Being a trainee in a time of change

In September 2021, as we were slowly coming out of the Covid lockdowns, a group of Clinical Psychology doctorate trainees sat in a well-ventilated room. After a period of uncertainty, it had been decided that teaching could be held face-to-face again, but with mandatory facemasks and distancing. The cohort size had almost doubled from previous years, as part of the national expansion of training places, and the course had just appointed a new programme director. 

The doctorate in Clinical Psychology is a unique journey for everyone; from fellow trainees to those who qualified years ago, everyone has their own perspective on what worked, what didn't and how they survived research. But what can be learned from being a trainee in such a time of change?

Double the support

Change brings anxiety. The doctorate is stressful. Combined, this is hard. Size-wise, we quickly got used to guest lecturers coming in and saying, 'wow, you're a big cohort!' – despite the numerous introductory exercises, for the first week there were several of my peers I kept confusing, a larger group and only being able to see half-faces making it rather like a levelled-up memory game. There was a sense that somehow we were missing out on not being a small cohort, with past-trainees often talking about how this made them closer, and their learning more bespoke. We were warned there may be conflict: after all, double the people means double the chance of arguments.

Thankfully, what we got instead was double the chance of hugs when things went wrong, double the chance to see smiling, nodding faces when anxiously presenting, double the chance of someone saying 'me too' when venting in reflective practice. Maybe we did miss something, we'll never know; but I could not imagine training without every single one of the people who were there for the journey. 

Whilst past trainees are often very sympathetic and will re-tell their own stories of deadlines stresses, course pressures and frustrations, it is only the people that you train with who truly understand the experience you get, and even then there are differences. My cohort were my greatest support throughout (even if the numbers did make it hard booking tables for drinks).

Growing numbers, I'm sure, mean growing pressures for course teams; more research supervisors are needed, more admin staff are needed to keep everything running, and I have huge respect for those who are responsible for finding placements for the expanding number of trainees. Many of us ended up in new placements, and whilst there was a fear of things not being 'as good' as the long-standing placements, there is something exciting about the opportunities the massive workforce expansion is creating.

Placements for us included, alongside your standard statutory services, the third-sector and community placements, and I had the privilege of spending my third year in a relatively newly formed team supporting people experiencing homelessness. Many of my peers chose our course due to the emphasis it puts on community psychology and social justice, so being able put teaching into action, and entering the workforce knowing there is an increase in these kinds of roles, is exciting. Equally, we were encouraged to follow our passions (despite the additional burdens that added for the team) for our research projects. That, I think, has helped create a cohort of newly qualified clinical psychologists who feel empowered to go and 'be the change they want to see'.

What works best

I will always be grateful that we were able to have training face-to-face, as no matter how much I love seeing people's pets walk across the screen, human contact will always be favoured. However, Covid left its legacy. Hybrid working creates more options and made training more accessible – when allowed – giving greater flexibility to things like research meetings, and fantastic opportunities such as an indigenous research day where we were taught from across the globe.

However, there are still debates on what needs to return to face-to-face and what works best online: whilst I recognise the cost involved in transporting external examiners around the country, there was something unsatisfactory about just hanging up a zoom call to mark the end of Viva. More widely, we are just at the beginning of seeing the long-term impacts of Covid and emerging mental health problems and I'm sure we are only at the cusp of understanding how this will change the way we work, and what trainees are taught, for years to come.

I am aware that so far this has been a positive outlook on change. It's not just rose-tinted glasses a few weeks out of training, as there were certainly many issues that arose. Perhaps it's the emphasis on our values of compassion, but it feels wrong to me to publicly criticise something that's in a new stage of change again. I have faith that our feedback has been listened to and things will move forward for the better. 

Anyone who has learned systemic theory will be well-versed in the idea that 'the whole is greater than the sum of its parts', but I'm not sure this is always true. As a whole, training had cracks and could feel unfair, inconsistent and sometimes painful, but for my experience, it was individuals within the course team who remained constant and compassionate figures that helped to hold things together, fought back when needed, and will do so for cohorts to come. For them I am truly grateful.

Looking back through history, with hindsight we can pinpoint pivotal moments that begin to redefine the way things are. I feel we may be in one of these moments now… the changes brought about by Covid and the expansion, and a generation of programme directors retiring. It'll be interesting to see how we are led by the new wave going forward.  

Valuing creativity

We must accept that there is currently a movement in the psychology profession. Change is exciting and needed but does not come without its difficulties and fears. It is inevitable. Without planning to, I have changed over the past three years in so many ways, but the bit that makes me has stayed. My journey has taught me that if in doubt, our leaders need to return to our core values and principles and let that guide their planning and growth.

As part of our research ending, we were asked to share something creative; a legacy from when teaching had been moved online and creative ways were used to keep a sense of connection when people were physically kept apart. We need to value creative solutions and part of that is holding compassion when trying something new does not work out, but also speaking up when things have gone too far. Three years of training has taught me the power of stepping outside our comfort zones, so I leave my poem that opened this piece as my final thought.

'Telling stories of unheard voices'

Dr Simone Stedmon reflects on her approach to creative science communication.

Although I enjoyed Psychology at A-level, I chose – partially through a brief moment of rebellion and not wanting to follow my mum, who is also a clinical psychologist – to do English Literature at University. A love of stories and words is an integral part of who I am, but whilst I loved the course something was missing.

My first job was in a care home, and I spent time listening to the incredible stories people would tell. This sense of connection in story-sharing, and how much value people gave to being heard, cemented how much I wanted to work with people. I began the year-long conversion diploma.

Not so fresh out of my second round of university, I began working as a support worker in a homeless service. Although we were 'just housing', many people, often in the evening with a cup of tea, would share difficult parts of their life and you could see the benefit sharing their stories had. I knew psychology could have an impact in these services, and working with people experiencing homelessness remains a lifelong passion.

Skip forward a few years, and I was on the doctorate. I'd never been an assistant psychologist and my research experience was non-existent, but we'd been shown that it was not just about pumping out data. It could be about telling stories of unheard voices too. I began to realise that my literature background could be a strength, and perhaps research didn't have to be feared. Interviewing rough sleepers about their understanding of mental health and barriers to service access was nothing short of a privilege; I have been able to share the findings with a local team, seeing the real-life impact that it can have, and also hope to have the research published.

As psychologists, we have the power to make change, fight inequalities, and support often-silenced voices to be heard. Although an evidence base is one of the best ways to argue for change, it does not just have to be through words – it's exciting to see an increase in creative and community-led research methods and interventions. I encourage practitioners to remember the clinical differences collective stories and research can make. Sharing people's narratives in a way that is accessible and meaningful, and that reduces biopsychosocial inequalities, is a life-long commitment for me.

'Despite the pandemic, the course went on…'

September 2021 is where it all begins
Face masks covering nervous grins
As a group of strangers sat in Link 113
Not knowing how the next few years would be,
But we were here, the next round of trainees.
And so started numerous introductory circles,
Whilst we were told of all the hurdles,
And the importance of reflective journals.
And deadlines.
So many deadlines and important dates
But despite knowing what awaits,
We all hung on.
 
Quickly we all gelled together
After all it was basically freshers
And a quick post-teaching drink in the bar
Quickly turned into zig-a-zig-ah 
In Popworld as it was turning two - 
Three - 
Four - 
While (S Club reference) Hannah's screamin' out for more
Get ready, everybody, 'cause here we go… 
Into teaching at ten, feeling quite tired
Red eyes sipping coffee, relaying what had transpired,
Subtly trying to cover a yawn,
As despite the hangover, 
The day went on.
 
First year we learnt a lot of stuff,
Some fun, some tough,
and life lessons about being 'good-enough'.
In research learning philosophy and epistemology
Underpinned by various methodologies.
Research wasn't just data but telling stories too,
Slightly overwhelmed by how much we could do, 
As we were encouraged to follow our passions (within reason) 
As caring mitigates feelings of depletion.
We built upon our research foundations
All the while writing up the service evaluation 
Double checking formatting of citations
Marking criteria creating frustrations
And just like that the year flew by
And letting out a bit of a sigh,
The course went on.
 
Second year starts a bit of a mess,
No need to fully digress,
But I do want to say cheers,
For all of the times that I've come in in tears,
And for all your support without judgement as on repeat,
I'd walk in and say: 'guess what I did this week?'
I think at times we've all found it hard,
Suddenly putting up guards,
As despite multiple assignments and ethics,
We all managed to be empathetic,
That life still happens in this weird Dclin bubble
(Although needing time off will get you in trouble).
As teaching gives susceptibility
To quickly revealing a vulnerability
And learning more about ourselves than we'd possibly like 
Never knowing quite when a trauma would strike 
As whatever outside life might spawn,
The Dclin life goes on and on.
 
Third year suddenly things got more serious 
Despite the slight distraction of our leader leaving us
As a life of research was drawing out ahead
With articles needing to be read
Interviews to be collected and transcribed 
Data waiting to be analysed 
Coffee being downed 
As scraps of paper lay around 
Trying to put things into meaningful sentences 
Sending each other supportive messages
As there was no time for fun 
Once the final countdown had begun.
Anxiety fuelling stupid questions
Desperate for any helpful suggestions
Late nights changing and removing words
Dreaming of better-sounding verbs
Until deadline day suddenly arrived
And somehow all of us had just about survived
But no time to recover 
Or enjoy the summer
As the wait to the next big date began
Inevitably viva would come,
As the course went on.
 
I'm not sure I can put viva into rhyme
As I know it wasn't the best of times,
So if you'll allow, I'll skip to now
Where with the remaining hurdles jumped
Academic assessments trumped
We meet once more, as the course goes – stops.
 
So to our final week of goodbyes
As mixed emotions arise
(I hope I'm not the only one who cries).
But though we go our separate ways
The legacy of this time stays
Of the highs and lows we've made it through
And with thanks to every one of you
We return to normal lives
Heads held high that we've survived
This thing that no one else truly understands
Enduring the emotional and academic demands
We've all gone through to get to this point:
Cohort 2021, you did not disappoint.
I leave filled with gratitude and love
Excited for what comes next, because,
The course is done, but life, 
Life, goes on.