Name: Jo
Hometown: Penzance
Course: HND Applied Psychology & BA (Hons) Human Behavioural Studies
Next Steps: Master’s degree with a view to become a Psychotherapist
My Story
Jo’s journey with the University Centre began after personal life changes. The loss of her Nan, who was a nurse, sparked an interest in a career in healthcare.
Jo enrolled in Access to Health and Social Care, with a view of going on to study Midwifery. She completed her Access course online while home educating her children during the COVID lockdown. However, the lockdown period made her realise working in a hospital environment wasn’t for her.
During her Access course, Jo studied a range of modules, including psychology and sociology. She thoroughly enjoyed these and found that she had a real passion for psychology. She decided to continue her studies with the HND Applied Psychology at the Penwith campus of the University Centre.
Jo said of her time on the course: “It was just such a buzz. It was almost quite addictive, investing all my free time into studying and then getting positive feedback and seeing the growth and my work.”
Jo progressed to the BA (Hons) Human Behavioural Studies top-up in her third year:
“The third year was the best because we chose our own modules. I was interested in every single assignment. It was great to be able to pick my modules and be invested in everything I was learning.”
Just before completing her final year dissertation, a job opportunity came up for a Band 5 Mental Health Coaching role in the NHS.
Jo applied, although she was unsure if she would get the role, explaining: “I thought ‘I’ll never get that’. And I just applied for it thinking it would be a really good experience. They interviewed over two days, I never thought I’d get the job at all. But if I apply, I’ll get experience, and they can give me feedback on an interview if I get one. So, I was kind of doing it as research. And then they offered me the job.”
Jo started in the role just before finishing her degree and graduating with First Class Honours.
Her job puts the skills learned during her degree into practice: “We have initial conversations with people and find pathways for them for their recovery, referring to therapy or referring to coaching. And then the other half of the job is being a mental health coach. I have a caseload of around 20 people, [and] I meet them once a fortnight and coach them to make positive changes for them. It could just be showing up and having a shower or it could be ‘I want to go and do a degree’.”
Jo said: “I wouldn’t have been able to do the degree if it hadn’t been accessible here at Penwith. I live in Penzance, and I’ve got three kids. I couldn’t have travelled to Plymouth. The fact that the course is here is amazing.
“I couldn’t have done it without the staff here, I feel like we’ve become friends.”
Jo has now been offered a place on a Master’s at Plymouth Marjon, studying The Arts Health and Wellbeing. This course explores how music, spoken word, dance, theatre, and other areas of the arts can be used to support wellbeing.
“My life goal is to be a psychotherapist. I feel like now that I’ve got my First, I could go to the London school of Psychoanalysis and ask, ‘can I have a place please?’ When my kids are older, I’ll do that. But now I just want to enjoy being a mum and not have any stress and deadlines.”
