Clinical/Counselling Psychologist or CBT Therapist
The closing date is 30 July 2026
An opportunity has arisen for a Clinical / Counselling Psychologist or CBT Therapist to join The HPFT Adult Sexual Trauma Service (HASTS). HASTS is a small, psychology-led specialist service providing trauma‑informed interventions to adults and services across Hertfordshire and West Essex. Established in 2024 through NHS Health and Justice funding, the service was created to address the needs of an underserved population of adults experiencing significant psychological difficulties related to sexual trauma, whose needs are not currently met elsewhere. We work closely with colleagues across HPFT, wider NHS services and the voluntary and community sector to improve access to specialist psychological care and promote trauma‑informed practice across the wider system.
There is an opportunity for further training and development of skills within the service.
Main duties of the job
The role involves providing specialist psychological assessment, formulation and evidence‑based individual and group interventions for adults presenting with complex sexual trauma‑related difficulties. HASTS also delivers psychologically informed groups for service users and their supporters. The post holder will actively participate in team discussions and consultation, while providing specialist consultation, training and advice to NHS and voluntary sector colleagues to promote psychologically informed practice and improve coordinated care across Hertfordshire and West Essex.
About us
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of ‘Outstanding’ from the Care Quality Commission.
Our family of over 4,500 staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. Everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:
Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.
Job responsibilities
The successful candidate will contribute to the continued development of this evolving service through partnership working, quality improvement and the co-production of new clinical pathways and interventions. We particularly welcome applicants who are enthusiastic about service innovation, developing and evaluating group programmes, supporting workforce development through training and supervision, and contributing to the ongoing development of trauma‑informed services.
Person Specification
QUALIFICATIONS/EDUCATION/TRAINING
- Doctoral/Masters level training in clinical/counselling psychology, including specific models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology, as accredited by the BPS and current registration with HCPC or a registered qualification (e.g. in nursing, social work, occupational therapy) and further postgraduate qualification training in evidence based psychological therapies, including CBT, and significant experience working as a psychological therapy practitioner, with BABCP registration and eligibility for BABCP accreditation
- Professional qualification degree level, which should include knowledge and application of research methodology
- Additional specialist knowledge or training in psychological therapies including CBT
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and in patient settings, including at least six months clinical experience working in adult mental health
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life span’s presenting problems that reflect the full 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
- Knowledge of whole life span development and the impact on emotional, psychological and mental wellbeing
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of at least one evidence based psychological therapy for trauma (i.e. tf‑CBT or EMDR) relevant to the treatment of adults with complex problems and their families
- Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology
- Experience of multi‑disciplinary team working and inter‑agency collaboration
- Ability to provide consultation to other professional and non‑professional groups
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi‑media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings
- Ability to take the appropriate action to address any issues or risks
- Awareness of Child and Adult Safeguarding Procedures
- Awareness of current NHS initiatives and Developments
- Knowledge of legislation and the national agenda in relation to Adult Mental Health
- Knowledge and awareness of specific clinical practices and issues relating to clients with mental health problems
- Ability to work autonomously as well as part of a team
- Experience of working in a community mental health setting
- Experience of service quality monitoring e.g. clinical audit, evaluative research, etc.
- Experience of teaching, training and/or offering supervision
- Experience of service development/project management
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- Ability to communicate 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
- Ability to work and communicate therapeutically with clients and their families consistent with their level of understanding, culture, background and preferred ways of communicating
- Ability to work and communicate as a responsible participating member of a multi‑disciplinary team and the ability to respect and value other members’ contributions and to encourage participation of all involved
- Ability to keep accurate and complete records of activities and communications consistent with legislation, policies and procedures
- Ability to alert line manager / team when direction, policies and strategies are adversely affecting users of services or the public
- Ability to time manage effectively and to work under pressure and to prioritise a clinical workload
ANALYTICAL SKILLS
- Positive problem solving approach
- Ability to critically evaluate and review developments made by others to determine if and how they could be applied within own area of work
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.
Salary and benefits
£51,657 to £58,785 a year per annum, pro rata (Inclusive of 5% HCAS)
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