personal statement for dclinpsy application

• Nov 16, 2020

#NewFaceofPsychology - DClinPsy Application Tips with Amani

Amani is a 1st year Clinical Psychology Trainee at University of East London. On Wednesday 11th of November 2020, Amani hosted a Twitter Q&A session via the @BIPPNetwork account as part of the #NewFaceofPsychology campaign.

Check out her helpful tips and answers to aspiring psychologists' questions in the thread:

It's a common knowledge that Dclinpsy application are exhausting to fill, what sort of advice would you give to a first time applicant, so they don't get overwhelmed by the application process?

It can be a very tiring process. I would work in stages. Fill in the “easier” sections first ie: listing your experiences. When it comes to personal statements, make a plan. Really break down the question reflect on your experiences and make a mind map. Take time to work in small sections. And do a little bit often.

Did you apply more than once? If so, what was the main difference between your previous applications and the year that you got on?

Yes I applied 3 times! I think the difference was:

1. I put me on the page. I really tried to show my values and aspirations.

2. I was more reflective than descriptive. Instead of saying what I’ve done I spoke about what I’ve learned from my roles/tasks. I spoke about how my learning will help me on training and how it has shaped the kind of clinician I want to be.

Is it advisable to read what a successful application (personal statement) look likes before you start writing yours?

My automatic thought is to say no because everyone is different and you don’t want to be tempted to think that that is the only or “perfect” way to write an application. There is no perfect way. I would say to ask for advice on writing reflectively and I think this can be done without seeing someone’s application.

On the application they have a section about disseminations, how did you approach this?

Ooo the dreaded dissemination section. I think most people (including me at the time) feel like the courses only want people with publications in journals. This isn’t the case. Remember dissemination is about sharing knowledge.

Think about the all the things you’ve done to share research and psychological knowledge. For me this was an audit I did in a service and then presented to an MDT in the wider hospital. It seems small at the time but this is dissemination.

Did you mention your BAME background in the 3000 character section too or just in the 700 character 'other factor' section please?

I just used the “other factor” section for this.

In terms of the application - I just wondered how you answered the question about whether there was ‘any other factors relevant in assessing your application’? I’m not sure what to put there.

So a lot of people use this space differently so use it to explain why there might be gaps in their CV or maybe to explain some circumstances they were going through which meant they didn’t get the grades some courses desire.

I used it to reflect some more on my identity as a black woman in the profession and the need for representation in the career. That was a personal choice and I felt it to be important for me.

Do you have any ‘top tips’ for applying from your experience?

I’d say be reflective! Show what your have learned and how it’s shaped the clinician you want to be and how it’ll help you on training. Put YOU on the page. Also show that that you’ve learned how to use the core clinical skills on different levels! For example, you can talk about how you’ve learned the importance of holistic formulation and how this is important on an individual level (working with a client) and on a team level (in case discussion with an MDT).

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DClinPsy Application Guide: the personal statement

This is part of a short series of blogs about applying for the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy). For context, I’m currently a Trainee Clinical Psychologist who began training in 2019. Through this series of blogs I’m hoping to share the insights I’ve gained that might be helpful for prospective applicants.

This is a guide to the personal statement section of the DClinPsy application.

I remember finding it the hardest and most stressful part of the application. Summarising your reflections on such a broad question in 3000 characters (which works out to roughly 3-4 short paragraphs) is not an easy task. While it might seem daunting, it doesn’t need to be perfect and if you write a relevant, reflective piece, you’ll be increasing your chances of getting selected.

A quick disclaimer that these are my own opinions about what might be helpful from my experience.

I’ve attempted to summarise some helpful advice under the headings below.

What resources are helpful?

Below are some resources that I used to help me write the personal statement. An important caveat is that you will not be able to cover everything in these resources. You don’t have to read them all and be selective when thinking about what to include:

• The Leeds Clearing House website (which is a bible of useful information)
• The Core Competencies of a Clinical Psychologist (within the linked document <-)
• Some courses, but not many, publish their selection criteria. The ones I could find were Sheffield , Plymouth (2015) and Exeter (2018).
• The BPS Code of Ethics and Conduct

Where do I start?

I remember having total writer’s block before starting my personal statement! It can be so daunting and difficult to know where to start. Here are a few things I did to get the ball rolling:

• I thought about why I wanted to do this role and what was it about my work experiences that I really enjoyed.
• I thought about how I had begun to develop some of core competencies through my experiences. I drew out a mind map of how I had started to develop them and what I had learned in the process.
• I made a list of my values and personal qualities, where these had developed from and times they had come up in my practice (these could be related to the NHS constitution e.g. equality, or more personal e.g. creativity).
• I thought about times when I have applied ethical principles or where my experiences had taught me about how important they were.
• I listed what I knew about a Clinical Psychologist’s role, what is unique about it and how it fits in with changes and challenges in the NHS.

As you can probably guess, doing these preparation tasks could lead to loads of possible content! Please read on to see my advice on how to be selective.

What do I include?

If you look at the way the question is worded, it is wanting you to reflect on key aspects of your experiences, and how they prepare you for the role. So, in theory, any reflections in relation to this would be relevant. You could use some of the exercises and resources above to help guide you and inspire you about what to include.

How do I make it “reflective”?

No matter what you include, my experience has taught me that it’s important to be reflective . In my second, successful application, I had virtually no descripitve language (in X role I did Y), and instead took every sentence as an opportunity to show what I had learned. Here are a few generic examples:

“When supporting people who experienced X, I found that considering factors such as X & Y (within a X formulation model/theory), facilitated my ability to respond in an empathetic, person-centred way when met with ambivalence to change”.

“I found that my values of compassion and respect helped me build rapport, when faced with challenges such as X… I believe these values developed through my experiences of… ”

“Conducting X research project, I learned X about the research process… Through disseminating the findings to X and listening to feedback, I learned the importance of adapting my communication style flexibly to meet individual need…”

Feeling a bit stuck on reflection? Sometimes it can be helpful to think through an experience using a model like Gibbs’ (1998) Reflective Cycle. Then summarise the key message from this reflection in your personal statement.

How do I structure it?

There doesn’t appear to be any “set” way to structure the personal statement. However, it seems courses might want you to consider both clinical and research experiences. In my second application, I ensured that these experiences were more evenly balanced (roughly a 60:40 split). I reflected on what I learned from these experiences throughout. You could also include personal and accademic experiences.

How do I fit it all in?

You can’t and (please) don’t try to. I made the mistake of tying to include too much. I remember going through draft after draft, stressing about what to cut and keep. Although I was successful, looking back now, I think my application read as a bit disjointed as a result. From my experience, I’d advise by going through your reflections and thinking about:

• How unique or relevant is this skill to the (trainee) Clinical Psychogist’s role in the NHS today? (e.g. Clinical Psychologists tend to do less 1:1 therapy work with low intensity cases, and work more with complex cases, taking on roles in consultation/supervision and leadership)
• Does this show my values/qualities or motives for applying?
• Would this make me stand out (in a good way)?

Once you’ve written your statement, make sure your writing is clear and concise. Then check if you could comfortably fit in any additional reflections, or whether you might need to cut some out.

Well… that was much longer than I anticipated this blog being. I’m not sure if I’ve done a very good job at modelling being concise! However, I hope that there will be something of use to you in here. Keep an eye out for the next one!

– Trainee Psych Scribbles

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Postgraduate clinical psychology personal statement example.

My initial decision to major in psychology was rationalised with the idea that I could use my degree to help people.

Everyone struggles at one point in their lives and being able to help someone is a great opportunity. Furthermore, studying psychology provided something for me that the other subjects didn’t, such as a deeper understanding of my mind and behaviour.

After finishing my high school, I joined Bachelor of Arts program as I wished to explore which subject I would have a special interest in and the course consisted of several subjects including Geography, Political Science, Psychology, English, Economics and French.

By the end of my first year, I had a fondness towards psychology as it was interesting and chose to learn further about it. 

During my second and third year, I studied about Social Psychology, Abnormal Behaviour as well as Statistics.

I was fascinated by how the human mind works and how it affects a person’s thoughts, feelings and behaviour. I enjoyed learning about the psychological disorders and the models of abnormality.

As I didn’t have an honours in psychology at my college, I decided to take a Master’s degree in Applied Psychology.

My master’s program was a 2 year course where I gained extensive knowledge about the different fields in psychology. During my First Semester, I had courses on educational psychology, cognitive psychology, Research Methodology and Statistics.

I enjoyed research methodology as I gained a deeper understanding of how to conduct research, the different methods in research and the importance it plays in psychology as it gives scientific evidence on the new perspectives of psychology, psychological theories and factors affecting mental health.

In addition to the courses, I did an internship at Agnes Special School where I worked as a special educator for children with Learning Disability, Cerebral Palsy, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism and Mental Retardation.

Through this internship, I got to know more about childhood disorders and the obstacles they face in their everyday lives. It was extremely challenging

During, my second semester I had courses such as physiological psychology, personality theories, psychological testing and positive psychology.

I enjoyed reading about personality theories especially, Alfred Adler’s Individual psychology where he describes inferiority and superiority complexes and also about the birth order and how it influences the style of life.

By learning the theories, I gained insight on how personality influences human behaviour. I also had a practical paper on Assessment of Personality where, I was exposed to the various types of personality tests such as Draw a person test, Eysenck personality questionnaire, locus of control, Neo five-factor inventory and many more.  

During the third semester, I learned about counselling psychology, psychological intervention and psychopathology.

I found psychopathology very interesting as it taught me about the different psychological disorders, their aetiology, diagnosis and the signs and symptoms that make up the diagnosis and treatment of the disorder.

I became interested in relationships between various biological and environmental factors which can induce disorders.

By the end of my third semester, I worked as an intern for two months at two hospitals. My first clinical internship was at XXX for 3 weeks under Dr. XXX. During my time there, I learned how to collect case histories and conduct Mental Status Examinations (MSE).

I conducted various psychometric tests such as Standard and Coloured Progressive Matrices, Seguin Form Board and LD checklist, and also observed various behaviour therapies, parent guidance and counselling, sessions for home training for children with special needs on conditions like mental retardation, learning disability, autism, hearing impairments, cerebral palsy and multiple handicaps.

I also presented a poster on Learning Disability as a part of the academic presentation, defining Learning Disability, the problems children with LD face, the management of LD and the rights these children have.

My second clinical internship was at XXX for four weeks where I worked under the supervision of XXX at the Psychiatric Department. The hospital had in-patient care as well as outpatient care where I could collect case histories and conduct Mental Status Examinations.

I got insights into the numerous disorders. I gained an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of a clinical psychologist. I also attended several therapies that the psychologist conducted such as Group Therapy for de-addiction patients, Stress Management and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and various psychometric tests such as Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) and Rorschach inkblot test.

I also conducted psychometric tests such as Wechsler’s Intelligence Scale for Children, CAGE questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory, Binet Kamat Test etc.

In the fourth semester, I had courses on behaviour modification and counselling children, adolescents and adults. I was trained in numerous psychotherapy techniques such as Jacobsons Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Autogenic Training, Systematic Desensitisation, and Yoga.

I also had to present several case studies that I collected during my internships. I had a 5 days internship at XXX Rehabilitation Centre for Addicts which was aimed at preventing and management of Substance abuse with the focus soon early intervention , community based holistic approach and people’s participation.

During my time here, I interacted with several patients who has problems with substance abuse where I was able to take a session on assertiveness training for the patients and also conducted several relaxation techniques such as JPMR and Autogenic training.

Further, I got to know how the rehab centre worked and the different treatment methods used for the patients. I had another 5 days internship at XXX Palliative care, where I counselled with patients who were terminally ill by giving psychological snd social support to the patients and their caregivers.

Another internship I had was at Riya Hope Farm which was a residential centre for children with special needs. I was assigned to a child who had autism and conducted behavioural assessment of the child. Once the assessment was over, behaviour modification process was started as the child had difficulty in following the instruction that were given to him.

I also had to submit a dissertation as a part of the master’s programme where I presented a research study on “ Marital Adjustment in relation to Life Satisfaction and Gender among Young Adult Married Couples.”

I was interested in this topic due to the increasing divorce rates in India notably among the Young - Adult population and to find out whether life satisfaction influences the marital adjustment between couples.

In addition to my courses, I have attended several workshops on counselling and psychotherapy, basic and advanced hypnosis, “Dementia - Remember me” and Paranormality.

After finishing my master’s in psychology, I am currently interning at a psychiatric clinic for where I am working as an assistant counselling psychologist under the guidance of Dr XXXp. 

During my time here, I have met patients with a wide range of mental health problems that may occur such as mental health disorders including depression, psychosis, personality disorder, negative life events, bereavement, domestic violence, sexual, emotional and physical abuse, traumas and relationship issues.

I have witnessed counselling of both clients and their families, and I have learned to administer and score several psychological tests used in clinical assessment.

I have enjoyed working in the clinic and found it very rewarding, not only because of the idea of helping but also because the work was interesting and challenging, as every patient is different and different approaches of counselling are needed.

As an assistant counselling psychologist, I was able to learn the different counselling techniques and how to guide patients through empathy and unconditional positive regard.

Upon completion of this masters programme, I intend join a Doctoral programme in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy) and to practice as a clinical psychologist, where I can provide a positive influence in the lives of people struggling with psychiatric disorders.

My personal characteristics are perfectly adaptable to this profession and I’m highly interested in this field. Moreover, my academic achievements signify my capability to reach the goal of becoming a clinical psychologist.

I’m also interested in research work and understanding the various mental illness, their treatment as well as their effectiveness. My work experience has proven to me how much more I need to learn before I can attain my goal of becoming an accomplished clinical psychologist.

I am interested to join Goldsmith’s University of London for the Masters course in Foundation in Clinical Psychology and Health Services by the strong emphasis on clinical practice and research methodology as it goes particularly well with what I am looking for in a program.

I would be very excited to join the upcoming class for 2018. I feel I am well prepared to enter graduate study, and my strong motivation and career goals are a good match for what the university has to offer.

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