Preparing for the transition to DClin

Congratulations on securing a place on a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy) programme! As the excitement begins to settle, you may find yourself facing a wave of questions and uncertainty about what comes next. Should you start revising now? Brush up on psychological theories you’ve never used? Remind yourself what an ANOVA test is? It’s common to compare yourself to others — especially when classmates have PhDs or years of experience — and wonder if you’re truly prepared. If any of this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. In this post, three current trainees reflect on their own transition into training and share the insights and strategies that helped them manage this challenging but rewarding shift.

Appey Ogenyi 

What surprised you when you transitioned? 

I think the main thing I was surprised about was that while I didn’t know everything, I still felt ready for the transition. Working as an assistant psychologist, you learn certain models and ways of working which prepare you well for the role of a trainee clinical psychologist. When I first started training I thought I was going to be way out of my depth but most things in the first year do feel somewhat familiar and the difficult aspects are a chance to learn something new. 

What to expect when transitioning? 

I think expect to never have a long summer again. So enjoy it!!!! I’m happy that I took a break from psychology before I started the course because it does get very intense. I think also expect that others outside of psychology and the dclin may not fully grasp how intense it is. You do not have to prepare much before the course starts but I’d say expect things to pick up as soon as you start placement.

What are you top tips?

Honestly? Try and take a break before you start. Make sure that you have a good support network around you who encourage you to continue through the hard times. For me this was my friends, family and church. Lastly, I would say try and build relationships with other people on the course as you can support one another 

Jonathan Padi 

What surprised you when you transitioned?

The main surprise for me was the range of experience people had on the course and various professional backgrounds people came from. Though we were told that we don’t need to have lots of clinical experience to get on training. I still carried a sense of perfectionism throughout the process. This was challenged when I met a cohort of people who had experience and skills that I wasn’t as familiar with. It has allowed me to be more cognisant of my strengths and weaknesses.

What to expect when transitioning? 

I think people should expect to be challenged, not just academically. We are challenged personally, professionally, socially, with time management and much more. I don’t say this to make the course sound difficult, I just think it’s good to expect some part of your approach to things to be challenged and to be open to that.

What are your top tips to manage transition? 

I think a balance between humility and confidence in your experience are good ways to help with your transitions. When I think about transition, I also think about work life balance and how difficult this can be to manage in the first couple of months. I would suggest focusing on the more nourishing parts of your life and finding a way to embed them, with the plan of continuing them through your journey.

Kimberley Saddler

What surprised you when you transitioned? 

Even though DClinPsy training cohorts are still majority white, including my cohort, I was surprised that I still had a good amount of non-white trainees on my course, some of whom have become really close friends. In general, over the course of the 3yrs, I was surprised at how much of an impact the training had on both my mental and physical health even though I would have considered myself to have been relatively healthy pre-training.

What to expect When transitioning? 

Transitioning into training is major. It requires a lot of commitment, as well as mental and physical strength. These stressors in combination can leave you feeling drained and burntout at times. At the beginning of the transition you may also expect financial changes whether positive or negative.

What are your top tips to manage the transition? 

1. Support network - managing and negotiating new and existing relationships whilst on the course can be challenging. I found it helpful to communicate to my support network when I needed help and to know it’s okay to not be able to have the same capacity as before to maintain the same level of social life you may have had before getting onto the course. Keeping those who are importamt in your life is still important though and  finding ways to connect with them would help your wellbeing whilst being on the course. Whilst it is challenging, it may be normal to experience challenges in relationships and maybe even an ending of relationships you have had previously. If you are able, having a support network from people you meet on the course will be invaluable.

2. Managing your health - it may be too unrealistic to expect that you will be able to manage it well all the time because being a DClinPsy trainee is very stressful in many ways. If you are able to access therapy, definitely do this. For me personally - I started to communicate to others (family and friends outside of the course) that I am not a psychologist out of hours! This has really helped me be reduce stress levels as I’ve appreciated connecting with other parts of me such as singing, music, swimming, going out with friends and my faith.

3. Do not put pressure on yourself to be perfect - this is a hard one, especially given the high standards we are to reach in order to get onto the course in the first place but please try not to feel like you need to complete every form perfectly or that you need to know everything. There is a reason you are a trainee - to learn. Also there are 1,000+ forms to keep up with (placement forms, assignment forms, other uni forms) and you may find yourself struggling to keep up with them especially towards the end when you are focusing on your thesis!.

Final Thoughts: You’re Not Alone in This

Starting DClinPsy training can feel like jumping into the deep end—but as you've heard, you're not the only one paddling! Everyone worries about being “ready enough,” but the truth is, you’ll learn as you go.

Lean on your support network (yes, even if that means explaining for the hundredth time that you're not a therapist 24/7), take care of your wellbeing, and give yourself permission not to be perfect.

Expect challenges, expect growth, and most importantly, expect to surprise yourself. You've earned your place—now take a breath, take a break if you can, and trust that you’ve got what it takes.

You’ve got this!