Recent reflections: our first few weeks as Trainee Psychologists at MAC-UK

Our two new trainees, Belle and Leah, reflect on what they’ve learned from their first few weeks on placement with us. 

Belle: So Leah, it's been about 3 weeks since we started our placement at MAC-UK. How do you feel about it? It's a very different way of working to what we're used to in the NHS!

Leah: Yes, I agree it’s very different to the placements I've been on so far in training, as well as my experiences before training. So far I'm really enjoying it. I feel like I'm learning a lot, so in some ways it feels a bit overwhelming, but I really welcome all of that learning and even the overwhelm! Because I feel like it's challenging me and stretching me in a way, learning all these new things. What about you?

Belle: Yeah. Yeah, I feel the same. Like, I definitely feel like I'm learning a lot, but also I feel like it's connecting me with my values. So in some ways, they’re things that I already knew but I’m learning about how to put them into practice. Like for example, the leadership style here is very different to the NHS - having a ‘flat hierarchy’ is something that you learn about being important for teams, but I've never really seen in practise. So that's where the learning comes in. I don't know if that's something you've noticed too?

Leah: Yeah, definitely. When I was reading some of the MAC-UK induction materials, I came across this word for it called ‘sociocracy’ - just to share an example, important decisions are shared within the team, so I think the other day in one of the meetings, somebody mentioned that they know someone who wants to do an internship at MAC-UK and instead of - maybe what would happen traditionally in an NHS setting - the team lead or the service manager making that decision, they agreed to decide as a whole team. My supervisor mentioned to me that that's typically the way they do things and they’d need a unanimous ‘yes’ from everyone before they implement important changes like that.

Belle: Yeah, I noticed that too. It relates to co-production, which again we learn about so much in our training as clinical psychologists. But to see it in action is really great. And I can see how that extends to the young people that we work with as well. So not just within the team, but this the team is an important place to build from.

Leah: Yeah, and they've just hired a youth consultant.

Belle: Oh yeah! The way that they employ young people into youth consultant roles - their voices are so valuable in the team. 

Leah: Yeah, I guess that's like true co-production, isn't it? They're kind of at the heart of the work and involved in all of the decisions and shaping the work.

Belle: Yeah, definitely. And I think it all boils down to really valuing relationships. That is at the heart of everything I've seen the team do so far. All the things we've spoken about make me feel really hopeful about a different way of approaching psychology. Especially when supporting excluded groups of young people. You can see how vital all of these things are for making really important changes.

Leah: Yeah, I've really got a sense of that from the first few weeks as well. What’s also come across to me is that the team really value humanness and authenticity, so conversations about who we are as people are really welcomed. I think contrasting that with some of my previous NHS experiences, whilst authenticity is valued, it feels like there's also this layer of professionalism where being human is welcomed, but only to a certain extent. Whereas, I feel here it's really genuine, even in the little things, like noticing how people feel comfortable coming to work in jeans or joggers. There's no pressure to come to work looking overly professional if that isn’t really your style.

Belle: Yeah. It's seen as being important to bring your true self to work - it enriches our learning. We must be reflective in order to do good work at MAC-UK. And it's strange that for psychologists this is so unique… such a unique experience for us. I don't think it should be that way and it makes me think about how if, as colleagues, we can't even be authentic with each other, how can we expect marginalised young people to be themselves around us and to feel like their voices can be heard?

Leah: Yeah, 100%. And that also makes me think of community psychology as a whole and how part of the approach is meeting young people where they're actually at. In our first few weeks we've been sharing office spaces with other charities and community groups and I think that really helps us to do that. Like, the other day I worked from Art Against Knives’ space and, whilst I was tucked away in the back office, the young people were around and it just felt like, yeah, this is what it’s about - being in the same space, hearing what’s going on, and being connected to the young people and community. That’s something I’m really excited about for the year ahead, what about you?

Belle: I’m really excited about that too! Just generally the idea of connection - with our colleagues, with young people, with communities, with other organisations… it seems so obvious! And so I’m looking forward to learning more about this approach to mental health and wellbeing.

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If you’d like to know more about how you can learn from us too, or how placements work, please drop us a line: info@mac-uk.org