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

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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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

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.

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.

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