Podnotes
Why Podnotes? In clinical practice, notes are how we make sense of what we hear — turning conversation into insight and insight into action. Podnotes work the same way. Part VisPod, part educational resource. A conversation designed to leave you with something you can actually use.
So You Want To Be A Psychologist
This is our first Podnotes series. It will not be our last.
Almost 6,000 people applied for 1,179 NHS-funded doctorate places in 2025. Over 100 applicants for a single assistant psychologist post is not exceptional — it is normal. University tutors give you the official version. Career services send you generic advice. Online forums give you anxious speculation.
This series gives you something different.
Five free episodes covering everything your university tutor didn't tell you — the realities of this rewarding but competitive path, from A-levels to qualified. Most advice focuses on what to know. This series focuses on how to be — which, in our experience, matters more.
No paywall. No gatekeeping. Free to watch and listen on Substack and YouTube, or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music.
Everything in the free VisPod series:
All five episodes — watch on Substack and YouTube, or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music
Scripts from all five episodes — attached to your free access confirmation email
Episode descriptions
Direct access to Dr Anindita and Zara via Substack community chat — ask your questions, we read everything
New episodes every Tuesday from 5th May through to 2nd June 2026
Free subscription to An Affiniti for Psychology monthly newsletter when you provide your email
Watch the trailer
What the series covers:
→ How to build experience that actually counts — and what interviewers are really looking for
→ How to tailor a CV when you are competing with 100+ others for one post
→ What a clinical psychology doctorate actually involves — not the prospectus version
→ How to handle rejection without it destroying your sense of agency
→ Whether this career is worth the competition, the years and the emotional investment — an honest answer after 26 years
Episodes: Five episodes. One a week from 5th May 2026.
Episode 1 trailer
Preview — 60 seconds
Episode 1 — Why Clinical Psychology? · Tuesday 5th May
Most people who want to be clinical psychologists don't fully understand what the role involves until they are already years into trying to get there. This episode fixes that. Dr Anindita and Zara discuss what drew them to the field, what the profession actually involves, and what aspiring psychologists need to understand before they invest years in this path.
Episode 2 trailer
Preview — 60 seconds
Episode 2 — The Role and the Path
Clinical psychologist. Psychotherapist. Psychiatrist. Counselling psychologist. Most people use these terms interchangeably. They are not the same — and confusing them can cost years of experience in the wrong direction. This episode clarifies the differences and answers the questions nobody tells you early enough.
Episode 3 trailer
Preview — 60 seconds
Episode 3 — The Doctorate Reality
The prospectus version of a clinical psychology doctorate sounds manageable. The reality is different. This episode goes beyond the prospectus — what training actually involves, what a viva is really like, and what you need to do before you apply.
Episode 4 trailer
Preview — 60 seconds
Episode 4 — Standing Out in a Brutal Market
Over 100 applicants for one assistant psychologist post. That is not exceptional. That is normal. This episode covers what you actually do about it — CVs, interviews, rejection and the application mistakes most candidates make without realising.
Episode 4 trailer
Preview — 60 seconds
Episode 5 — The Career Beyond
You have qualified. Now what? This final episode looks at what clinical psychology actually looks like from the inside — NHS versus private practice, the long-term impact, leadership, and the emerging questions around AI and the profession's future. And the question the whole series has been building toward: is this worth it?
Who it is for:
→ A-level students wondering whether psychology is worth seven years of training
→ Psychology undergraduates beginning to understand what the path actually involves
→ Graduates navigating the competition for assistant psychologist roles
→ Assistant psychologists preparing for doctorate applications
→ Career changers looking for a realistic picture of what clinical psychology involves
→ International students navigating UK clinical psychology pathways
Want to go further?
The free series is the starting point. For the resource pack:
Everything most applicants spend months piecing together — in one place, for £10.
→ Assistant psychologist application checklist
→ CV template built for clinical psychology roles
→ DClinPsy application timeline — A-levels to qualified
→ Clinical psychology interviews: how to be, not what to know
→ Additional reading to deepen your understanding of the pathway
Immediate access. Yours to keep.
For personalised support:
CV review by a consultant
clinical psychologist
Mock
interview
Career strategy
session
Big ideas, real impact
Full application package — CV review, mock interview, personal statement review and career strategy session
Hosted by
Dr Anindita Sarkar — Consultant Clinical Psychologist, 26 years' experience, former NHS Head of Clinical Services, doctorate supervisor and founder of Affiniti+.
Zara Tandy — Assistant Psychologist at Affiniti+, 2025 Master's graduate, who was one of 104 applicants for her current role and got it.
Watch & Listen on
Listen on:
→ Apple Podcasts — search 'So You Want To Be A Psychologist'
→ Spotify — search 'So You Want To Be A Psychologist'
→ Amazon Music — search 'So You Want To Be A Psychologist'
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