Job Description

Join Our Team as a Clinical/Counselling Psychologist or Psychotherapist (Band 7)



Are you a dedicated psychologist or psychotherapist passionate about supporting individuals with Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD)? Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a full-time (37.5 hours per week) professional to join our innovative team at our Erlegh House, Reading, base.



In this Band 7 role, you'll provide evidence-based psychological therapy, primarily focusing on Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT), to adults facing challenges such as trauma, self-harming behaviours, suicidal ideation, and interpersonal difficulties. You'll have the opportunity to expand your expertise in managing complexities and co-morbidities, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and trauma.



Why join us?

Work with purpose:

your role directly transforms lives.

Develop professionally:

expand your MBT skills and grow in your speciality.

Be part of a true community:

we champion compassionate, evidence-led care -- and you'll be welcome every step of the way.



Applications for this role will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible.



You will be helping service users who've often endured a lifetime of adversity - abuse, deprivation, and trauma. These individuals grapple with extreme challenges in their relationships, battling issues like emotion management, identity disturbance, impulsiveness, and self-injury.



You'll be their guiding light, providing assessment, formulation, and therapeutic intervention based on the latest evidence and our cutting-edge service model.



You will be involved in the provision of assessment, formulation & therapeutic intervention to clients referred to the service in line with the most recent evidence and service model.



You will work in collaboration with other psychological therapists to deliver specialist psychological interventions to people with Personality Disorders. This will include working individually and in groups.



You will provide supervision and training to junior staff.



Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated 'outstanding' by the CQC, we're committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we're committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.

Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:

Caring for and about you is our top priority



Committed to providing good quality, safe services



Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions



Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:



Flexible working options to support work-life balance



27 days' annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell



Generous NHS pension scheme



Excellent learning and career development opportunities



'Cycle to Work' and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles



Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services



Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants



Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality



Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave



Free parking across Trust sites

The "must haves" for this role:

1. Post graduate doctoral qualification in clinical or counselling psychology (or equivalent for those who trained prior to 1996 or for those who completed their training overseas) which provides eligibility for Chartered Membership of British Psychological Society (BPS)

OR

Recognised master's level qualification in psychodynamic psychotherapy or equivalent and registered with UKCP as a psychotherapist or with the British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC).

2. Additional training/ accreditations (or working towards these) to reflect post qualification interest/ specialism in working with personality disorders.

3. Passion for working with clients presenting with difficulties related to EUPD difficulties.

4. Demonstrable knowledge, skills and abilities in the practice of psychological/neuropsychological or psychotherapeutic assessment, formulation and intervention, relevant to the service



You'll be based in IMPACTT at Erlegh House in Reading and deliver care in a number of premises across Berkshire as required.



For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.



We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.



We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.



We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don't hesitate to call: Mirek Boniecki, Clinical Lead for MBT via email: mirek.boniecki@berkshire.nhs.uk, or Vivi Mello Brooks, MBT Therapist via email: vivi.mellobrooks@berkshire.nhs.uk on 0300 565 8000 who will be delighted to help.



Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.