PGDIP Behaviour Change and Clinical Practitioner Skills at Sheffield Hallam University

• Learn to apply different approaches, theories and models to health-related issues and behaviour change.
• Develop your ability to reflect on your practice, planning and personal development.
• Build an understanding of clinical practitioner skills to enhance your applied work with patients, service users and clients in a variety of health and social care settings.
• Apply problem solving strategies to complex professional scenarios.
• Develop research and literature reviewing skills.

This course focuses on health psychology’s approach to understanding people’s experience of illness, disability and health. You'll acquire knowledge and skills that enhance your professional practice, enable you to meet new challenges, and understand ways to improve care.

Live/real world projects

An important part of your learning is to apply your developing knowledge and skills to real-world problems, both individually and in group discussion. Our course leaders are experts in clinical health practitioner work in private practice and in the NHS. You'll have the opportunity to practice applied practitioner skills on campus, such as person-centred care, conflict resolution, solution-focused counselling and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and consultation and collaborative treatment planning.

This course aims to provide you with the ability to use your work or voluntary experience within a health and/or social care related setting to aid your learning and training. For example, work-based reflection is a core element of the clinical practitioner skills and competencies module and is designed to contribute to your continuing personal and professional development.

If you do not work in a health-related setting, we have a careers workshop and a dedicated careers adviser who can help you find suitable employment or voluntary work. 

Networking opportunities

Specialist research seminars, delivered by members of the department and guest speakers which include academics and practitioners, are used to deepen knowledge and understanding of the course content.

All our courses are well supported by a comprehensive suite of career management services including interview training, and networking opportunities. There is also have a week of dedicated focus on employability to give you early orientation to career opportunities, and we encourage an atmosphere of supportiveness among our students.

This course is designed to enhance your continuing professional development or employability in any health or social care setting.

Future careers

This course prepares you for a career in 

• Health promotion
• Nursing
• Social work
• Medical practice
• Physiotherapy
• Dietetics
• Drug and alcohol rehabilitation
• Mental health and wellbeing