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Specialist mental health training at King's: Your guide to commissioned programmes

Professor Cathy Fernandes & Cora Marr

School of Mental Health & Psychological Sciences (MHaPS) Education Lead; MHaPS Programme Manager

15 April 2025

Most people with an interest in psychology career pathways have heard of the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy), the King’s programme being one of the most prestigious and competitive training programmes in the UK. However, many don’t realise that this is part of a broader group of commissioned programmes. These are specialist educational courses funded by NHS England (NHSE) and designed to meet national workforce demands in healthcare and psychological therapies.

These programmes are developed in response to national priorities and designed to train the next generation of clinicians and practitioners in key areas of mental health and psychological therapies. Students on these courses follow a nationally dictated curriculum, complete nationally set assignments, and often benefit from funded clinical placements supported by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

At the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), we are proud to host ten commissioned programmes. The IoPPN has a history of excellence in psychology education, and our commissioned programmes provide a unique opportunity to train with some of the leading experts in the field. With fully funded places, national accreditation and exceptional career prospects, these programmes are a fantastic choice for those looking to advance their careers in mental health and psychological therapies and make an impact on mental health services across the UK.

Doctorate in Clinical Psychology

Our Doctorate in Clinical Psychology is one of the most prestigious and competitive programmes in the UK. Accredited by Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), British Psychological Society (BPS), British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) and Association for Family Therapy and Systemic Practice (AFT), this programme combines world-class training in psychological research and practice with hands-on clinical experience.

The course places a strong emphasis on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and family therapy approaches, with trainees encouraged to contribute to initiatives such as the Increasing Access Committee and Service User & Carer Steering Group. Trainees benefit from our long-standing partnerships with South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and other NHS Trusts within King’s Health Partners.

Training at the IoPPN provides unparalleled access to diverse clinical services and support to conduct high-quality research with translational impact for our clients.
The course provides excellent opportunities to learn from leaders in their field and to undertake placements with a diverse population with many national and specialist services.

Postgraduate Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapies (Adult IAPT)

This BABCP-accredited programme plays a key role in training therapists in Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services across the UK. With increasing demand for mental health services, this course is a vital part of the national strategy to improve mental health outcomes.

Students benefit from teaching by internationally recognised CBT experts, access to the latest research, and opportunities to learn about and evaluate cutting edge CBT. In November 2023, the programme successfully achieved five-year reaccreditation from the BABCP, with commendations for its flexibility, commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, and its high-quality training standards.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapies for Psychosis

King’s has a long-standing reputation for world-leading psychosis research, and has continued to be at the forefront of the development and evaluation of cognitive behavioural interventions for people with psychosis.

Developed in collaboration with South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, this programme follows the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines for psychological therapies in schizophrenia and psychosis. 

Teaching is delivered by leaders in psychosis research and clinical practice, so that our graduates are at the forefront of evidence-based CBT interventions and policy development.

Child and Young Peoples Psychological Trainings (CYP-PT)

The CYP-PT programmes at King’s train mental health professionals to work with children and young people experiencing psychological distress. With government policy aiming to improve access to mental health services, these programmes have played a key role in increasing the workforce available to support young people from 25 per cent in 2016 to 40 per cent in 2023.

The IoPPN offers multiple pathways, including:

743 Ioppn postcard 23
The new Pears Maudsley Centre is home to the King's Maudsley Partnership for Children and Young People.

These courses benefit from strong partnerships within the King’s Maudsley Partnership for Children and Young People as well as Kent NHS service providers, offering students access to specialist training placements and real-world experience. The programme works to meet a national gap on measuring whole school approach activities in schools. Programme leads actively contribute to national policy discussions, conferences and research projects, ensuring that these courses remain at the cutting edge of mental health education.

It was an excellent course, and it's really helped me in developing my specialism in clinical supervision. I'm now BABCP accredited as both supervisor and practitioner […] and involved in the supervision training programme within my Health Board and am hoping to influence local policy.

If you’re considering applying for one of our commissioned programmes, we encourage you to explore the options available and learn more about how King’s is shaping the future of mental health training.

Application deadlines

Programme

Application Deadline

Course Start Date

Children Wellbeing Practice

24 November 2025

19 January 2026

Education Mental Health Practice

24 November 2025

19 January 2026

CYP-PT Therapies

24 November 2025

19 January 2026

CYP-PT Senior Wellbeing Practice

24 November 2025

26 January 2026

CYP-PT Supervision

24 November 2025

23 January 2026

CYP-PT Services Leadership

24 November 2025

12 January 2026

Cognitive Behavioural Therapies (Adult IAPT)

27 April 2025

October 2025

Cognitive Behavioural Therapies for Psychosis

Details published October 2025

2 February 2026

Doctorate in Clinical Psychology

Closed for 2025/6 entries

1 October 2025

 

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Cathy Fernandes

Cathy Fernandes

Professor of Preclinical Models of Neurodevelopmental Disorders

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