Keith spoke to us during his second year of training and shared reflections on how his role of 'Dad' had impacted his identity of 'trainee'. He shared really valuable parts of his experiences that relate to how he has managed to navigated training in a pandemic, whilst spinning many plates as a single Dad. He reflected on the importance of asking for help when needed, taking a year out as a result of personal circumstances and the value of knowing what you need in order to achieve academically, such as staying connected with others.

Dr Mandie George, Clinical Psychologist, met with us last month to share her own experiences of starting DClinPsy training with a young baby and also shares her findings from her Thesis; a qualitative IPA study that explored how being a parent can impact trainee’s experience of a CAMHS placement. She shares her findings (that having children and not having children) both play a really important role in participants’ experiences of CAMHS placements. Mandie also reflects on the importance of trainees knowing their own position and knowing their vulnerabilities. She highlights the importance of finding connections with people who can support a process of reflection on both personal and professional impacts of clinical training, particularly when things feel difficult. Mandie shares her wisdom, that we all have the shared experience of being human beings and that inevitably will lead some of our experiences to overlap with the experiences of our clients. We talk to Mandie to find out what tips she would give her trainee self, if she could go back in time and do it all over again!

Dr Mandie George, Clinical Psychologist, met with us last month to share her own experiences of starting DClinPsy training with a young baby and also shares her findings from her Thesis; a qualitative IPA study that explored how being a parent can impact trainee’s experience of a CAMHS placement. She shares her findings (that having children and not having children) both play a really important role in participants’ experiences of CAMHS placements. Mandie also reflects on the importance of trainees knowing their own position and knowing their vulnerabilities. She highlights the importance of finding connections with people who can support a process of reflection on both personal and professional impacts of clinical training, particularly when things feel difficult. Mandie shares her wisdom, that we all have the shared experience of being human beings and that inevitably will lead some of our experiences to overlap with the experiences of our clients. We talk to Mandie to find out what tips she would give her trainee self, if she could go back in time and do it all over again!

Hello and welcome to the first episode of our podcast! 

We are Sarah and Candice, two first-year Clinical Psychologists in Training. We started studying the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in September 2019. We are also both parents. We hope to share some of our experiences of DClin training so far. Importantly, we hope to build a virtual community of trainees and aspiring psychologists who are parents/caregivers, so that we can support each other through this challenging journey! 

This first episode is a rough and ready trial-run of what may come in the future! First we introduce ourselves, the reasons for this podcast and where we hope it takes us.  

We will be answering anonymous Q&A's that have been submitted to our Twitter Page @DClin_Labyrinth and to our Instagram Page @Life_In_The_Labyrinth 

We really hope that you enjoy listening! 

Sarah and Candice x