Psychology
Psychology with a clinical and mental health focus is a degree that combines the scientific study of behaviour and mental processes with a particular orientation towards the understanding, assessment, and support of psychological difficulties. It is grounded in the recognition that psychological knowledge matters most when it can be applied to help people navigate the challenges of mental health and emotional wellbeing, and it prepares students for careers in clinical and applied psychology as well as for further professional training.
At Teesside University this three-year, full-time programme develops the skills needed to read and evaluate psychological information, theories, and research papers, building your capacity for critical thinking alongside your substantive knowledge of the field. You will examine common cognitive biases and the errors people make when assessing arguments and evaluating evidence, learning to think more rigorously about the quality of claims in psychology and in everyday life. The clinical and mental health strand introduces you to the main psychological approaches to understanding mental health difficulties, including cognitive-behavioural, psychodynamic, and humanistic perspectives, alongside the research evidence that informs clinical practice.
Graduates of psychology with a clinical and mental health focus are well placed for careers in mental health services, healthcare, social work, counselling, education, and the many roles in public and third-sector organisations where psychological understanding is directly relevant. The British Psychological Society graduate basis for chartered membership, where offered, provides the foundation for postgraduate training in clinical, counselling, health, forensic, or educational psychology. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study to qualify as psychologists or as therapists, and some move into research, policy, or management roles in mental health and healthcare organisations.
The analytical and interpersonal skills the degree develops are also valued across a wide range of careers outside the clinical field.