{"id":9791,"date":"2026-08-06T10:00:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T09:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/students\/?p=9791"},"modified":"2026-07-30T13:45:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T12:45:16","slug":"post-placement-reflections-as-an-assistant-psychologist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/students\/2026\/08\/06\/post-placement-reflections-as-an-assistant-psychologist\/","title":{"rendered":"Post-Placement Reflections as an Assistant Psychologist"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Hi again, I\u2019m Riya, a Psychology student at Bath! \ud83d\udc4b<\/p>\r\n

I have recently finished my placement as an Honourary Assistant Psychologist at the Traumatic Stress Service (TSS) - an NHS service specialising in treating people with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

As I pack up and prepare my return to Bath for my final year, I've had the chance to reflect on my placement experience in London. So in this blog, I wanted to share some of my placement highlights, what I learned along the way, and a few tips for anyone considering a placement (especially in clinical psychology!)<\/p>\r\n


Looking back<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n

As clich\u00e9 as this may sound, it is much easier to recognise your own development with hindsight. When I'd started working at TSS, it honestly felt like I was simply trying to keep up with all my assigned tasks. But looking back, I can see how I gradually grew a lot more confident in my role and overall skillset.<\/p>\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n

Key Moments<\/b><\/h3>\r\n

Some of the most rewarding parts of my placement were the opportunities to work directly with TSS clients alongside experienced psychologists. For instance, attending PTSD assessment sessions gave me a much deeper understanding of how trauma affects people differently, and how clinicians can build formulations that guide treatment. I was especially interested in assessments involving interpreters, where I learned how to navigate language and cultural differences during sessions.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

Another highlight was co-facilitating the Next Steps support group earlier on in the year, where I had to present various psychoeducation topics to service-users under treatment, and provide regular one-on-one check-in calls. Initially, I was quite nervous about these check-ins as it involved having potentially sensitive conversations without another clinician's lead.<\/p>\r\n

However, I quickly realised that my role here wasn\u2019t to solve every problem, but to listen, create a safe space to reflect together, and seek additional support from my supervisor when needed. And after hearing positive feedback from the Next Steps group members, I was reminded that even 'small' interactions can leave a meaningful impact.<\/p>\r\n


The Team<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n

Aside from the work itself, one of the best aspects of my placement was undoubtedly the team.<\/p>\r\n

I feel really fortunate to have worked alongside such supportive and knowledgeable Clinical Psychologists at TSS; whether discussing PTSD during supervision or simply chatting over lunch, I learned something new almost every day. I honestly could keep singing their praises, but they genuinely made my placement such a positive experience and further inspired me to pursue a career in clinical psychology.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

\u00a0<\/h2>\r\n

My advice for future placement students<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n

Here's a few things\/reminders that helped me throughout the year:<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n
    \r\n
  • \ud83e\udde0<\/strong>Ask, ask, and ask some more!<\/strong> (easier said than done)<\/strong><\/span>.<\/strong> One thing I wish I'd reminded myself more often was that, although it can feel intimidating to be working alongside experienced professionals, we are there to learn<\/em>. Once I pushed past my initial worries about appearing unskilled, asking questions, seeking feedback, and taking on more responsibility made my placement so much more rewarding. Equally, don't be afraid to let your supervisor know if you're feeling overwhelmed: remember, they're there to support you too.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

     <\/p>\r\n

      \r\n
    • \ud83d\udcdd Keep a work diary<\/strong><\/span>.<\/strong> Having a dedicated notebook to jot down goals, daily tasks, reflections, and any other noteworthy bits from work really helped me track my progress over the placement.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

       <\/p>\r\n

        \r\n
      • \u2764\ufe0f\u200d\ud83e\ude79 <\/strong>Prioritise your wellbeing<\/strong><\/span>.<\/strong> This is important in any placement, but especially when working with distressing topics. I didn't fully appreciate the emotional impact of trauma work when I first started, but over time I learned the importance of checking in with myself, debriefing with trusted colleagues, and taking time to unwind outside of work.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

         <\/p>\r\n

        Final Thoughts<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n

        I\u2019m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to spend my placement year at TSS. This experience has taught me so much about working within a mental health service, and I leave feeling more confident and driven about pursuing a career in clinical psychology.<\/p>\r\n

        To anyone starting a placement, I can\u2019t stress enough that it\u2019s okay if things don\u2019t feel easy or fall into place straight away.<\/p>\r\n

        While this blog captures some of my placement highlights, it doesn\u2019t show the time it took me to adjust and find my footing within my role, or the sheer amount of admin that comes with being an AP (an intern\u2019s unavoidable fate!). But I hope you're able to embrace the learning process, ask questions, and trust that growth happens gradually.<\/p>\r\n

        Hope you found this blog insightful. Thanks for reading! \ud83d\ude0a<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Hi again, I\u2019m Riya, a Psychology student at Bath! \ud83d\udc4b I have recently finished my placement as an Honourary Assistant Psychologist at the Traumatic Stress Service (TSS) - an NHS service specialising in treating people with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)....<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2023,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[585,24,4,310,198],"tags":[208,921,94,920],"class_list":["post-9791","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-department-of-psychology","category-faculty-of-humanities-social-sciences","category-international-students","category-placements","category-undergraduate","tag-placementlife","tag-psychology","tag-placements","tag-student-experience"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/students\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9791","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/students\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/students\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/students\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2023"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/students\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9791"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/students\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9791\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/students\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9791"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/students\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9791"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/students\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9791"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}