High Intensity Therapist

Job summary

The Durham & Darlington NHS Talking Therapy Service is a joint venture involving TEWV, Mental Health Matters and Sunderland Counselling Service.

The teams consist of High Intensity Therapists, PWPs and Counsellors as well as our Employment Team and the opportunity has arisen for enthusiastic and dedicated High Intensity Worker to join our team to cover maternity leave on a 6 months fixed term contract

Are you a qualified High Intensity Therapist (CBT) who wants to be valued and welcomed into a supportive, dynamic and expanding team? Are you passionate about delivering high intensity interventions in line with the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies initiative?

You will be an accredited CBT therapist and have completed the Post Graduate Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapist, or recently qualified and be working towards accreditation in order to apply. Anyone without this qualification will not be considered for interview.

Our High Intensity Workers benefit from hybrid working, providing face-to-face sessions with patients whilst in base and remote sessions when working from home. Applicants should be committed to offering face-to-face work in Durham and Darlington area

Main duties of the job

As a High Intensity Therapist you will be working with clients who have a range of anxiety and depression related problems for which CBT is demonstrated to be clinically effective. You will hold a caseload for individual work (face-to-face and remotely delivered), amongst other duties. We welcome applicants who have experience of managing a caseload and who have experience of working within a NHS Talking Therapy Service.

You will be expected to be flexible and provide out of hours clinics as required by service need and demonstrate a willingness to travel. Durham and Darlington NHS Talking Therapy Service currently operates Monday- Friday covering some early morning/early evening working through 1:1 clinics which all staff are expected to offer.

About us

We are the Mental Health & Learning Disability NHS Trust for County Durham and Darlington, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York and Selby.

From education and prevention, to crisis and specialist care --our talented and compassionate teams work in partnership with our patients, communities and partners to help the people of our region feel safe, understood, believed in and cared for.

We nurture the recovery journey of anyone in need of our help. In Our Trust, everyone has a say in how they are supported and treated because we listen to every person in our care until they feel understood. Our patients, their families and carers work together with us towards better mental health.

We're committed to new thinking that improves the wellbeing of our region. We connect with our communities and partners to get mental health care right, in areas that really need it.

We won't rest until everyone in our region has the mental health care they need, to lead their best possible life.

Details

Date posted

11 November 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year (pro rata) per annum

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

6 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

346-DDA-160-25-A

Job locations

Various sites across Durham and Darlington

Durham

DH1 5RD

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description for further detailed information regarding the role and main responsibilities.

The team can be contacted on:

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Qualification from High Intensity IAPT Course (Postgraduate Diploma) or other CBT postgraduate course OR holds a recorded doctoral level qualification in clinical psychology, a recorded/registered qualification in one of - nursing, social work, occupational therapy plus further post graduate qualification in CBT Significant experience working as a psychological therapy practitioner and demonstrating the competences as required. Accredited by BABCP for the provision of CBT therapy (or working towards accreditation if within one year of qualifying)

Desirable

Understanding of other psychological therapies . EMDR, IPT, DIT Trained in provision of supervision for CBT

Experience

Essential

Experience of working in mental health services Ability to meet agreed/specified service targets Ability to manage own caseload and time in a climate of high performance targets Demonstrates an understanding of anxiety and depression and how it may present in Primary Care setting Knowledge of psychological, social and biological models of depression and anxiety Demonstrates a knowledge of the issues surrounding work and the impact it can have on mental health/ benefits and employment systems Knowledge of medication used in anxiety and depression and other common mental health problems Demonstrates an understanding for the need to use evidence based psychological therapies and how it relates to this post Basic understanding of service contracts and performance targets and of the importance of recording activity

Desirable

Experience of working in Primary Care or Talking Therapies Services treating anxiety and depression Experience of providing line management to clinical staff Worked in a service where agreed targets in place demonstrating clinical outcomes

Skills and Competencies

Essential

Full range of skills and competencies as laid out in the competence framework for CBT (Roth and Pilling 2007) Computer literate Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS Has received training (either formal or through experience) and carried out risk assessments within scope of practice Good understanding of issues surrounding clinical risk and risk management plans Able to develop good therapeutic relationships with clients

Personal Attributes

Essential

Able to work in accordance with the Staff Compact and Trust Values and Behaviours High levels of enthusiasm and motivation The ability and skills to act as an advocate for the service, to engage and promote 8 integration The ability to work under pressure in achievement of required clinical contacts and targets. Committed to continual quality and service improvement Self-aware and committed to continual professional and personal development. Able to accept and respond positively to feedback from supervision Committed to promoting a positive image of people with mental health conditions and learning disabilities Committed to promoting a positive image of the IAPT Service and the wider Trust

Other Requirements

Essential

Ability to travel independently in accordance with Trust policies and service need