Showing your authentic self in dclin interview
- Psychology Cap
- Apr 14, 2025
- 9 min read
In the midst of interview season – one of the final stages of the DClin application process – you might find yourself scrolling through social media, LinkedIn, and Google in search of advice on how to prepare for this anxiety-inducing stage. Before we share the insights and experiences of two current trainees on how they approached their interviews, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on what interviews really mean.
The interview is your chance to finally show who you are. Up until now, whether selection has been based solely on your application or through initial tests, the course hasn't had the opportunity to see you – not fully. They might have caught glimpses of your values through your written statements, but the interview allows you to bring more of your authentic self to the process.
Yes, there will be nerves, and yes, it’s normal to feel the pressure of being observed – that’s something everyone goes through. But try to remember: this is your opportunity to stand out, not just by repeating rehearsed answers, but by showing that you truly embody the values and qualities of someone who belongs in this field.
It’s also important to remember that while the course is assessing your fit for their programme, you’re also deciding if the course is right for you. Pay attention to how you feel during the interview – how you're treated, the responses you get when you ask questions, and the atmosphere created by the staff and trainees. You may feel like you have to accept any offer that comes your way, but this is a three-year commitment. Make sure it’s a place where you can grow into the psychologist you aspire to be.
If you’ve been invited to interview, it means the course team already sees potential in you – they want to learn more. Take time to reflect: Why do you want this role? What drives your passion for this career path? How have your experiences brought you here?
To help you with this next step, two current trainees have kindly shared their reflections, advice, and personal tips on how to approach the interview process while staying true to yourself.
Our first trainee echoed many of these pieces of advice, sharing how they specifically helped her to show her authentic self throughout her interview journey.
Tia Urgasova - Final year Trainee
For my first interview, I think I overprepared and also lost a sense of myself. In reality, I just didn't show my thinking or my true self. I also think the set-up was a bit like an exam. But I switched this up completely and stopped preparing for my second interview. Instead, I just focused on being my authentic self and showing what I'm proud of, and if I felt like anything was missing, I'd just say I look forward to learning about that on the course! So it wasn't my knowledge, but me as a person, that actually helped me get a place.
So to my mentees, I always say to have a think about 2 or 3 qualities that make you the person you are and the psychologist that you are. These may overlap, but when you get into the interview, you can then think about how you would answer based on those qualities—what is your why? What is important to you? A big part of the interview is for them to get to know you as a person and get an idea of the kind of psychologist you would be.
Also, have a think about aspects of your journey and experience that you're proud of and want to talk about. Perhaps there isn't a direct question on it, but how can you weave that in?
Otherwise, I would also recommend:
1. Reviewing the competencies of a clinical psychologist (e.g., assessment, formulation, intervention, evaluation, teaching, research etc.—I think there's 9 total), and have a case ready for each one of those. This can also overlap across the competencies.
2. Read up on recent research that interests you and how it's relevant to your work.
Our next trainee offers a detailed insight into his interview experience, along with practical advice on how to prepare while staying true to your authentic self.
Adam Khan
What did you think about when preparing for the interview?
A lot of emotions ran through me when I was preparing for my interview. I was anxious about whether or not I would do enough preparation, excited that I was offered an interview as it was really difficult to be offered an interview, scared that I would be rejected after the interview and I would never get on to the course, a tiny bit hopeful that this could be MY TIME and MY YEAR to get onto the doctorate and mostly overwhelmed by all the content I needed to cover before my interview and whether or not I would be able to retain all that information. The imposter syndrome definitely kicked in as I doubted whether I even deserved the interview in the first place and feared that the panel would eventually realise it was a mistake offering me an interview.
As you can see…ALOT of emotion and it needed to be channelled properly so I could prepare for the interview and look after myself during the preparation stage. I reminded myself that although I was getting closer to achieving my dream and I was so fortunate to be offered an interview, an interview is just an interview and a job is just a job and if it’s meant to be, then I will get a place on the course and If it’s not meant to be, something better will come my way.
During my preparations, I was working full time as an Assistant Psychologist, working full time so I needed to come up with a plan, so I was able to prep for my interview and also look after my wellbeing. Personally, I used to prep in the evenings for 1-2 hours during the weekdays and keep my weekends psychology-free. I didn’t want to overwhelm myself with so much Whatpsychology stuff and be burn out before the interview, so I made sure to look after myself and regularly gave myself evenings off during the week to do nothing.
When I received my interview offer, I began by watching various online videos on interview preparation, particularly those shared by previous trainees. This helped me identify key themes to focus on. However, I found myself becoming overwhelmed by the sheer volume of content, so I decided to step back from the videos. I created a clear list of topics to prepare for, which I’ve outlined below, and sought guidance from my clinical supervisor and colleagues to help structure my preparation.
How did you prepare for your interview?
This is a list of things I did which helped me prepare for the interview:
Clinical Experience:
Prepared 3 clinical case reflections:
One that went well.
One that went okay.
One that went poorly.
Reflected on: My role and how I was involved. Think about reason for referral, therapeutic alliance, any adaptations needed, how you assessed them, formulation, intervention, endings
Strengths and areas for improvement.
What I learned and what I would do differently.
Any situations regarding risk/safeguarding? What did I do and any reflection from those?
Supervision:
How have I used supervision in the past.
Any challenges/conflict that came up for me in supervision and how did I manage that?
MDT working
My experience of working in an MDT
The role of psychology within an MDT.
Formulations:
Revisited formulations I used in the past (e.g. CBT, 5P’s etc)
What I learned from using those formulations.
Research Experience:
Refreshed understanding of research methods and how to design/develop research projects.
Reflected on my own research experience:
What research experience do I have?
Key learning points.
Strengths and areas for improvement.
Theoretical Knowledge:
Picked 1–2 psychological theories to learn in depth and be able to apply it to clinical work.
Preparation Tools:
Searched for Clinical Psychology core competencies and Trainee Clinical psychologist job description and person specification from Clearing House:
collated evidence from my experience.
Reflected on gaps and considered how training could help develop those competencies.
Role Play:
If there is a role play element to your interview, I practiced role plays with my clinical supervisor and gathered feedback on what I performed well on and how I can improve.
Questions:
I regularly used the list of interview questions from https://www.clinpsy.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1765 , inputting them into a random list generator.
It would select a question at random, and I’d give myself a time limit to respond.
I didn’t aim to memorise perfect answers—instead, I used it as a way to practise thinking on my feet and structuring my responses under time pressure.
Mock Interviews:
Ask your supervisor and colleagues if they can give you a mock interview to help you prep. They can give you feedback on your responses; things you did well on/need to improve on.
Note: Don’t worry if you don’t have a lot of evidence—that’s exactly why you’re applying for training: to build and develop those competencies. You’re not expected to meet all the competencies at the interview stage; that’s what training is for. What matters most is the quality of your evidence, not the quantity, and the depth of reflection you can offer from the experiences you do have. I personally used the core competencies and the job description/person specification to help structure and make sense of my experiences as an Assistant Psychologist.
Understanding Key Values
Reviewed NHS values and specific values of the NHS Trust I received an interview from and how I applied them in the past.
Reviewed the 6Cs for compassionate care in the NHS.
Reflected on personal values vs Trust values, including how to manage conflicts in values in professional settings.
Familiarised myself with the NHS Constitution and NHS Long Term Plan and the role of psychology within that.
NOTE: Don’t force yourself to memorise the NHS Constitution or Long Term Plan—I definitely didn’t memorise them! Instead, I skimmed through them to get a general understanding of the NHS context and how it relates to clinical psychology.
Current & Professional Context
Researched current issues in Clinical Psychology which applies to my current role and how this could be applied to a wider psychological field.
Have an understanding of certain legislations such as the Mental Health Act (MHA) and other relevant acts applicable in clinical settings.
Consider wider global issues and explore how they relate to clinical psychology.
NOTE: Again, don’t force yourself to memories specific legislations but instead have an understanding of them and how they have played out in your role.
THE BIG QUESTION:
– Keep reminding yourself: “WHY CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY”. With so many roles in psychology—like PWP, CBT therapist, counselling psychologist, or health psychologist—it’s important to reflect on why you’re drawn to the role of a Clinical Psychologist. Understanding and articulating this clearly can really help motivate you to prep for the interview and excite you for all the things you can achieve when you are on training and when you become qualified and that passion will shine through during interview.
Note: These are some of the strategies I used to prepare for my interview, but other trainees may have prepared differently. Everyone’s preparation style can differ, and what works for one person might not work for another. I’m just sharing what helped me during my own preparation process. Ultimately, it's about finding what works best for you.
What would be an advice you have for being your best self in interview?
Beyond the “buzzwords" and job titles of Assistant Psychologist, Research Assistant, Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner etc, remember that you are a human being who genuinely wants to help other people get better. Your enthusiasm for training and passion for psychology and your ultimate goal of becoming a qualified clinical psychologist will naturally shine through. Focusing too much on memorising buzzwords and scripted responses can increase anxiety and create unnecessary pressure to remember everything. Instead, let your personality come through during the interview. You want to connect with the panel, not give robotic answers. Show them who you truly are and what drives you to pursue this career.
The day before my interview and the hours leading up to my interview, I did whatever I needed to do to look after myself. I prayed my salah, I went for a walk, I watched TV and just looked after myself. This is definitely easier said than done especially when you have so much anxiety running through but think about and plan what you can do to help you manage those anxieties, keep yourself relaxed and positive for the interview. Remember everyone deserves a place on the course and you have done incredibly well to get an interview so congratulations! After my interview, I talked to my supervisor about the interview and any reflections I had. It gave me a chance to get all my feelings and thoughts out so I can get on with the rest of my day and just switch my brain off and take a breathe.
If this year is not your year, this is not a reflection on you and your skills but instead you will get a place on the course when the time is right. I got onto training on my second application and in between my first and second year of applying, I was obviously so gutted for not getting on but I gained a lot of experience and learned so much about myself during that year and so it was a blessing in disguise being rejected the first time round and this helped me so much during my interviews.
GOOD LUCK!
If you need extra help on showing your authentic self in the dclin interview, check our digital reflective journal. We wish you the best in this season!
Digital Reflective Journal:
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