UVI Psychology students enjoyed an enriching and thought鈥憄rovoking visit to Bethlem Hospital and the Museum of the Mind, where they took part in a specialist session led by a clinical psychologist. Supported by hospital volunteers and undergraduate Psychology placement students, the trip offered a rare opportunity to explore mental health care from both historical and contemporary perspectives.
The group spent the day at the Bethlem Museum of the Mind, located within the Bethlem Royal Hospital campus鈥攁n institution internationally recognised for its long history in mental health treatment. During the visit, students deepened their understanding of key areas of the AQA A鈥憀evel Psychology curriculum, particularly Clinical Psychology topics such as schizophrenia, OCD, and anxiety disorders.
Throughout the session, students were able to connect their classroom learning to real鈥憌orld practice. They explored biological and psychological explanations for mental illness, examined treatment approaches including medication and therapy, and discussed the ethical and historical issues surrounding diagnosis and care. Hearing directly from a practising clinical psychologist鈥攁nd listening to experiences shared by former patients鈥攎ade these concepts feel especially relevant and meaningful.
One student reflected on the impact of the trip, saying:
鈥淭his trip really helped me understand what OCD is really like. Hearing from a clinical psychologist and the former patient and seeing how treatments I learnt in class have developed over time really made the topic feel much more real and relevant. I absolutely loved the visit, and it really made me want to work in a clinical setting!鈥�
The trip proved to be a valuable and inspiring experience, offering students both academic enrichment and personal insight into careers within clinical psychology.
