had a second interview and was successful.

What advice would you give to a student studying your subject at university now?

Action is a great way to gain experience in your chosen area whilst at University. I really struggled to get any work experience placements during the holidays so make the most of how accessible these opportunities are. Also, I believe time management is extremely important. Make sure you prioritise your academic work suitably, have time to gain experience but don’t forget your social life!

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