Clinical placements
We offer Clinical placements and Mental Health Familiarisation placements to trainee psychological therapists, training in modalities that complement our clinical model. This includes those on clinical training programmes for therapies such as psychodynamic, psychoanalytic, integrative, art psychotherapy, gestalt and counselling psychology.
Our placements provide valuable experience of working with people with complex needs in a dynamic, therapeutic community environment, and our communities gain valuable insight and richness from the expertise and enthusiasm of trainees who work with us.
We offer placements at our High Support Communities in Croydon, Waltham Forest, and Eastbourne or at one of our Therapeutic Recovery Communities in Richmond, Surbiton, or Southall. Find out more about our communities.
If you are a trainee psychological therapist looking for a well-supported, high-quality placement with an organisation committed to relational practice, please apply today or email us for further information.
What we offer:
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Work with a diverse client base
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1:1 and group sessions
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Regular supervision (there is no fee charged for supervision on our placement)
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Access to training and resources
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A supportive and collaborative work environment
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An experience of working in a therapeutic community grounded in the principles of Psychologically Informed Environments (PIEs)
Mental Health Familiarisation Placements
We offer psychotherapy trainees the opportunity to gain experience in Mental Health Familiarisation within our therapeutic community settings. In this placement, you will be involved as a community member, participating in activities including facilitating therapeutic groups, attending staff meetings, participating in supervision and training, and contributing to the day-to-day operations of the service. This role can be challenging as you will be working with acute presentations, possibly in a different way from what you might be used to. Before applying, please carefully consider the demands of this role and reflect on your support systems to ensure you feel prepared for the experience. Knowledge or experience in working with psychosis or personality disorders is desirable.
How long are placements?
These placements offer a flexible commitment of 1-2 days a week over at least 12 weeks. If you cannot commit to this time and still wish to work with us over a shorter period, we ask for a £350 contribution to cover administrative costs and supervision.
Application deadlines
We accept applications on a rolling basis throughout the year. To apply, please email us your CV and details of the training you are completing.
Clinical Placements (Honorary Psychotherapist)
The Honorary Psychotherapist's role involves working within our psychological framework to support the community by providing one-on-one therapy sessions once or twice a week, depending on your training requirements. If applicable to your training, you may also offer group therapy sessions. All trainees will be trained on CHT's policies and procedures and receive mandatory online training, including 'Safeguarding Adults' and 'Health and Safety'.
You must be participating in regular personal psychotherapy or counselling during your placement and for more than a year beforehand. We are unlikely to offer a placement to trainees with less than one year of personal psychotherapy or counselling.
How long are placements?
We ask for a commitment of a minimum of 12 months, which will allow you to build and sustain therapeutic relationships with our residents. We appreciate that, for some trainees, their training organisation will define the length of placement based on the academic year. In these specific instances, we are open to considering slightly shorter placements.
Application deadlines
We accept applications on a rolling basis throughout the year, but placements usually start in September/October. To apply, please email us your CV and details of the training you are completing, including the contact details of your course's tutor or placements coordinator.
"CHT was one of the best placements I had during my training as a psychotherapist. I learned so much from their unique and thoughtful model. I felt very supported throughout my time there, and the depth of supervision was excellent. I truly believe that CHT helped me become the psychotherapist I am today. For anyone who is interested in really practicing what it means to put the relationship at the heart of everything they do, CHT would be the place for you!"
Alexia, Integrative Psychology Trainee in 2024