HNC PSYCHOLOGISTS EXPERIENCE CLINICAL RESEARCH IN ACTION
19.01.2026HNC’s A Level and Applied Psychology students have recently welcomed Emily Watson, a trainee Clinical Psychologist currently undertaking a PHD at Sheffield University, enjoying a guest lecture and taking part in a research project exploring paranoid thinking in young people.
Students studying A Level and Applied Psychology explore research methods and ethics as part of their course, undertaking their own research for a number of projects. The groups recently enjoyed a guest lecture from PHD student, Emily, who is currently undertaking a large scale research project with a number of colleges and schools from across the region, exploring the prevalence of paranoid thinking in young people. This is an area of psychology that is chronically under researched, meaning that there can be barriers for young people seeking appropriate treatment or mental health provision for paranoia.
On the day, the groups heard more about life as a Clinical Psychologist, the routes to qualification, and how a degree in Psychology can support those who have ambitions to progress to a similar role. Each student who participated in the lecture was also invited to complete a study as part of her research into paranoia. The anonymous data will be collated and form part of Emily’s PHD thesis, which will be shared with the groups once an outcome has been determined.
Rebecca Charlton, Student Wellbeing Manager who organised the sessions, shares more “It was fantastic to welcome Emily to HNC to hear about her route to Clinical Psychology, her PHD studies, and how our students who have ambitions to follow a similar path can achieve their dream next steps. It was also fascinating to take part in Emily’s study, and for our students to see how clinical research takes place in a real-world scenario, and how important it is to undertake research like this is in an ethical manner. This links directly with a number of topics studies across both A Level and Applied Psychology, and has provided the groups with an in-depth understanding of research methodology. Thank you to Emily for joining us – we can’t wait to hear the outcome of your study!”
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