Senior Clinical/Counselling Psychologist or CBT Therapist

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Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust Senior Clinical/Counselling Psychologist or CBT Therapist

The closing date is 22 September 2026

Apply for this job

Job summary

We are seeking a dynamic and enthusiastic B8a Senior Clinical/Counselling Psychologist or CBT Therapist to work across our Perinatal Mental Health Team and Maternity-Trauma, Loss and Care Service (M-TLC) in Milton Keynes. This post is for 33.75 hours per week. The team provide specialist care for women (and their babies) with moderate to severe mental illness, this includes offering pre-conceptual counselling alongside working with women during their pregnancy and up to 2 years postpartum where there is a perinatal need. This is an energetic, creative and welcoming team which aims to offer and inspire excellence in community perinatal mental health care.

The M-TLC Service provides consultation, advice, signposting and targeted interventions to women with moderate-severe/complex mental health difficulties associated with loss and trauma occurring in the maternity/perinatal/neonatal context including the parent infant relationship. This may include PTSD following birth trauma, perinatal loss and severe fear of childbirth (tokophobia).

Main duties of the job

The postholder will work alongside the Principal Psychologist in the M-TLC and Psychologists who work across the Perinatal Service and M-TLC both delivering and supporting the delivery of psychological interventions as part of a multi-disciplinary team. The teams includes a Psychiatrist, Specialist CPN's, Occupational Therapist and a Nursery Nurse with administrators supporting the team. The postholder is accountable to the Team Manager for Perinatal Mental Health Team, the Lead Clinical Psychologist for Mental Health and the Service Manager for Mental Health.

The successful applicant will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team delivering care to women in a range of community settings including the woman's home; children's centre's; GP surgeries, maternity wards and the use of virtual technology. The ability to work flexibly in multidisciplinary teams and in a range of settings is therefore essential. As a specialist psychologist or CBT Therapist you will provide specialist assessment and treatment for women in the perinatal period which will also involve close liaison with the wider MDT such as Midwives; Health Visitors; Safeguarding and Children's Centres.

About us

We are passionate about delivering first-class patient-centred, safe and effective care, whether it is in a hospital setting, in a community clinic or in the patients own home. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Providing top quality care depends on our ability to employ the best people. Were always looking to recruit outstanding people who will go the extra mile to support our patients, colleagues, teams and the Trust. With every new employee were hoping to find our future leaders and well support our staff by providing opportunities to develop your career. With a diverse culture and equally diverse range of opportunities across mental health, community services, addictions, eating disorders, learning disabilities and more whatever stage of your career you're at, there's always a place for you at CNWL.

Details

Date posted

09 September 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£57,528 to £64,750 a year per annum pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

333-D-MK-MH-1357

Job locations

CNWL HQ Milton Keynes

Charles Pinfold Building, Walton Hall

Milton Keynes

MK7 6AA

United Kingdom

Job description

Job responsibilities

You must have experience of working in mental health services at secondary care level with complex presentations with women who may also be in crisis and who express suicidality. Experience of working in the Perinatal Mental Health field is desirable, and/or a keen interest in this specialist area alongside experience of facilitating group treatments.

The team is part of the wider Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes (BLMK) specialist perinatal mental health provision and there will be opportunities for networking with perinatal psychologists in this new and developing area of specialism across BLMK, the East of England Region and within CNWL.

Both regionally and locally we are committed to further training all disciplines within the team and there will be provision for training in line with a regional training programme.

For further information about this post please see attached job description

Job description

Job responsibilities

You must have experience of working in mental health services at secondary care level with complex presentations with women who may also be in crisis and who express suicidality. Experience of working in the Perinatal Mental Health field is desirable, and/or a keen interest in this specialist area alongside experience of facilitating group treatments.

The team is part of the wider Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes (BLMK) specialist perinatal mental health provision and there will be opportunities for networking with perinatal psychologists in this new and developing area of specialism across BLMK, the East of England Region and within CNWL.

Both regionally and locally we are committed to further training all disciplines within the team and there will be provision for training in line with a regional training programme.

For further information about this post please see attached job description

Person Specification

Training and Qualifications

Essential

• Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical/counselling psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology. OR BABCP accredited CBT Therapists with significant experience of the above along with trauma therapy.
• Supervision training

Desirable

• Post-qualification training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice. E.g. training in additional approved modalities such EMDR, IPT, CFT, Couples Counselling, systemic training, DIT, Mindfulness

Experience

Essential

• Significant experience of working as a qualified psychologist or CBT Therapist
• Significant experience in working with Psychological Trauma.
• Specialist training or skills working with women in the perinatal period
• An interest in Perinatal Mental Health with a focus on Birth Trauma and baby loss
• Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the full range of care settings including outpatient, community, primary care, in-patient and residential care settings 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.
• Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment, both as a professionally qualified care coordinator and also within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan.

Desirable

• Experience in working with Birth Trauma and Perinatal Loss
• Experience of representing psychological therapies within the context of multi-disciplinary care.
• Experience of assessing and treating clients across the full range of care settings.
• Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts.

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
• Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, highly technical, and clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
• Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.

Desirable

• Well-developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities etc).
• Knowledge of the theory and practice of highly specialised psychological therapies and assessment methodologies.
• Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis as practiced within the field of clinical psychology.

Other

Essential

• Ability to identify, provide and promote appropriate means of support to carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations and severely challenging behaviours.
• Ability to identify, and employ, as appropriate, clinical governance mechanisms for the support and maintenance of clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
• Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic settings.
• Ability to drive with a full, clean UK driving licence and access to a car.

Person Specification

Training and Qualifications

Essential

• Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical/counselling psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology. OR BABCP accredited CBT Therapists with significant experience of the above along with trauma therapy.
• Supervision training

Desirable

• Post-qualification training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice. E.g. training in additional approved modalities such EMDR, IPT, CFT, Couples Counselling, systemic training, DIT, Mindfulness

Experience

Essential

• Significant experience of working as a qualified psychologist or CBT Therapist
• Significant experience in working with Psychological Trauma.
• Specialist training or skills working with women in the perinatal period
• An interest in Perinatal Mental Health with a focus on Birth Trauma and baby loss
• Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the full range of care settings including outpatient, community, primary care, in-patient and residential care settings 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.
• Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment, both as a professionally qualified care coordinator and also within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan.

Desirable

• Experience in working with Birth Trauma and Perinatal Loss
• Experience of representing psychological therapies within the context of multi-disciplinary care.
• Experience of assessing and treating clients across the full range of care settings.
• Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts.

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
• Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, highly technical, and clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
• Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.

Desirable

• Well-developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities etc).
• Knowledge of the theory and practice of highly specialised psychological therapies and assessment methodologies.
• Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis as practiced within the field of clinical psychology.

Other

Essential

• Ability to identify, provide and promote appropriate means of support to carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations and severely challenging behaviours.
• Ability to identify, and employ, as appropriate, clinical governance mechanisms for the support and maintenance of clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
• Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic settings.
• Ability to drive with a full, clean UK driving licence and access to a car.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

Address

CNWL HQ Milton Keynes

Charles Pinfold Building, Walton Hall

Milton Keynes

MK7 6AA

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/work (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

Address

CNWL HQ Milton Keynes

Charles Pinfold Building, Walton Hall

Milton Keynes

MK7 6AA

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/work (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Perinatal Clinical Nurse Manager

Gloria Aldridge

[email protected]

01908724362

Details

Date posted

09 September 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£57,528 to £64,750 a year per annum pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

333-D-MK-MH-1357

Job locations

CNWL HQ Milton Keynes

Charles Pinfold Building, Walton Hall

Milton Keynes

MK7 6AA

United Kingdom

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