Psychotherapist (certified)  (Region Zürich):
5 Provider

Continuing education, further training in psychotherapy provides sound theoretical knowledge and prepares students specifically for professional work in a therapeutic environment. The content taught is drawn from various specialist areas of the human sciences and enables a deep understanding of psychological processes and disorders. The most important topics include

• Ethics: dealing with fundamental moral issues, confidentiality and professional responsibility
• Anthropology: The human being at the center - cultural, social and philosophical foundations
• Sociology: Influence of social structures on behavior and mental health
• Psychology: Central models of human experience and behavior
• Personality, development and systems theory: theories of individual development, the family and the social environment
• Disorders: classification, causes and manifestations of mental illnesses
• Child psychotherapy: specifics of therapeutic work with children and adolescents
• Intervention theory: overview of proven psychotherapeutic methods and techniques
• Treatment technique and diagnostics: instruments for analyzing, setting goals and implementing therapies

This content creates the theoretical basis on which sustainable therapeutic relationships and effective treatment strategies can be built in practice. The continuing education, further training is aimed at people with an interest in psychology, counseling or starting a career in psychotherapy.

Please note: Educational institutions determine their curricula individually. Content and focus may therefore vary depending on the provider.

A contact form is available to clarify which topics are covered in a specific continuing education, further training course. Questions can be forwarded directly to the desired school. Find the right continuing education, further training and information now!

It is possible to run your own psychotherapy practice after completing comprehensive training. However, independent practice requires a license in all cantons, and professional knowledge is also checked. An alternative is employment in psychosocial institutions such as psychiatric clinics, counseling centers, hospitals, homes, special educational institutions or in supervision after a psychotherapy course.

Psychotherapy training consists of four central components. These are closely interlinked and must be systematically coordinated within the framework of a recognized psychotherapeutic method:

• Theory: teaching sound psychological, medical and method-specific knowledge. This includes the basics of interviewing, diagnostics and psychotherapeutic techniques.
• Self-awareness: Personal experience with psychotherapeutic processes enables a deeper understanding of therapeutic work and promotes personal development.
• Practice: By working with real clients, what has been learned is applied in practice under supervision. Both outpatient and inpatient facilities are available for this.
• Supervision: Practical work is accompanied and reflected upon by experienced professionals to ensure quality and personal development.

These four pillars ensure that both professional competence and personal aptitude are systematically developed. Each phase builds on the others and is crucial for a responsible career in psychotherapy.

As the content and focus may vary depending on the training institution, it is advisable to enquire directly with the desired school. A contact form is available for this purpose - inquiries are automatically forwarded to the respective educational institution.

Find out more now and find the right school - directly via our contact form.

With regard to psychotherapy training, the following requirements apply for admission to the federally accredited further training courses as a non-medical practitioner in psychotherapy:

• Master's, licentiate or diploma degree in psychology with sufficient achievements in clinical psychology and psychopathology from a university or University of Applied Sciences or equivalent degree (equivalence test)
• Suitability assessment

Further information can be obtained from the professional associations or the training institutes.

Graduates of a psychotherapist training program must have the following skills:

• Constant monitoring of the therapeutic process and your own role
• Assessing progress and regression and adapting therapy accordingly
• Reflect on the feelings, thoughts and experiences experienced during therapy in conversation
• Bring about stability or at least relief
• Practicing your profession conscientiously
• Know the limits of your own skills
• Involve other experts if medical or psychiatric support is required
• Interested in further training - as legally obliged to undergo regular further training

There are the following types of psychotherapy:

• Behavioral therapy
• Couples therapy
• Psychoanalysis
• Gestalt therapy
• Music therapy
• Depth psychology-based psychotherapy
• Analytical psychotherapy
• Systemic psychotherapy
• Delegate Psychotherapy
• Psychodynamic psychotherapy
• Talking psychotherapy
• Psychotherapy for children
• Body psychotherapy - body-centered psychotherapy

As you can see, there are numerous types of psychotherapy available to help with mental health problems.

Psychologist is a university profession that requires a degree and can also prescribe medication. Psychotherapist, on the other hand, is a further education profession. "Psychologist vs. psychotherapist" are therefore different professions. This is because this profession can be practiced after completing four to six years of in-service training. After this, you can treat people with mental disorders and illnesses by means of therapeutic counseling. The difference between "psychologist vs. psychotherapist" therefore lies in the training.

A psychotherapist can carry out the following activities after completing psychotherapy training:

• diagnose people's individual psychological problems by asking about the patient's personal circumstances and problems
• Define therapy and its goals and build a relationship of trust
• provide support in the event of unmanageable difficulties in the partnership, with one's own personality and state of mind or in working life
• Treat depression, trauma disorders, addiction and compulsive disorders, psychosomatic illnesses, listlessness, personality, anxiety, behavioral and developmental disorders as well as psychotic disorders
• apply psychotherapeutic methods - systemic, cognitive-behavioral and body-psychotherapeutic or depth-psychological methods

A federally recognized psychotherapist can undergo further training as follows:

• Psychotherapists are legally obliged under the PsyG to undergo regular further training
• Courses and conferences offered by further education institutions, associations, universities of applied sciences, universities and clinics on the individual psychotherapeutic methods
• Offers from universities of applied sciences and universities at postgraduate level