The Aspiring Psychologist Podcast

In this episode of The Aspiring Psychologist Podcast, we explore the realities of clinical psychology training beyond getting onto the course. I’m joined by final-year trainee clinical psychologist Taniya Welmillage, and together we discuss placements, supervision, competency pressure, imposter syndrome, wellbeing, leadership, and how life continues alongside training. We explore constant moving, team cultures, long commutes, therapy for trainees, and how trainees decide what is non-negotiable for their mental health. This episode is ideal for aspiring psychologists, trainee clinical psychologists, and anyone wanting a realistic, compassionate insight into training.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Why getting onto training isn’t the whole story
01:25 – Constant change, placements, and adjustment fatigue
03:16 – Being called “the trainee” vs being seen as a person
04:39 – Team cultures, safety, and belonging
06:14 – Buildings, resources, and how environments shape experience
08:53 – Juggling competencies, learning, and performance pressure
10:05 – Authenticity vs ticking boxes on placement
11:46 – Relocation, commuting, and the hidden toll of training
14:10 – Flexi working, boundaries, and protecting wellbeing
15:52 – The importance of trainee friendships and support
18:33 – Life milestones during training
20:51 – Reducing the “shoulds” and living your life alongside training
26:38 – Therapy for trainees: is it useful and accessible?
31:07 – Absorbing what’s useful and becoming your own psychologist

Links:
📲 Connect with Taniya: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taniya-w-8a010a169/
🫶 To support me by donating to help cover my costs for the free resources I provide click here: https://the-aspiring-psychologist.captivate.fm/support
📚 To check out The Clinical Psychologist Collective Book: https://amzn.to/3jOplx0
📖 To check out The Aspiring Psychologist Collective Book: https://amzn.to/3CP2N97
💡 To check out or join the aspiring psychologist membership for just £30 per month head to: https://www.goodthinkingpsychology.co.uk/membership-interested
🖥️ Check out my brand new short courses for aspiring psychologists and mental health professionals here: https://www.goodthinkingpsychology.co.uk/short-courses
✍️ Get your Supervision Shaping Tool now:

In this episode of The Aspiring Psychologist Podcast, we explore why LinkedIn matters for psychologists, even if social media feels uncomfortable or intimidating. I’m joined by Shirin Yazdian, and together we discuss visibility, authenticity, neurodiversity, advocacy, and the fear of getting things wrong online. We explore how LinkedIn can support aspiring and early-career psychologists through networking, learning, conferences, volunteering, Master’s applications, and professional development, while also addressing boundaries, professionalism, and digital footprints. This episode is ideal for aspiring psychologists, psychology students, early-career clinicians, and anyone curious about using LinkedIn in a way that feels safe, ethical, and genuinely human.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Why many psychologists avoid LinkedIn and why that might be a mistake
01:05 – Early assumptions about LinkedIn and what changed
01:42 – Humanising LinkedIn: being yourself first, professional second
03:28 – Getting past the “cringe” of first posts and fear of visibility
04:30 – Why LinkedIn can feel safer than other social platforms
05:59 – Turning online connections into real-world opportunities
08:17 – Providing value through curiosity, comments, and sharing resources
09:14 – Finding courses, talks, and opportunities via LinkedIn
11:19 – TEDx opportunities, imposter syndrome, and self-doubt
13:38 – Practical tips for optimising your LinkedIn profile
15:26 – Advocacy, values, and building a personal brand
17:14 – Neurodiversity, authenticity, and choosing aligned workplaces
21:44 – Being a person first, psychologist second
26:50 – Final reflections and encouragement to engage

Links:
📲 Connect with Shirin here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shirin-yazdian-neurodivergent-speaker/
🫶 To support me by donating to help cover my costs for the free resources I provide click here: https://the-aspiring-psychologist.captivate.fm/support
📚 To check out The Clinical Psychologist Collective Book: https://amzn.to/3jOplx0
📖 To check out The Aspiring Psychologist Collective Book: https://amzn.to/3CP2N97
💡 To check out or join the aspiring psychologist membership for just £30 per month head to: https://www.goodthinkingpsychology.co.uk/membership-interested
🖥️ Check out my brand new short courses...

In this episode of The Aspiring Psychologist Podcast, we explore the psychology of raising boys in today’s cultural climate. I’m joined by clinical psychologist Dr Matt Slavin, and together we discuss masculinity, misogyny, adolescence, identity, belonging, and emotional development. We explore why polarising narratives about manhood can feel so compelling, how fear and shame shape behaviour, and what parents, clinicians, and educators can do to support boys to grow into emotionally strong, compassionate men. We discuss attachment, aggression, peer influence, incel culture, parenting, sport, curiosity in therapy, and how to respond to challenging views without judgement. This episode is relevant for aspiring and qualified psychologists, parents, educators, and anyone interested in mental health, masculinity, and developmental psychology.
Links:
📲 Connect with Dr Matt Slavin: https://www.instagram.com/drmattslavin/
Check out Dr Matt's websites: http://www.drmattslavin.com/ https://getmentaladvantage.com/
🫶 To support me by donating to help cover my costs for the free resources I provide click here: https://the-aspiring-psychologist.captivate.fm/support
📚 To check out The Clinical Psychologist Collective Book: https://amzn.to/3jOplx0
📖 To check out The Aspiring Psychologist Collective Book: https://amzn.to/3CP2N97
💡 To check out or join the aspiring psychologist membership for just £30 per month head to: https://www.goodthinkingpsychology.co.uk/membership-interested
🖥️ Check out my brand new short courses for aspiring psychologists and mental health professionals here: https://www.goodthinkingpsychology.co.uk/short-courses
✍️ Get your Supervision Shaping Tool now: https://www.goodthinkingpsychology.co.uk/supervision
📱Connect socially with Marianne and check out ways to work with her, including the Aspiring Psychologist Book, Clinical Psychologist book and The Aspiring Psychologist Membership on her Link tree: https://linktr.ee/drmariannetrent
💬 To join my free Facebook group and discuss your thoughts on this episode and more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/aspiringpsychologistcommunity
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In this episode of The Aspiring Psychologist Podcast, we explore why modern life feels so overwhelming through the lens of evolutionary psychology and neuroscience. I’m joined by clinical psychologist Dr Matt Slavin, and together we discuss how our brains are still wired for survival in an ancient world, not the constant demands, uncertainty, and stimulation of modern society. We explore anxiety, negativity bias, rumination, avoidance, the impact of technology and news, lessons from the pandemic, parenting conversations about death, and how understanding our “ancient brain” can reduce shame and increase compassion. This episode is ideal for aspiring and qualified psychologists, therapists, and anyone interested in mental health, wellbeing, and why distress is a deeply human response rather than a personal failure.
Timestamps
00:00 – Why our brains are ancient and modern life feels so hard
01:08 – We discuss why understanding our evolutionary wiring really matters
02:10 – Ancient survival drives and why they clash with modern expectations
03:05 – Avoiding discomfort, uncertainty, and why that blocks the life we want
05:29 – Maslow, privilege, and how self-actualisation is a modern luxury
06:52 – Why our neurobiology hasn’t caught up with modern society
08:03 – Negativity bias and why our brains are wired to spot danger first
09:56 – Rumination, worry, and the exhaustion of a threat-focused mind
12:02 – Loss, mortality, and how ancient humans related differently to suffering
13:36 – News, technology, and constant activation of our threat systems
16:11 – The pandemic as a leveller between clinicians and the people we serve
19:42 – Functional contextualism and why behaviour makes sense in context
21:22 – Nature-based practice and meeting clients as humans, not hierarchies
23:18 – Legacy, meaning, parenting, and what we want to leave behind
27:03 – Shame, compassion, and understanding survival strategies in mental health
29:51 – Self-awareness, skills, and what really helps people live well

Links:
📲 Connect with Dr Matt Slavin: https://www.instagram.com/drmattslavin/
Check out Dr Matt's websites: http://www.drmattslavin.com/ https://getmentaladvantage.com/
🫶 To support me by donating to help cover my costs for the free resources I provide click here:

In this episode of The Aspiring Psychologist Podcast, we explore how travelling can genuinely make you a better psychologist by building empathy, perspective, flexibility and emotional intelligence in ways that classrooms cannot. I speak with Ben, an aspiring psychologist currently travelling in Chile, about backpacking across Canada and South America, using Workaway to combine voluntary work with travel, and taking on a remote research role while on the road. We discuss letting go of rigid timelines to qualification, managing internal pressure, funding trips on a shoestring, the role of privilege and safety nets, and how uncomfortable journeys can become powerful stories and sources of resilience. I also share my own experiences of extended travel after my undergraduate degree, shorter UK breaks during clinical training, and how nature, awe and time away from traditional routes can support aspiring and qualified psychologists to live in line with their values and return to their careers more grounded and reflective.
Highlights
00:00 – Why travelling can shape you as a psychologist as much as formal training
00:51 – I introduce Ben, an aspiring psychologist currently travelling in Chile
01:34 – We discuss releasing the pressure to qualify quickly and follow rigid timelines
02:31 – Ben on career expectations, presence and learning to slow down
05:27 – Finding relevant psychology experience while travelling, including Workaway
08:02 – My own six-month trip around the world and how I funded it
10:35 – Coming home with £20 and jumping straight into work and training
13:02 – Standout travel memories and how uncomfortable journeys build resilience
17:19 – Sleeper trains, ferries and why challenging travel experiences matter
18:13 – Travel doesn’t need to be expensive or international to be meaningful
22:00 – We reflect on privilege, safety nets and the ability to take time out
24:18 – How family support, grief and life experiences shape perspective
26:01 – Travel as exposure therapy and confidence building
29:20 – Nature, awe and using time away to support mental health
33:22 – Leaving space for uncertainty and choosing your own career timeline

Links:
🫶 To support me by donating to help cover my costs for the free resources I provide click here: https://the-aspiring-psychologist.captivate.fm/support
📚 To check out The Clinical Psychologist Collective Book: https://amzn.to/3jOplx0
📖 To check out The Aspiring Psychologist Collective Book: https://amzn.to/3CP2N97
💡 To check out or join the aspiring psychologist membership for just £30 per month head to: https://www.goodthinkingpsychology.co.uk/membership-interested
🖥️ Check out my brand new short courses for aspiring psychologists and mental health professionals here: https://www.goodthinkingpsychology.co.uk/short-courses
✍️ Get your Supervision Shaping Tool now: https://www.goodthinkingpsychology.co.uk/supervision
📱Connect socially with Marianne and check out ways to work with her, including the Aspiring Psychologist Book, Clinical Psychologist book and The Aspiring Psychologist Membership on her Link tree: