Self-test: Is the "Psychotherapist (Certified)" course the right one for me?
Analysis of the activities of psychotherapists
What does the day-to-day work of a psychotherapist look like?
There are two different routes into psychotherapy: psychology and human medicine. Accordingly, the subsequent work differs somewhat. Basically, the same applies to both directions:
Psychotherapists treat people with mental health problems. Depending on the therapy method, they work with their clients to explore their history in order to understand the origins of the current symptoms and find ways to change them. Or they deal with the current situation and the stressful or disruptive symptoms and explore which behaviors, reactions, thoughts, beliefs and convictions are related to them and offer approaches for gentle change.
The most important basis for psychotherapeutic treatment is building a relationship of trust with the client and offering a safe and supportive framework within the therapy. Depending on the method, the actual therapeutic work is carried out using special conversation techniques, mindfulness exercises, body awareness, role play, imagination techniques and dream analysis, for example. The aim is always to enable patients to understand their current symptoms and possible backgrounds, to gently remember and process stressful and painful experiences, to find solutions to current conflicts and urgent complaints and to develop new behaviors and attitudes as well as to increase psychological stability and resilience.
In addition to the actual therapy sessions, psychotherapists are also involved in many administrative tasks. They write applications to health insurance companies, prepare reports, keep the appointment calendar and their case histories. An important part of their working time is also taken up by specialist discussions with colleagues and supervision sessions, as well as keeping up to date with current developments in psychological and psychotherapeutic research and in their own specialist field.
According to the job advertisements, the specific tasks of the two directions are distributed roughly as follows:
Specialist in psychiatry / psychotherapy
| Psychiatric-psychotherapeutic treatment of patients in inpatient or outpatient facilities. Leading group therapies. Medical psychiatric service. | approx. 30% of the time |
| Participation in case discussions, supervision and internal further training. Supervision of delegated psychologists | approx. 15% of the time |
| Preparation of psychiatric diagnoses, expert opinions, case management and consultations | approx. 30% of the time |
| Exchange within the interdisciplinary team. Maintaining contact with external therapists and experts | approx. 25% of the time |
Psychologist / Psychotherapist - Psychologist / Psychotherapist
| Psychological assessments and psychotherapy. Conducting group therapies. Psychological support and crisis interventions. | approx. 50% of the time |
| Case management, conducting interviews, writing reports. Participation in team meetings, further training and supervision | approx. 30% of the time |
| Interdisciplinary cooperation and maintaining contact with internal and external bodies. Cooperation with specialists from different disciplines in an interdisciplinary team | approx. 20% of the time |
The distribution of tasks can vary greatly depending on the job profile and type of institution.
What is usually required in job advertisements for psychotherapists?
Specialist in psychiatry / psychotherapy
- Completed training as a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy and psychotherapeutic practice license
- Interest in psychosomatics
- High level of social competence and independence
- Open-mindedness and commitment
- Resilience and a sense of responsibility
- Very good written and spoken German
- Depending on the position, specific foreign language skills are required
Psychologist - Psychologist Psychotherapy
- Completed university degree in clinical psychology and psychopathology as a minor subject
- Advanced or completed training in psychotherapy, preferably behavioral therapy
- Resilient and flexible personality with a high sense of responsibility
- High social competence, ability to work in a team and motivation
- Good knowledge of German (understand Swiss German)
- Foreign language skills an advantage
Question 1:
Would I like to work as a psychotherapist?
Yes, if you like the actual job, you can assume that you are on the right track thematically. The next question is what type of training is right for you to acquire the relevant skills.
If you only like the job to a limited extent, you should think carefully about why you are interested in further training in psychotherapy and whether your ideas can be realized in a certain type of position.
If you have a different idea of what you want to do, you may want to consider other specializations that are possible in your profession.
Who is the "Psychotherapist (certified)" course suitable for?
Target group:
- Psychologists who are interested in psychopathology and would like to work psychotherapeutically with people
- Doctors who are more interested in psychology and psychopathology and would like to work with people psychotherapeutically
- An aptitude test is often carried out
Personal requirements:
- Interest in psychopathology
- Interest in supporting and treating people psychologically
- Mental resilience and ability to reflect
- High social and relationship skills
Course description:
Further important key points of the "Psychotherapist (Cert.)" course are described here:
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Question 2:
Are you generally interested in this course?
If you have already answered "yes" to question 1, then this further training seems to fit your expectations.
If you like the training but not certain parts of the job (question 1), you could first study job advertisements to see if there are job profiles that suit you better or consider setting up your own practice.
If you like the job description under question 1 and you have marked "No" here, you could, for example, see if there are other training options such as a university postgraduate course or another specialization.
Here are two examples:
Admission to the courses
A university degree in one of the two disciplines is required for further training in psychotherapy:
- Master's degree in psychology
- State examination / Master's degree in human medicine
Question 3:
Do I meet the requirements?
If you meet the requirements, you can start your training at the earliest possible date.
If you already have a bachelor's degree in psychology, take a look at the job profiles of psychotherapists to decide whether you are ready to complete a master's degree first.
If you are about to choose a course of study and are thinking about studying psychology or medicine, you may find psychotherapy an interesting career prospect for later. Take a look at the job profiles of psychotherapists to decide whether this would be an option for you.
If you have completed another course of study or other professional training, it is important to clarify whether you really want to start from scratch with a degree in psychology. If it is clear to you that this route takes too long and is too expensive, then look at possible alternative further training courses that enable you to obtain a federal qualification as a "counselor in the psychosocial field".
Financing of further training
The course fees for the "Psychotherapist (Cert.)" course are to be paid per module or per semester. However, in individual cases it is also possible to arrange individual installment payments.
Question 4:
Are you in a position to pay around CHF 50,000 for the entire training course, including your own therapy and supervision hours?
If you have marked "Yes" and would even be able to pay the full amount upfront, many schools will give you an additional discount.
If you have marked "Partly" or "No": First ask the schools about the actual costs you would have to expect. And ask your employer about cost sharing or your professional association about support options. And then ask your school about the possibility of individual installment payments. Or try to find someone in your private social circle who will support your specific further education project with a loan. There are also banks and credit institutions that grant educational loans.
Time and effort for classroom teaching and own learning achievements
The training lasts an average of four years, in some cases up to six years. Either subsequently or during this time, two years of clinical work are also required. The teaching days are often organized as block seminars, e.g. Thursdays to Saturdays. In addition, time is allowed for individual lessons, supervision, group work, self-study and term papers. The exact amount of time required depends on previous training, the chosen therapy method and the training model, but amounts to several hours per week.
Question 5:
Can I cope with the total amount of time required?
If the workload is even very manageable for you, you could check whether there are intensive courses for this training. This would allow you to complete the same training in less time if you are able to accept a slightly higher time commitment.
If you are short on time, look for courses that extend over a longer period of time or can be completed in modules. And if this is still not enough, you should check whether you can free up more time in another way. Perhaps someone close to you can take on certain tasks for you for the limited period of your training?
Conclusion
Further training to become a psychotherapist is both academically oriented and practice-oriented. Successful completion includes writing term papers and seminar papers, passing theoretical examinations as well as practical work under supervision and documenting case reports.
Other general success factors for successfully completing an apprenticeship are
- Profound interest in the training topic and the will to be able to work with it later on
- Regular preparation and follow-up of the lesson material at home
- Committed cooperation in group work, case studies etc.
- Participation in learning groups for regular exchange
- Practise exam situations by working on previous exam tasks
Question 6:
Am I confident that I can meet all the requirements of this training course?
Congratulations. You are therefore well equipped to tackle your further training with motivation.
If you have marked "Partly" or "No", we recommend that you attend an information event about this further training and ask the school management for information about an aptitude test.
Receive course or training documents from suitable schools immediately
Under {#CourseLink#} you will find an overview of schools that offer the "Psychotherapist (Cert.)" course. You can request detailed documents with one click and usually receive them directly by e-mail. You can also use the area search to find providers in your immediate vicinity.
Conclusion:
Before you want to complete the "Psychotherapist (certified)" course, you should be convinced that you want to work intensively with people with mental health problems. You should also like the course description. If you have answered these first two questions with a clear "yes", you can continue with this course. If you are unsure about these questions, you should consider which other further training courses are also suitable for you.
Financing further training is not always easy. Many thousands of francs have to be paid over 4-6 years. In individual cases, many schools offer the option of semester or even individual monthly installments so that the entire amount does not have to be paid at once. In addition, it is helpful for part-time courses that participants continue to work during the course and thus earn money for the entire duration of the course. If this is not enough to finance the training alone, it is sometimes possible to obtain a loan from a private source. Banks and credit institutions sometimes also offer educational loans. A good argument for financing further education is the relatively quick amortization of costs through wage increases. Do the following calculation: How much would a wage increase of 10% per year amount to? How many years would you need to recoup the costs of the course? How much more will you earn over your entire working life as a result of this pay rise? In most cases, this is a six-figure sum, which confirms that training or further education is the best personal investment there is.
The time required for training or further education should not be underestimated. Going out, vacations and spontaneous wellness weekends often fall by the wayside. However, this time usually passes relatively quickly. The prospect of better job opportunities and more pay should be motivation enough to get through this time. It often helps to organize yourself into study groups. It also makes sense to stick with it right from the start and schedule fixed study times. Good learning effects can be achieved by creating summaries and mind maps. Flashcard systems help with memorization. There are many tools and ideas to make learning easier. You can obtain the guide "The personal learning strategy" free of charge if you register with a school via Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch.
If you have any doubts about whether you will pass the final exam, speak to your head teacher or course leader and ask for support. But with good motivation, perseverance and hard work, it is generally possible to pass these exams. If you suffer from exam anxiety, good preparation, various practical tips, therapeutic treatments or, in severe cases, even medication can help. You can obtain the guide "Overcoming exam anxiety" if you register with a school via Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch. Here you will also findsuitable providerson the subject of test anxiety.
The benefits of further training are usually measured in terms of a higher salary, more challenging tasks or promotions. This presupposes that you make an effort to change your professional position accordingly and, if necessary, are able to assert your demands. If you have already experienced that this is not always so easy for you, you could also check whether personal job coaching could be of benefit to you in addition to further training.
Now it's up to you to decide. If in doubt, seek personal advice from a school or external counseling center. If you contact a school via Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch to enquire about course or training documents, you will receive a free educational or school consultation worth CHF 150.00 on request.
You can find a list of providers here: {#courseLink#}
We wish you all the best in your professional and private lives and a bright and exciting future!
The team of Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch
Linda, deine Weiterbildungsfinderin