Trainee High Intensity Therapist - High Wycombe

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

We offer you thorough training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) based at the University of Reading (UoR), clinical experience through Bucks Talking Therapies, and a supportive supervisor team at both University and on placement, throughout your training. The training programme is scheduled to start in September 2026 and ideally people will start work with the service a few weeks earlier to complete induction and other duties. Applicants must be able and willing to travel to Reading regularly for their training year. Applicants must also be able to travel across Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire to undertake clinical activity, training etc.

Trainee posts operate under a defined hybrid working arrangement, this requires office/clinic/university in-person working at 80% and home working at 20%, to support learning, supervision, and clinical development. Specific arrangements will be confirmed in line with the training programme and service expectations. Post training there may be opportunities for flexible or hybrid working if appropriate and in line with service need.

 If you do not hold a recognised Core Profession, you are required to complete a Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes (KSA) portfolio. This portfolio provides evidence that you have equivalent training and experience to meet the role requirements. You can find the approved list for core professions here : Core Profession List. You are required to complete and submit this prior to interview.

The University of Reading  (UoR) website (please navigate to entry requirements tab) has information to support you to complete and submit your KSA including a screencast and a template document with top tips and frequently asked questions. Please use these documents to compile your KSA alongside the advice from the BABCP on their  BABCP KSA page. If you plan to submit a condensed KSA, please review the condensed KSA criteria carefully here to ensure you meet the criteria and have the relevant documents to evidence your eligibility for a condensed KSA. Please be aware that this guidance was updated by the BABCP on 27^th March 2026.

 Please also advise your referees of the reference guidance and ensure your references meet criteria.

 If having reviewed your application, we are considering inviting you to interview, we will contact you to let you know your completed KSA portfolio must be submitted prior to interview to The Charlie Waller Institute, University of Reading by 27th May. If we are considering offering, you an interview date/time you will receive instructions on how to submit the KSA portfolio. Please note you will have less than one week from when you are informed about your possible invite to interview, to the date you need to submit your KSA, so we advise you to prepare your KSA in advance, so you are able to submit it on time. If you do not submit a KSA then we will not be able to offer you an interview date/time.

We can only make an offer to candidates without a core profession once your KSA has been marked and passed. The KSA portfolios are expected to be marked within one - two weeks of interview. Please note that we are unable to give feedback on the KSA if you are not successful at interview.

Please also be aware that if you have completed an NHS England/Health Education England funded course such as PWP training you will not be eligible to take up this role unless two full years have elapsed between the date of completion of your previous course (this is usually the date shown on your graduation certificate) and the commencement of this CBT training which we expect will be Thursday 3rd September 2026. 

Please be aware that this is a postgraduate course and UoR eligibility criteria require an honours degree or equivalent in a relevant field OR an honours degree or equivalent in an unrelated field AND at minimum 3 years of experience within the helping profession.

You will attend the UoR Post Graduate Diploma in Evidence Based Psychological Treatments from September 2026. You will receive clinical supervision (CBT) from the UoR and Bucks Talking Therapies BABCP accredited clinicians, as well as managerial supervision in service.

Please note: for those applicants who already hold a psychological therapist qualification (e.g. clinical, counselling or health psychologists and are currently a Band 7 you may be eligible to be paid at Band 7 during training.  For all other applicants, the post will be a Band 6 during training, moving to a Band 7 once the training course has been passed and competencies have been achieved.

Following completion of the course, moving to a qualified Band 7 post will be contingent on meeting a number of strict criteria related to the roles and performance of a CBT therapist. These will be regularly assessed over the first 6 months post qualification and all these need to be fulfilled to meet the full requirements of a CBT Therapist.  

You will have an understanding and experience of CBT and wish to complete a BABCP accredited training in CBT. The training prepares you to meet BABCP accreditation requirements in order to work in Talking Therapies services. This is an excellent, but demanding course and candidates are expected to complete all its requirements within 12 months of starting the training.

The course you will be completing at the UoR as part of this role is a Level 2 accredited course with BABCP. This means that upon completion trainees will meet criteria to apply for provisional accreditation as a CBT therapist with the BABCP.

We are aware that some candidates may choose to use AI tools to support their application. We kindly remind applicants that submissions should remain an honest and accurate representation of their experience and must take care to ensure the use of AI tools does not generate an application that does not accurately reflect their knowledge, skills and values.