James McMillan completed his BSc (honours) Psychology degree at Sheffield Hallam University and now he is working as an assistant psychologist.  

Why did you choose to study BSc Psychology at Sheffield Hallam?  

I studied Psychology A-Level, as well as biology and sociology. Psychology just clicked with me from the beginning (although statistics took a while!), I found it fascinating, and it was a subject I genuinely enjoyed learning about. I loved the ability it gave me to understand how so many people behave or feel the way they do. I realised how predictable humans can be if you look at their history or neurology and I found this very interesting. I had visited Sheffield a few times, and fell in love with the city, I liked the music scene, the nightlife and countryside, and thought the balance was great, so Sheffield Hallam it was!
 
What did you enjoy most about the course?  
 
The breadth of study you receive, from human sexual behaviour to occupational psychology, or social and affective neuroscience to animal psychology. Particularly I enjoyed the modules which have set me up for where I wanted to be in the future, and perhaps where I am gearing up towards now, modules like clinical psychology or counselling, they have really helped. The teaching across all my modules was great. 

What do you enjoy about student life in Sheffield?  
 
It feels like a huge community, and that everyone knows each other through one or two people; especially post-halls where often you end up in places like ecclesall road or london road, where almost every person that lives nearby is a student. Sheffield seems to thrive off the students and the students thrive off the city. SHU-wise, the amount of extra-curricular activities is fantastic, both courses related (peer advisors) or not (societies). 
 
What facilities and equipment did you access on your course? How did this enhance your learning?  
 
The library was my safe space, particularly in third year, mid-pandemic. I found it hard working at home, but when I was in the library, with some snacks I could work for hours, everyone’s there for the same reason. The staff at the technical resources desk are amazing, everyone knows they go above and beyond, particularly in your third year, supporting your research. There are the labs, which are really useful if you get hands on experience with them which many do, however I have only recently began using them on my MSc, such as the eye-tracker.  
 
What do you do in your role as an assistant psychologist?  

I work on a mixed inpatient ward with older adults who struggle with mental health issues. This means I work with functional (depression, anxiety, personality disorders etc.) and organic (dementia, delirium etc.) patients. The role is extremely varied, and no two days are the same. I am involved in assessing the patients’ needs and situation and together with my colleagues we work out how best to devise an intervention for recovery. 

I run therapeutic group sessions such as a compassion focused therapy inspired ‘feeling safer’ group, psychoeducation groups and a mindfulness group I facilitate alongside physios; of course, this is alongside a lot of 1:1 work with patients. 

To support the care of organic patients or those whose presentation suggests a dementia, I am involved in conducting neuro-psychometric testing to support a diagnosis of a subtype of dementia. I also work with family members to create positive behaviour support plans which can be handed over to a care home, so good personalised care continues post-discharge. On top of this, I attend multidisciplinary team meetings and am sometimes responsible for staff training to provide psychological knowledge to colleagues who may not have a similar background. 
 
What skills did you learn on the course that you now use in your graduate role and for your master’s degree? 
 
In my current job role, the skills I learnt from the Counselling module have significantly helped me with how to present myself and talk when an individual is distressed, and how to deescalate highly emotive situations. Clinical Psychology gave me the knowledge of almost all the disorders I currently work with, so I had an idea of what to expect when I got the job. The neuro-based modules come in very handy, having an understanding of the brain structures relating to someone’s presentation makes me more able to have conversations with family members and patients, and having hands on experience of neuro psychometric tests made conducting and scoring them a little less intimidating! 
 
What support services did you access at Sheffield Hallam and how did this help you? 

I used careers services to navigate my way through module choices when deciding what modules would equip me with the best knowledge for clinical psychology, they were really helpful and gave me realistic advice about the future. I used student support services when I had a dip in my studies in first year, and they helped me get back on track, without that I may not have made it here! 
   
What’s next for you?  
 
I feel comfortable and proud of where I am now. I’m trying to enjoy and learn as much as I can from my current role. However, the next step for me will hopefully be doctorate training in clinical psychology. It’s a very competitive field, but so rewarding and now I’m getting a taste for it I know I am in the right field. It may be that another assistant psychologist or research post may pop up which takes my interest, but my end goal is to become a qualified clinical psychologist, Dr James McMillan pending!