One on One with CAMHS Counselling Psychologist Dr Khushbu Haria

Can you tell me a bit about your background and what your role as a Principal Counselling Psychologist entails? 

I completed my Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology back in 2015. Since then, I have predominantly worked in CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) settings as a Counselling Psychologist. I have worked in a range of locations including, schools, community as well as inpatient.  Through my various roles I have developed a specialist interest in working with individuals presenting with neurodevelopmental differences and supporting those affected by trauma as well as developing CAMHS services.

My role as a Principal Counselling Psychologist really varies- I hold a small clinical caseload and provide clinical supervision to psychologists and Assistant Psychologists and consultation to a multidisciplinary team. My role also requires me to support the provision of Children Wellbeing Practitioners and psychology trainee's.

Being the Borough Lead Psychologist, I am responsible for leading the psychology team as well as being involved with service development projects and liaising with community partners. I also provide psychology representation and oversight within service level projects. My role also extends in offering consultation and training to non-clinical community colleagues, such as social care and schools.

What made you choose counselling psychology over other applied fields of psychology?

I started off perhaps like most psychology graduates wanting to pursue a career in Clinical Psychology – this was primarily because in my undergraduate course there was great emphasis on this being a final destination for anyone wanting to pursue a career in psychology. I also undertook a role as an Assistant Clinical Psychologist, which gave me a sense of what the role entailed. I soon realised I was more interested in the relational and therapeutic aspects of being a psychologist and so decided to undertake training to become a counsellor. Whilst undertaking this, I appreciated that my interests were rooted in being a scientific practitioner with humanistic underpinnings. This is when I decided to research options outside of Clinical Psychology and learnt about Counselling Psychology. This to me fitted with my values, outlook and interests.

You have recently been appointed as a neurodevelopmental lead for a CAMHS service. Can you tell me about that?

I have been fortunate enough to have had amazing experiences in services where I've worked, which have given me the opportunity to learn and develop my understanding of neurodevelopmental differences.  I have been mindful that this has not traditionally been a route for Counselling Psychology, however, I feel Counselling Psychologists are able to offer and support this area of work. This motivated me to make a successful application for the role of CAMHS Neurodevelopmental Lead for the Trust I work in. I was particularly interested in the role's focus on developing clinical neurodevelopmental pathways, given the long waiting lists in services. As a Counselling Psychologist, I felt that I would be able to offer valuable skills and expertise in this area, which requires both taking into account various stakeholder viewpoints and the opportunity to contribute to innovation, and positive change.

What is a typical day at work for you like as a Principal Counselling Psychologist?

A typical day for me would be seeing a few patients, providing supervision for Psychologists, Trainee Psychologists or our Assistant Psychologists. I also attend meetings focused around care quality, clinical service development, workforce management and development, as well as leading multi-disciplinary team consultations regarding particular complex clinical cases and supporting our Duty/Triage team.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I love the variety, which includes both direct and indirect clinical work. My job allows me to make a difference at multiple levels, and I really enjoy being involved with projects around service development.

What do you find most challenging about your job?

As a clinician working in the NHS, there is a sense of moral injury in that, we know clinicians are working hard and the demand is high. I find this challenging because ethically I am constantly grappling with service needs versus workforce needs. Striking the balance is tough!

What are some of your career highlights?

I feel like perhaps I am fortunate in the sense that in most services I have worked in I have been one of the first counselling psychologist to have worked there. As such I hope that I have been able to encourage services to consider what Counselling Psychologists have to offer. This has been important to me given the inequalities faced by Counselling Psychologists in the workplace.

Becoming a Lead Psychologist has also been an amazing achievement given that there are still some misconceptions regarding what Counselling Psychologists can offer – I hope the appointment allows me to promote the skills we can contribute, as well as inspiring other Counselling Psychologists to consider leadership roles.

Finally, being appointed as the Chair of the Division of Counselling Psychology (DCoP) Black and Asian Counselling Psychology Group, and also joining the DCoP Executive committee- this has perhaps been a lifetime ambition to give back not only to the profession, but also in supporting colleagues.

Can you share a piece of work or research that has really changed or shaped your practice?

From early on in my career, I have always been interested in digital health innovation, and I recently won a competition through my Trust to be supported in designing a CAMHS app, which considers the patient journey from start to finish, as well as enabling efficiencies in the service.  Being involved in this has really shaped my practice as it has allowed me to be creative and think out of the box in terms of possibilities e.g., consideration for Virtual Reality programs to support clinical intervention, and online clinical assessments to aid and improve pathways.

Outside of psychology, what are your interests?

I love photography! For me taking pictures is super therapeutic – I love finding unique colour blends and textures…or something that tells an untold story. I am also a sucker for cooking, fashion and make-up – you will always find me at lunch swiping, looking for unique outfits, cheat recipes or make-up tips!

• Fauzia Khan is an Assistant Psychologist currently working within the NHS, whilst completing her Doctorate in Counselling Psychology.