Duncan Precious

I have gained a wealth of experience in the field of clinical psychology across my 20 years of clinical practice. I have a deep passion for engaging hard to reach populations and providing preventative and accessible community based mental healthcare.  I spent the last decade serving in the British and Australian Army as a Military Clinical Psychologist, specialising in psychological trauma, resilience training, crisis response and the development of compassionate leadership in the military. In 2012, I was the first clinical psychologist to be awarded a commission as an Officer and a Clinical Psychologist in the British Army. I was awarded the Defence Medical Services Innovation in Clinical Excellence Award for developing and delivering a Mental Resilience Training Curriculum across the UK military. I transferred to the Australian Army in 2017 and served as the Clinical Lead for Mental Health Services across Northern Australia. I received a Leadership Award from the Royal Military College of Australia. During my military career, I provided front line psychological support in warlike, peacekeeping, humanitarian aid and disaster relief operations in West Africa, Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2020 I served as Mental Health & Wellbeing Lead for UK Special Forces. I have developed considerable leadership experience as an Officer in the British Army and the clinical lead in large multidisciplinary teams within the military, NHS, and more recently the private sector. I have completed Community Action Research to explore and address inequalities in men accessing mental health services and acted as a Clinical Advisor to the Defence & Security Research Centre. I have recently developed innovative reflective practice forums for organisations to encourage senior leaders to develop supportive and psychologically safe working environments for employees. I have combined my enthusiasm for sport and psychology as a mental health consultant for the charity, School of Hard Knocks, a social inclusion program that uses sport to re-engage unemployed men in the workplace.

Professional Experience:

Aug 2020 – Current: Director & Consultant Clinical Psychologist – Precious Life Therapy 

Apr 2021 – May 2023:  Consultant Clinical Psychologist  - HelloSelf Ltd

Aug 2020 – Apr 2021:  Clinical Psychologist (8b) - Clinical Lead Homelessness Outreach Service. Change Grow Live. 

Jan 2019 – July 2020:  Clinical Team leader – Mental Health & Psychology Section – Australian Army 

Jan 2017 – Jan 2019: Acting Officer in Charge – 1st Psychology Unit Darwin Detachment – Australian Army Psychology Corps

Jan 2013 – Jan 2017:  Principal Clinical Psychologist, British Army Officer

Sept 2011 – Dec 2012:  Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist in NHS service for adults with learning disabilities

October 2011 – Jan 2013:  ClinicalPsychologist Consultant with Specialist Psychological Trauma Therapy Service

Jan 2011 – Jan 2025: Clinical Psychologist – Charity Consultant School of Hard Knocks Charity

Dec 2010-Sept 2011 Specialist Clinical Psychologist Barking & Dagenham Youth Offending Service

Oct 2007 - July 2010 Trainee Clinical Psychologist NHS – Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mental health Trust 

April 2005 – Oct 2007 Multi-systemic Therapy Worker, Cambridgeshire Youth Offending Service

Jan 2003 – Apr 2005: Assistant Psychologist Care Principles, Medium secure residential unit for young people and adults with a mental health difficulty, forensic background and learning disabilities.

Professional Qualifications & Training    

• Aug 2023 – Treating Complex Trauma with Internal Family Systems – PESI UK
• Jul 2021 – Gottman Couples Therapy Training Level 3 – Gottman Institute
• Jan/Mar 2020 – Gottman Couples Therapy Training Level 1&2  - Gottman Institute
• Nov 2019 – Psychological Assessment Services Contractor Training -AGSVA
• Jul 2019 – All Arms Captains Course – Officer Training Wing – Kokoda Barracks
• Jul 2019 – PsyBA Accredited Supervisor Training – Clinical Supervision Services
• Feb 2018 – Cognitive Processing Therapy for Trauma - APS
•  Jul – Sep 2017 – Regimental Officer Course Psychology– Student of Merit
• Feb – Apr 2017 – Specialist Service Officer Course -  Royal Military College Duntroon 
• Aug 2016 – Seeking Safety: Skills training for PTSD – Defence CPS
• Nov 2014 – Running DBT Skills Training Groups – British Isles DBT Training 
• Dec 2013 – Prolonged Exposure Therapy for Trauma –Defence Mental Health Symposium 
• Jan - Apr 2013 – Professionally Qualified Officers Course – Royal Military Academy Sandhurst 
• Sep 2012 – Good Practice in Clinical Supervision – British Psychological Society
• Nov 2012 – Conducting Medical Legal Psychological Assessments and Reports – The Psychology Service
• May, Jul, Oct 2012 – EMDR Level 1, 2 & 3 - The Psychology Service
• Dec 2010 -  Clinical Hypnosis for Trauma – MoD DCMH Woolwich 
• Oct 2007- Jul 2010 -– Clinical Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (Pass) - UH
• Jan 2006 – A Cognitive Approach to Working with Offenders - APT
• Oct 2005 – Narrative Practice Workshop – Narrative Training UK
• Sep 2005 – Brief Solution Focused Therapy – Institute of Family Therapy 
• May 2005 – Multisystemic Therapy Training – MST Services
• Apr 2004  - CBT for Adolescents – Cambridgeshire Youth Offending Service
• Sep 1999- July 2002 - Psychology BSc (1st Class Honours) - Reading University