ClinPsy: Dr Miriam Silver
UK
Bio: I'm a Consultant Clinical Psychologist working in the UK. After 17 years in the NHS I left in 2011 and set up my own company. We have subsequently taken on the challenge of introducing tools to help parents, carers and profesisonals identify track and support the psychological needs of children (see http://www.BERRI.org.uk). We hope that regular use of outcome measurement can improve the quality of services and the life chances of children who are neurodivergent and/or have experienced adversity. I have written a book called 'Child Trauma and Attachment in Common Sense and Doodles' published by JKP, which tries to make current scientific and therapeutic knowledge about attachment and chronic developmental trauma accessible for adoptive and foster parents, residential care staff, professionals and anyone who wants to know more about this topic. I'm a Senior Research Fellow at UCL/Anna Freud Centre, but have collaborated and supervised research in many other universities (Birmingham, Sheffield Hallam, Canterbury Christ Church). My research predominantly relates to BERRI and children in care. I train health, social care, legal and other professionals about attachment and the impact of abuse, trauma and poor early care. Over 1000 people have attended my two-day training for residential care staff, and I’ve trained hundreds of adoptive and foster parents to "manage behaviour with attachment in mind”, as well as training other professionals to deliver this content as a group program. I’ve also done a number of keynotes, workshops and plenaries at conferences. In my spare time, I run http://www.clinpsy.org.uk/forum which is an internet site and forum for aspiring and practising clinical psychologists. I use the same name on social media to comment on psychology, politics and other topics. I have also done a lot of expert witness work for the family courts sat on various committees and been involved in lots of policy work. However, I am trying to reduce this element of my work to focus on doing more research, training and consultancy. I have been experimenting with blogging and social media as means to disseminate psychological thinking.
ClinPsyEye 
Hi Mavis,
How do we sign up for email alerts to this blog?
Thanks,
JN
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You can click follow to be informed of future posts. BTW, my name is Miriam 😀
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Hiya, I am a recent psychology graduate looking for posts as an assistant psychologist. There are quite a few in which I meet the person specification. However, I am struggling to form answers for the application forms and what kind of information I should include along with the layout. Would it be possible for you to advise me or guide me? Thank you
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I don’t offer personal coaching or careers advice, but you can get a lot of information from clinpsy.org.uk/forum
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I recently wrote a blog on this topic too: https://clinpsyeye.blog/2019/04/11/how-not-to-apply-for-a-job-in-psychology/
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As someone considering a change of career direction towards clinics or counselling psychology, I wanted to say a huge ‘THANK YOU!!’ For the blog content as well as the clinpsych website. Both have been invaluable resources for me.
Also, I really appreciate the way you bring your personal politics into your professional work and writing. It’s refreshing, and inspiring (I guess more so because I’m camped out over here on the left with you!).
All the best!
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Hi there!
Saw your comment from 2008 regarding correlation coefficients and chi squared on http://www.clinpsy.org.uk, it really cleared up the subject for me! Thanks for being such a gem in 2008
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Hello Miriam
I love your ClinPsy website, I am an undergraduate in psychology and in my final month of the third year. I was reading your forum on Formulation for an assignment can I please access to the example you have for a clinical formulation.
Thank you
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Its on the forum wiki, and you can use it so long as you give appropriate credit to me/clinpsy as the source.
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Thank you Miriam,
Yes of course the appropriate credit will be given.
I can not access it from the wiki I did try, the diagram will not open.
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It looks like when we moved server the link was disconnected. I’ll ask the IT team to fix this tomorrow.
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Done.
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Thank you, Miriam.
Much appreciated.
mahj
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Hello Miriam 🙂 My name is Snigdha and I am an international student currently giving interviews for the DClinPsy. I have been following the posts on clinpsy.org and find some of them truly helpful. However, I am still a bit removed from the UK context of Clinical Psychology and am finding it difficult to practice my interview skills with reference to what the courses are looking for. Could I kindly ask you to help me out with a mock interview, maybe? I do realise that you might be very busy, especially at a time like this, but any help would be immensely appreciated!
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Hello Miriam 🙂 My name is Snigdha and I am an international student currently giving interviews for the DClinPsy program. I have found clinpsy.org very helpful in prepping for interviews and some things to look out for. However, I am still a bit removed from the UK context of Clinical Psychology and am struggling to understand the specifics of what the courses are looking for (in terms of NHS policies and theoretical underpinnings in answers). Would it be possible for you to kindly help me out with a mock interview, please? I do realise that you might be very busy, especially in these difficult times, but any help would be immensely appreciated!
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Sorry, there are 8000+ members of clinpsy and only one of me. I only communicate with aspiring psychologists through the forum and don’t offer any personal coaching to individuals.
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Hi Miriam, I hope all is well. I’ve seen on the ClinPsy forum you have offered to take a peek at applications for the DClinPsy if one makes a donation. I’m unsure if this is still something you offer but I was recently rejected from the DClinPsy programs I applied to and wasn’t able to access any feedback. While I see that you do not offer direct support for students, I figured I’d reach out and see if you had the time/capacity (fingers crossed) to maybe take a peak at my rejected application and provide even the most general insight? I really appreciate your time and consideration in this matter and totally understand if this is not an option at this time. With care, Jordan
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Sorry, this blog hasn’t been something I’ve updated in more than a year so I missed this. But drop me a message via the forum if you still want me to take a look.
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Hello,
I am currently doing a psychology conversion course at the university of Surrey. I am aspiring clinical psychologist.
I come from a non traditional route, my degree was in acting. I decided to change career.
Is it possible to get accepted into a doctorate programme with a conversion degree. Also, whilst I do my degree I am looking to volunteer to gain some experience. What volunteering would you recommend?
I am prepared for the long journey and I can understand that it might takes years before I am accepted. Do you roughly know how many years I can expect to strive before I am accepted?
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Sorry, I don’t give individual careers advice, but you could post on http://www.clinpsy.org.uk
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Hi Miriam, Following up from the dclin pay forum. Do you continue to offer services reviewing DClin psy applications?
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I advertise when I do this and how you can request a reiew on http://www.clinpsy.org.uk
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