Journeying into the unknown: Ben Thompson's pathway towards becoming a Forensic Psychologist

Hello everyone and welcome to our next blog installment. At Pathways to Psychology we invite individuals who may already be qualified clinicians or researchers, and also trainees and students working towards their ultimate career in Psychology. We value every journey towards becoming a Practitioner Psychologist, as we recognise the need for variety and skill, to build successful and rewarding careers in the Psychology profession. 

Today we hear from Ben Thompson, who is on his own pathway towards becoming a qualified Forensic Psychologist. Ben walks us through his journey to date, one which includes many personal- and professional challenges, but a promising journey which is still unfolding and developing. 

Journeying into the unknown

Benjamin Thompson BSc (Hons) Dip. Soc FCMgr GMBPsS, Postgraduate Student in Forensic Psychology and

Accredited Volunteer within the Criminal Justice System of England and Wales

Member of: Psychological Professionals Network (NE&Y)

           International Society of Research into Aggression

                       The British Psychological Society and its Division of Forensic Psychology

It's 2018 and I had not long completed my Bachelor of Science with Honours degree in Forensic Psychology as a mature student with the Open University (OU). I had never been to University before and none of my immediate family had either. Many moons ago when the dinosaurs roamed the earth at High School, my teachers and family were never the most supportive of people. As someone who was neurodivergent and who came from a poor single parent family, they never believed I could achieve anything. I was even told by one teacher: “I don’t know why you are concerned about the work we give you as you will never amount to anything.” That disparaging comment had a profound effect on me, adding to the trauma of my childhood. On leaving my Sixth Form College, I managed to get a placement on an apprentice scheme to train as a Health and Safety Inspector. I stayed in this field until 2007 when I gradually became chronically ill and disabled and had to stop working. As someone who had always worked hard at his job, it destroyed me and with my chronic ill health compounding this issue, I attempted to take my life. Thankfully, the suicide attempt did not work but with mental health intervention, medication and the support of my partner, I managed to slowly gain some sense of normality as time went on.  

Although I really wanted to move out of Health and Safety due to the stress involved, to keep my mind sharp, I decided to volunteer for charities in building their Health and Safety procedures. One day, whilst searching for courses in something I might be able to do from home, my partner found an advertisement for a mass open online course (MOOC) module on eyewitness testimony and Forensic Psychology with Open Learn. This course was brilliant and totally engaging and I fell in love with Forensic Psychology. In January 2015 I enrolled on the Bachelors with Honours Degree course in Forensic Psychology at the OU. Although this was a distance learning course, I threw myself into the course modules and into University life. I became a Student Union rep supporting LGBTQ+ students and enrolled as a Peer Mentor in my second year. As I was still unable to work, I secured a voluntary position with Northumbria Police as a Victim Support and Domestic Violence Advocate. I really enjoyed the challenging work caring for people from a range of backgrounds. My duties covered caring for those who had experienced criminal damage, attempted murder and serious sexual crimes like rape. This meant working alongside ISVAs (Independent Sexual Violence Advisors) and IDVAs (Independent Domestic Violence Advisors), Police Officers, including the Chief Constable and the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) as well as Judges and Magistrates.  

Unfortunately once again my health took a turn for the worse and in August 2018 I had to stop volunteering for a few months to get my health problems sorted out and to recuperate. In January 2019 I felt able to start volunteering again and found a placement with Tyneside and Northumberland Mind as a Psychological Wellbeing Volunteer. This enabled me to put into practice the psychological theories and therapies (Psychoanalysis and Cognitive Behavioiural Therapy or CBT) I had learnt at University as an undergraduate.  With training and supervision, I soon started to undertake clinical assessments, helping our clients understand what services and support they could receive (from myself), and if therapy was not the right avenue to support their mental wellbeing at that time, I would refer them into the right service. As time went on, I took on more clients who had chronic mental health co-morbidities such as Depression, GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder), Schizophrenia, BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder) and Anti-Social Personality Disorder (a form of Psychopathy) and supporting Mind’s specialist service that worked with clients who had been victims of crime.  

As we all know, 2019 saw the start of the spread of the deadly Coronavirus, killing and damaging so many people and families, not just across the UK but throughout the world. Our service at Mind had become an even greater lifeline for many of our service users, both new and old. One reason for this was the fact that Mind had stopped its group sessions or safe space events. Also, we were trying to take on as many new clients as possible from GPs, Community Mental Health Teams (CMHT) and support local IAPT (Increased Access to Psychological Therapy) services.  In 2020, when the Government released its NHS Volunteer Responder Service, I also signed up for this and started telephoning those who were clinically vulnerable, on top of my clinical work at Mind. In that 18 months period, I helped people from all over the UK. Although I was really tired, in pain and clinically vulnerable myself, by focusing on others I felt that I had achieved something, and this helped me cope a lot better with the pandemic, my own Major Depression and the effects of Covid-19 upon my partner and daughter.  

Since July 2021, I became a Witness Service volunteer looking after victims and witnesses within my regional Magistrates Court and in the local community. No one day is ever the same. I can apply many of the principles and best practice within Forensic Psychology in dealings with both prosecution and defence teams and their clients and families. I interact with the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service), Barristers (including KC’s or King's Counsel), Solicitors, Interpreters, Intermediaries, Judges, Magistrates and members of the public.

At the start of 2020, I enrolled on a Postgraduate Distance Learning Master’s degree in Forensic Psychology at Coventry University. On 11th November 2022 I handed in my dissertation research, which investigated the topic of the Crown Prosecution Service’s part in the current situation with poor rape attrition rates in England and Wales, and how female survivors' narratives could be heard to assist in solving this endemic problem.  

I have taken numerous additional psychological training courses such as understanding violence risk (HCR-20, VRAG & VRISK10) and clinical assessments focused on Mental Capacity, Deprivation of Liberty, Safeguarding and also the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) and ICD (International Classification of Diseases) including Personality Disorders the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Disorders and Personality Disorders, or SCID-CV & PD.  

Now I have completed my Masters, I am investigating how I can best apply Risk Assessment- and therapeutic skills, whether that means setting up my own practice or trying to apply for a part time position that will take into effect my disabilities, including my epilepsy. I will continue to engage in Continuous Professional Development conferences and courses to ensure I keep up to date with best practice and research.  Currently, I am investigating potential training in either DBT (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy) or EDMR (Eye Movement and Desensitization and Reprocessing) and PCL-R (Psychopathy Checklist Revised) risk assessment training.  

I would love to either complete my Chartership with the BPS (British Psychological Society) or complete a PhD. Sadly though, I have to take into consideration my disabilities and find an employer who is willing to do the same – something that so far no one has been prepared to do, in whatever way.  That being said, I will never allow my disabilities or the “you will never amount to anything” mentality to stop me as I continue in my journey into qualifying as a Forensic Psychologist, moving forward and supporting those in society who desperately need our care and attention.

Thank you Ben for writing so openly about your own journey to date. You have shown great determination and focus in building your career despite health concerns, setbacks and the impact of unsupportive comments and a lack of belief from those around you. We wish you the very best on the next chapter and in any training or learning you may take on next. 

We hope you have found reading about Ben's experiences inspiring and thought provoking, perhaps it has inspired you to consider your own future studies or a wish to write for the blog yourself. Please get in touch with any questions or comments.

The Pathways Team.