Principal Clinical Psychologist

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Principal Clinical/Counselling Psychologist/Cognitive Behavioural Therapist to join our England South hub as part of Combat Stress wider Clinical Services providing specialist assessment and treatment for veterans across the UK.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will adopt a senior clinical role in an interdisciplinary team comprising Psychologists and Accredited Psychotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Consultant Psychiatrists and Peer and Family Support colleagues, within specialist clinical services for Veterans with PTSD, Complex PTSD and Moral Injury as a result of their military service. They will provide clinical and professional leadership of the psychological therapies team in the region and offer specialist assessment, formulation and psychological interventions to address Veteran needs within an integrated interdisciplinary care pathway.

The successful candidate will clinically supervise Senior Psychologists/Cognitive Behavioural Therapists and deliver psychological interventions in at least two evidence-based therapies for PTSD and C-PTSD, including TF-CBT, NET, CPT, CFT for trauma and PE. They will support external relationships to improve cross-service collaborative working relationships, improved care pathways for Veterans and increase awareness of Combat Stress in the South of England.

About us

Combat Stress is the UKs leading mental health charity for veterans. For over a century weve been helping former servicemen and women deal with issues like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression. Today we provide specialist treatment and support for veterans from every service and conflict, focusing on those with PTSD, Complex PTSD and Moral Injury related to their military service. We provide a range of clinical services to veterans online and in-person as well as peer and family support.

It is an exciting time to be joining Combat Stress. Combat Stress remains one of the UKs most well established and innovative clinical services positively shaping the future of Veterans mental health provision. We have a robust CPD programme and a highly active Research Department. As such, we benefit from innovative clinical and research collaborations with international experts in the field to trial and deliver effective interventions for Complex-PTSD.

Job responsibilities

Based at our England South Hub in Leatherhead, Surrey, KT22 0BX

Status: Permanent

Salary: Band 8b, £66,546 - £76,950, per annum, dependent on experience, plus 5% Outer London Fringe Allowance

Hours: Part-time, 22.5 hours per week

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About Us:

Combat Stress is the UKs leading mental health charity for veterans. For over a century weve been helping former servicemen and women deal with issues like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression. Today we provide specialist treatment and support for veterans from every service and conflict, focusing on those with PTSD, Complex PTSD and Moral Injury related to their military service. We provide a range of clinical services to veterans online and in-person as well as peer and family support.

It is an exciting time to be joining Combat Stress. Combat Stress remains one of the UKs most well established and innovative clinical services positively shaping the future of Veterans mental health provision. We have a robust CPD programme and a highly active Research Department. As such, we benefit from innovative clinical and research collaborations with international experts in the field to trial and deliver effective interventions for Complex-PTSD.

About the role:

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Principal Clinical/Counselling Psychologist/Cognitive Behavioural Therapist to join our England South hub as part of Combat Stress wider Clinical Services providing specialist assessment and treatment for veterans across the UK.

The successful candidate will adopt a senior clinical role in an interdisciplinary team comprising Psychologists and Accredited Psychotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Consultant Psychiatrists and Peer and Family Support colleagues, within specialist clinical services for Veterans with PTSD, Complex PTSD and Moral Injury as a result of their military service. They will provide clinical and professional leadership of the psychological therapies team in the region and offer specialist assessment, formulation and psychological interventions to address Veteran needs within an integrated interdisciplinary care pathway.

The successful candidate will clinically supervise Senior Psychologists/Cognitive Behavioural Therapists and deliver psychological interventions in at least two evidence-based therapies for PTSD and C-PTSD, including TF-CBT, NET, CPT, CFT for trauma and PE. They will support external relationships to improve cross-service collaborative working relationships, improved care pathways for Veterans and increase awareness of Combat Stress in the South of England.

About you:

We are looking for someone who is keen to take a senior clinical role in the delivery and development of our services and contribute to the leadership of the same. You will be developing as a compassionate leader and skilled clinician, who is committed to clinical effectiveness, service innovation and delivering trauma-informed services.

This role is subject to a DBS check.

What we offer:

You will work within a reputable charity that is constantly evolving to meet the needs of our veterans, that has a fantastic cause and a committed follower base.

Benefits:

30 days annual leave plus bank holidays and an additional increase to 33 days annual leave upon 10 years continuous service, plus bank holidays.

Competitive stakeholder pension scheme - contributions matched up to 11% of salary

Discount shopping vouchers

Access to the Employee Assistance Programme

Flexible working

Access to Blue Light Card scheme

Death in Service Scheme

How to apply:

Thank you for your interest in working for Combat Stress.

If your application is shortlisted, one of the team will contact you shortly after the closing date to let you know the next steps.

Please be aware that due to the high volume of applications we receive, we are unable to respond to all applicants. If you do not hear from the team within 3 weeks of the closing date, we will not be taking your application further on this occasion.

We will keep your details for up to 6 months after the vacancy has been successfully filed. Please feel free to contact us if you no longer wish us to hold your details.

Once again, thank you for your interest in working at Combat Stress.

If you have been informed about the role by a current employee, please state this and the employees name in your covering letter.

Please note, you MUST have the right to work in the UK to apply for our vacancies and work at Combat Stress.

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Closing date: 1 September 2026

Interview date: TBC, most likely 24/25 September 2026

Please note, we reserve the right to close this advert early, should we receive a sufficient amount of applicants

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Person specification

Skills & Knowledge

Essential

• Skilled in providing psychological consultation to
• other professional and non-professional groups.
• Strong networking skills, with the capacity to act
• as a credible spokesperson for Combat Stress.
• Excellent presentation skills.
• Strong leadership skills and ability to promote a
• positive motivating environment.
• Excellent influencing and negotiating skills.
• Highly developed knowledge and skills in the
• theory and practice of CBT.
• Skills in the use of a range of methods of
• psychological assessment (including
• psychometric tests), intervention and
• management for the full range of problems of
• severity and complexity presented in adult
• mental health, including challenging behaviours.
• Ability to communicate effectively, orally and in
• writing, with staff and representatives from other
• organisations.
• Excellent IT skills
• Knowledge and understanding of the HCPC (or
• other relevant professional body, i.e., BABCP)
• code of conduct
• Conflict resolution skills
• Flexible approach to work with an ability to
• develop and maintain a dynamic working
• environment
• Excellent working knowledge of Health and
• Safety
• Excellent working knowledge of Equality and
• Diversity
• Ability to provide and accept constructive
• feedback
• Proven ability to make decisions and develop
• others in this area
• Ability to manage work under pressure
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client
• group (i.e., British veterans) and mental health.
• Knowledge of current developments in veterans
• mental health
• Knowledge of veteran culture and veteran
• agencies
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• as required by the Health Professions Council
• and British Psychological Society

Desirable

• Formal training and/or accreditation in any or
• all the following:
• TF-CBT following multiple traumas
• Narrative Exposure Therapy & FORNET
• EMDR (to Part 4)
• Cognitive Processing Therapy
• Prolonged Exposure
• Compassion-focussed Therapy for PTSD
• Schema-focused therapy

Qualifications

Essential

• Post Graduate Doctoral level training in
• clinical or counselling psychology as
• accredited by the British Psychological
• Society, or British Psychological Society
• Statement of Equivalence
• Current registration with the Health and Care
• Professions Council as a clinical psychologist
• or a counselling psychologist
• Doctoral level knowledge of research
• methodology, research design and data
• analysis as practiced within the clinical fields
• of psychology
• or
• Accredited Cognitive Behavioural Therapist
• (BABCP accreditation)
• &
• Completion of post-qualification clinical
• supervision training

Desirable

• Completion of further post-qualification
• specialist training in areas of practice relevant
• to the post, in particular:
• BABCP accreditation or eligibility for
• accreditation (psychologists)
• Completion of post-qualification clinical
• supervision training
• Veteran of the UK-armed forces
• Expert-by-experience either own experience
• of MH difficulties or carer/supporter of others
• with MH difficulties

Experience

Essential

• Minimum three years post qualification
• experience
• Experience of psychological assessment,
• formulation and treatment of clients across a
• range of care settings, including community,
• primary care, outpatient and inpatient settings
• Substantial experience of delivering CBT and at
• least one other evidence-based therapeutic
• modality
• Experience of working with a wide variety of
• client groups presenting with problems that
• reflect the full range of mental health disorders
• experienced by veterans (including, but not
• restricted to PTSD, Complex-PTSD, depression,
• substance misuse difficulties, emotional
• dysregulation, inter and intrapersonal problems
• and other complex trauma-related mental health
• problems, in 1:1 and group contexts) of varying
• clinical severity.
• Experience of delivering evidence-based trauma
• focused psychological therapies to adults with
• PTSD and/or C-PTSD
• Experience of designing, coordinating, and
• evaluating training programmes, including the
• use of online materials
• Experience of the application of psychology in
• different cultural contexts.

Desirable

• Experience of delivering mental
• health/psychological services to British Veterans
• Experience of clinical or research leadership
• role(s)
• Experience of clinically supervising qualified
• clinical or counselling psychologists or Cognitive
• Behavioural Psychotherapists
• Experience of delivering clinical services, including
• psychological therapies, online
• Experience of developing multi-media clinical
• resources
• Experience of delivering services within a context
• of co-production with experts by experience /
• service users and their families