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Natalie Meek
The Charlie Waller Institute at The University of Reading provides training on behalf of NHS England to train therapists as part of Talking Therapies, previously Improving Access to Psychological Therapy (IAPT). So far over 10,500 therapists have been trained as part of this program nationally. High Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapists (CBT) complete a Postgraduate Diploma which includes both academic and clinical assessments. The measure of clinical competence utilised by most IAPT training courses is the Cognitive Therapy Scale – Revised (CTS-R) developed in 2001.
Several of the clinical competences can be challenging for neurodivergent trainees, such as time management, and interpersonal effectiveness, due to the nature of their neurodivergence. Within our training courses disabled students have higher rates of attrition and requiring resubmissions, but the reasons why have not been explored. This study would investigate the specific experiences of neurodivergent therapists and how they overcame challenges they experienced on the course, with particular focus on the CTS-R. This will help us better shape our training courses to ensure neurodivergent trainees have equitable access to success.
Having a diverse workforce is paramount, and the BABCP highlights disability, including neurodivergence, in their EDI statement. It is hoped that this study will contribute to attracting and retaining talented neurodiverse people. Currently, neurodiverse trainees are more likely than their peers to struggle during their training with The Charlie Waller Institute, current studies into this have highlighted meeting clinical competence is a large factor. By exploring the experiences of therapists who have completed their training we can better support future neurodivergent trainees.
You can take part in the study here: https://forms.office.com/e/GhAfgJQ9wX
Study end date: 1 November 2025