Episode 5: An Interview with Dr Mandie George, Clinical Psychologist: How does being a parent trainee affect experiences of a CAMHS placement‪?‬ Life In the Labyrinth

Dr Mandie George, Clinical Psychologist, met with us last month to share her own experiences of starting DClinPsy training with a young baby and also shares her findings from her Thesis; a qualitative IPA study that explored how being a parent can impact trainee’s experience of a CAMHS placement. She shares her findings (that having children and not having children) both play a really important role in participants’ experiences of CAMHS placements. Mandie also reflects on the importance of trainees knowing their own position and knowing their vulnerabilities. She highlights the importance of finding connections with people who can support a process of reflection on both personal and professional impacts of clinical training, particularly when things feel difficult. Mandie shares her wisdom, that we all have the shared experience of being human beings and that inevitably will lead some of our experiences to overlap with the experiences of our clients. We talk to Mandie to find out what tips she would give her trainee self, if she could go back in time and do it all over again!