Psychotherapy course: opening your own practice

In principle, it is possible to open your own practice after completing psychotherapy training. However, the independent practice of the profession in Switzerland is subject to cantonal licensing requirements. This means that the cantonal authorities check whether the necessary professional requirements have been met and whether the psychotherapy course meets the legal requirements. You should therefore check this before setting up a practice:

• Licensing requirement: In all cantons, an official license is required to work as an independent psychotherapist.
• Professional knowledge: The authorities can check professional qualifications, training and practical experience.
• Spatial and organizational requirements: A private practice must meet certain requirements in terms of infrastructure, data protection and insurance.
• Alternatives to self-employment: If you don't want to run your own practice straight away, you can work in psychosocial institutions, for example in psychiatric clinics, counseling centers, hospitals, homes or special educational institutions. It is also possible to work in supervision or as a member of staff in shared practices.

The combination of a sound psychotherapy course as training, experience and continuing education, further training increases the chances of success in running a safe and legally compliant practice. It is advisable to obtain information about the current requirements from the relevant cantonal health or psychotherapy authority at an early stage.