Okay so I have collated the info from my cohort (the question sparked lively debate!) Places recommended: Balham Clapham Brockley Beckenham Bermondsey If you’re planning to drive predominantly rather than train add: Crystal Palace Bromley Other areas e.g Lewisham are great for placement access and t...

Hi- and first of all congratulations! I’m a first year at Salomons so I just wanted to chip in. Generally my cohort live in one of three locations- there’s a big group in south London, smaller groups in Brighton and Tunbridge Wells (which is where I live- really close to the uni). I will ask the res...

Interesting...I wonder whether the chosen words may partly reflect the bigger role of religion in American culture? Certainly mendicant, rectitude and abnegate I’ve only come across in a religious context (I knew eventually I’d find a purpose for all that religious education!). Nugatory and prolix w...

I didn’t reply to the original post as that would have been right at the start of my journey but I’m a first year trainee at Salomons and I am 41 and not the oldest in my cohort. This year was my first application and I was lucky enough to receive 2 interviews and 2 offers. I’ve never found my age t...

For the quantitative stats I used Andy Field’s books, primarily “how to design and report experiments” with further detail from his SPSS book where needed. For qualitative I like “doing qualitative research in psychology” Ed. Sullivan and Foster (I think). All combined with notes from my masters. Ho...

I’m a first year trainee at Salomons and a number of my cohort have very limited clinical experience and certainly my experience of the interview process was that it was more focused on personal qualities and potential than past experience so that may be one to add to your list.

The thing that really got me “hooked” on working in MH was being a listening volunteer with Samaritans. You will get a chance to properly listen to people’s stories (which will nearly always include trauma in one shape or another) and also get a very good idea of where the gaps are in current servic...

Agree in principle Workingmama however my experience may be a cautionary tale! I was keen to gain further research experience- found a potential supervisor, as you say he was more than willing to have someone help with an ongoing project- cleared with my employer to spend one day a week doing resear...

I don’t think it is unreasonable to think about practicalities or to have a plan B in mind. However I have colleagues who did conversion courses and are now qualified PWP’s and HI’s and they had no sense that that route was a handicap. The other option (which I took) is an undergrad psychology degre...

I am glad your head is feeling somewhat clearer.

Allow yourself as much breathing space and self care as you can within the constraints of what sounds like quite overwhelming current life events.

Sending gentle virtual hugs

Lingua- first of all and most importantly I am so sorry for your loss. It is totally usual to question whether we could have done anything differently. I can’t offer any guarantees or definitive answers but in the vast majority of cats infection happens as a kitten and the mutation is within the per...

Lingua- I am so sorry- FIP is an evil and far too common disease. But please don’t beat yourself up... the road to FIP is a complex one and it is not a directly transmissible disease so your kitten is unlikely to be the culprit. Feel free to DM me- while I’m sure the vets are doing their utmost- I a...

I thought I would post a slightly more updated version (feel free to move to a new topic if that would be more helpful) A Week in the Life of a PWP Monday Arrive at work at 8.15 (I don't start until 9 but parking is a nightmare....). First appointment is not until 10 so I use the time to catch up on...

Others probably better placed to comment on 1 and 2 but with respect to 3 IAPT doesn’t exist in Wales. Posts similar to PWPs in primary mental health services are advertised usually as Graduate Mental Health Workers (I’ve seen several on trac jobs in last few months) but in my experience having work...

Thank you Workingmama. That is a very useful alternative way of thinking about contentious issues that hadn’t occurred to me previously (despite now seeming really quite obvious 🤔). I will think more on this but I can see that considering it like this may help to prevent that “I’m banging my head on...