From studying Psychology at A-level, I was pretty certain that Clinical Psychology was the route for me. I was fascinated by mental health and knew I wanted a career using psychology to understand and support people. That goal stayed with me through my Psychology degree.
Like many aspiring Clinical Psychologists, I researched the Doctorate and tried to work out what I needed to do to get there. I took on roles in mental health and eventually became an Assistant Psychologist within a specialist SEND and SEMH school. I felt like I was on the right path.
The next step was applying for the Clinical Psychology Doctorate. So, I did.
After months of writing applications, preparing and refreshing my emails far too often, I finally got one interview on my second round of applying. I put a huge amount into preparing for it, but unfortunately I wasn’t offered a place.
I was obviously disappointed. Anyone who has applied for a psychology doctorate will probably understand how much you invest in the process. Years of experience can suddenly feel like they come down to a few thousand characters, a shortlisting test, and an interview.
Once the disappointment had settled a bit, I started thinking differently. Rather than immediately asking, “What do I need to do to make my application better next year?”, I started asking: “What have my experiences actually taught me about the kind of psychologist I want to be?”
Working in a school, much of my role involved direct work with young people around anxiety, emotional regulation, self-esteem, and relationships. I enjoyed this work and still do, but I started noticing the limits of a one-to-one session.
A young person might learn an anxiety strategy with me in a quiet room, but then return to the same busy classroom, relationships, demands, and sensory environment. It made me question whether we sometimes focus so much on helping the young person to change that we forget what might need to change around them.
From individual to systemic practice
It was during an EHCP review, when I saw how a shift in adults’ understanding of a young person’s behaviour led to changes in support they received, that I began to recognise the impact of working beyond the individual child.
Bronfenbrenner’s ecological view of development helped me make sense of this. Put simply, children don’t develop in isolation; what happens at home, at school, within relationships, and in the wider world matters (Bronfenbrenner, 1979).
I also started to realise that using psychology didn’t always mean sitting in a room with a young person for an hour. Sometimes a conversation with a member of staff about why a pupil might be avoiding a lesson could change how they were approached every day. Sometimes making sure a young person’s views were heard could influence the support they received. I found myself asking less, “How do we stop this behaviour?”, and more, “What might they be trying to tell us?”.
This was what led me to start looking properly into Educational Psychology. It wasn’t that I suddenly stopped valuing Clinical Psychology. What I have learnt about formulation, trauma, relationships and risk still shapes how I work. I have just become increasingly interested in what was happening outside of the individual too.
What particularly drew me to Educational Psychology was the opportunity to work at different levels around a child. EPs can work directly with young people, but also consult with families and staff, think about classroom environments and contribute to wider school and service-level change. That fitted the questions I had started asking.
Reflections on change in direction
Looking back, I’m actually grateful that my doctorate application didn’t go to plan. I definitely wasn’t at the time! But it made me stop and reflect rather than immediately thinking about how I could become a “better” Clinical Psychology applicant.
If you’re applying too, and things haven’t gone the way you hoped, these are some questions I found useful to sit with:
- What have my experiences taught me about the kind of psychologist I want to be?
- Which parts of my work do I find most meaningful, and why?
- Am I still pursuing this path because it feels right for me, or have I been so focused on getting there that I haven’t considered where else my experiences might be leading me?
I’m now preparing to apply for Educational Psychology training, and I don’t know whether I’ll be successful the first time. But I know one application cycle is only a small part of a much longer career.
For years, I thought I knew exactly where I was going. It turns out I might have been heading somewhere slightly different all along. A change in direction doesn’t always mean you’re going the wrong way!
References
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Harvard university press.
