CAMHS psychologist starts new chapter as published author

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A clinical psychologist with the Trust’s child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) in Calderdale has become a published author.

Clinical psychologist and author James Randall

James Randall’s first book, Surviving Clinical Psychology: Navigating Personal, Professional and Political Selves on the Journey to Qualification, looks at how professionals make sense of personal experiences as practitioners.

James has represented aspiring psychologists for four years as the co-chairman of the Pre-Qualification Group within the British Psychological Society. His book is aimed at people early on in their career looking to reflect on a range of topical issues in clinical psychology in order to enrich their practice.

James, who spent around two years writing the book, explained: “The book focuses on something I feel really passionate about within our profession. I learnt there were a lot of pre-conceived ideas about what and how a clinical psychologist should be and think. I’d also hosted a few seminars and heard through many of these events that the route to becoming a clinical psychologist is very difficult.

“People felt they had to conform to a certain identity or follow a certain ideology in order to get on. They felt they had to fit a certain type of mould just to get onto training, whilst also looking like everyone else, sounding like everyone else and believe in the same things like everyone else. The book champions difference, diversity and more broadly, social justice.

“I wanted to write a book about how you can enrich your journey while training to be a clinical psychologist by embracing yourself and your own unique identity.”

The book is published by Routledge and is available on their website.

CAMHS psychologist starts new chapter as published author

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