Psychotherapy: training, continuing education, further training, information, tests, schools and offers at a glance

Psychotherapeutin im Gespräch mit einer Klientin
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Psychotherapist: Working in the depths of the psyche

The courses in psychotherapy are aimed at trained psychologists and FMH doctors.

The continuing education, further training is designed to take place alongside work and leads in four to six years to a recognized qualification in accordance with the Psychology Professions Act (PsyG) to treat people with mental illnesses and disorders psychotherapeutically. In addition to face-to-face training, which usually takes place in the form of monthly block seminars, the training also includes your own teaching therapy, supervision hours and two years of work in a psychotherapeutic-psychiatric institution.

Depending on previous training, the degree enables you to work independently as a psychological psychotherapist or as a FMH psychiatry and psychotherapy specialist.

Find out more about psychotherapy, continuing education, further training and requirements in our "Tips, tests and information".

Are you looking for psychotherapy training? - Here you will find suitable schools as well as further information, tips and resources for continuing education, further training.

Would you like personal advice? Contact the provider of your choice via the "Free information on the topic..." button - without obligation, quickly and easily.

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Psychotherapy training - help for self-renewal

Psychotherapy is a help for young and old and people of all backgrounds. In every conceivable situation, therapy can help those affected to talk about their problems and in this protected atmosphere, fears, crises and certain conditions can be discussed and addressed. Ingrained patterns of behaviour can, if the patient so wishes, be recognized through self-reflection and thus lead to personal development. The psychotherapist is a person of trust who helps patients to activate their own resources and thus bring about an improvement in their condition.

Are you interested in psychotherapy? Would you like to complete continuing education, further training as a psychotherapist? Have you completed a degree in psychology or other humanitarian studies? Then the Master's degree course in Psychotherapeutic Psychology may be just right for you. You can order more information and documents at Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch.

Questions and answers

Psychotherapy training comprises the following four integral elements, which must be coordinated within the framework of a recognized psychotherapy method:

  • Theory
  • Self-awareness
  • Practice
  • Supervision

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

Theoretical knowledge on these topics is imparted in further training in psychotherapy:

  • Ethics
  • Anthropology
  • Sociology
  • Psychology
  • Personality, development and systems theory
  • Disorder theory
  • Child psychotherapy
  • Intervention theory
  • Treatment technique and diagnostics

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

Tips, tests and information on "Psychotherapist (certified)"

Is psychotherapy really my vocation?
» Test vocation
How well known is the "Psychotherapist" course and what is its image among potential employers?
» Awareness and image
What can graduates do after completing the course?
» Learning material, skills, knowledge
Is the course the right one for me?
» Test: Do I meet the requirements? ...
What are the advantages of the course?
» 10 advantages
What is required in the psychotherapist job? How are the activities divided up?
» Information from job advertisements
What experiences have previous course participants had with the psychotherapist training course?
» Evaluation of training / experience

Redaktionelle Leitung:

Stefan Schmidlin, Bildungsberatung, Content-Team Modula AG

Quellen

Website des Schweizerischen Sekretariats für Bildung, Forschung und Innovation SBFI , Website www.berufsberatung.ch (offizielles schweizerisches Informationsportal der Studien-, Berufs- und Laufbahnberatung) sowie Websites und anderweitige Informationen der Berufsverbände und Bildungsanbieter.

Erfahrungen, Bewertungen und Meinungen zur Ausbildung / Weiterbildung

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Haven't found the right training or further education yet? Benefit from educational advice now!

Further training is not only important in order to maintain or increase professional attractiveness, investing in training or further training is still the most efficient way to increase the chances of a pay rise.

The Swiss education system offers a wide range of individual training and further education opportunities - depending on your personal level of education, professional experience and educational goals.

Choosing the right educational offer is not easy for many prospective students.

Which training and further education is the right one for my path?

Our education advisory team will guide you through the "education jungle", providing specific input and relevant background information to help you choose the right offer.

Your advantages:

You will receive

  • Suggestions for suitable courses, seminars or training programs based on the information you provide in the questionnaire
  • An overview of the different levels and types of education
  • Information about the Swiss education system

We offer our educational counseling in the following languages on request: French, Italian, English

Register now and concretize your training plans.

The following list shows you suitable providers:

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Online (0) Blended Learning (0) Hybrid (0)
Address:
Josefstrasse 79
8005 Zürich
pcaInstitute: Institut pour l'approche centrée sur la personne / Institute for the Person-Centered Approach
(5.5) Excellent 14 14 Ratings (100% )
Are you interested in the wide world of person-centered psychotherapy and counseling? Would you like to further your education and development?
Then the pcaInstitut, the institute of pcaSuisse, the Swiss Association for the Person-Centered Approach, is your partner.
We will train you to become a person-centered psychotherapist or a person-centered counselor.
The four-year in-service training in person-centred psychotherapy for psychologists and doctors leads to the specialist title of federally recognized psychotherapist and a cantonal licence to practice.
Further training in person-centered counselling is aimed at professionals who provide psychosocial counselling or support as part of their counselling, educational, health, social or human resources activities: Psychologist, career counselor, vocational trainer, pastor, teacher, lecturer, social worker, social pedagogue, body/breath therapist, personnel/HR specialists.
Strengths: In the person-centered approach, relationship is the central effective factor. The person as a whole is at the center of the dialogical process that can be learned in our practical seminars
Region: Basel, Bern, Westschweiz, Zürich
Sites: Zürich
Certifications, Memberships, Qualifications:
Bundesbeiträge
eduQua
SGFB
Address:
Kanzleistrasse 17
8004 Zürich
IKP Institut für Körperzentrierte Psychotherapie
(5.0) Very good 168 168 Ratings (97% )
Welcome to IKP - your training institute for holistic therapies. Here you will find in-service training and further education courses in psychotherapy, psychosocial counseling, nutritional-psychological counseling, couples and family counseling, breathing therapy and psychological coaching.
The special feature of the IKP method is that not only counseling-therapeutic conversations are used, but also emotion-feeling-centered methods: bodywork, role dialogues, creative means, movement, deep relaxation and imagination exercises.
The IKP training courses are recognized by important professional associations and comply with the standards of the EMR and ASCA (health insurance billing).
Strengths: Training and further education at IKP: scientific ▪ practice-oriented ▪ recognized
Region: Bern, Zürich
Sites: Bern, Zürich
Next start date Next info event
Certifications, Memberships, Qualifications:
ASCA
Bundesbeiträge
eduQua
OdA KT
SGFB
Address:

Mühlestrasse 10
8400 Winterthur
IBP Institute
(5.5) Excellent 57 57 Ratings (98% )
Welcome to the IBP Institute - Integrating body & mind.

We are a leading and innovative institute for integrative body psychotherapy, integrative coaching, body-oriented counseling and treatment in German-speaking countries. We teach the methods and ideas of Integrative Body Psychotherapy IBP. IBP is an effective, scientifically well-founded psychotherapy method that focuses on the integration of physical experience, emotions, cognitions, spiritual experience and behavior.

Practice-oriented further and advanced training in the areas of psychotherapy, coaching and supervision as well as psychosocial counseling form our core competence.

The IBP Institute is eduqua certified.
Strengths: IBP - integrating body & mind. We convey the contents of IBP in an integrative, experience-oriented and practical way and stand for the high quality of our training and further education programs.
Region: Ostschweiz, Zentralschweiz, Zürich
Sites: Winterthur, Gelfingen, Gais
Next start date
Certifications, Memberships, Qualifications:
BSO
Bundesbeiträge
eduQua
Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft
SGFB
Download info
Address:
Universitäre Psychiatrische Kliniken
Wilhelm Klein-Strasse 27
4002 Basel
Postgraduate programs in psychotherapy (PSP)
Postgraduate courses in psychotherapy: part-time continuing education, further training to become a federally recognized psychotherapist with a cognitive-behavioral focus

3 areas of application are offered: Psychotherapy for adults | Psychotherapy for children & adolescents | Forensic psychotherapy

- Properly accredited by the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH)
- in existence since 1996
- Modern, broad and scientifically sound curriculum
- Strong practical relevance
- renowned lecturers and experts from practice, teaching and research
- Compatibility of continuing education, further training, work and family life
- Personal support for students / mentoring system
- Network of graduates and discounted further training opportunities even after graduation

Admission requirements: Master's degree in psychology

Next start of further training:
- Adult application area August 2025 & January 2026
- Area of application Forensic Psychotherapy August 2025
- Area of application children and adolescents August 2025
Region: Basel
Sites: Basel
Next start date Next info event
Download info
Address:
Hauptstrasse 33
4142 Münchenstein
Essenntial Concepts GmbH
We are pleased to be able to offer further training to become an IOPT* practitioner (trauma therapist) under the license of Prof. F. Ruppert.

By means of this further training concept, you will gain insight and clarity into hidden areas of the psyche that are otherwise split off, enabling you to offer clients missing elements for their development and to accompany them more competently and emphatically. You will also see through the connections between psychotrauma and triggers, relationship problems, addictions, body symptoms, behavioral patterns and other blockages.
You will be given the necessary tools, acquire the professional basis and develop the necessary empathy to be able to work professionally as a trauma therapist, so that each participant can trust their own impulses and accompany individuals and groups in their own way.

After cert. You are authorized to submit an application for inclusion on the internat. Recommendation list of F. Ruppert.
*Identity-oriented psychotrauma theory and therapy
Region: Basel, Westschweiz
Sites: Basel
Download info
Address:
Therwilerstrasse 3
4054 Basel
AZPP - Training Center for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy
The Training Center for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy (AZPP) offers physicians and psychologists
- high-quality, practice-oriented continuing education, further training in psychoanalytic psychotherapy, duly accredited by the BAG and SGPP/FHM
1) Obtaining the title of federally recognized psychotherapist over five years for psychologists.
2) Specialist training over three years for doctors.
- closed groups with experienced psychoanalytical psychotherapists.
- Specialized training in psychoanalytic psychotherapy for children and adolescents.

Start of training: annually in October. All seminars take place on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays from 19.45 to 21.15 and on some Saturdays from 09.00 to 13.00/15.00, with the exception of the Basel school vacations.
Region: Basel
Sites: Basel
Next start date
Download info
Address:
Hendschikerstrasse 5
5600 Lenzburg
wilob AG
(5.4) Very good 32 32 Ratings (100% )
Welcome to wilob - the leading institute for systemic-resource-oriented therapy & counseling!

Experience highly practice-oriented training and further education in the fields of psychotherapy, coaching, organizational consulting and supervision as well as psychosocial counselling in our beautiful course rooms!
We very successfully teach the systemic resource-oriented approach: a very effective and scientifically well-founded psychotherapy method. The focus is on goals and intentions for change. And problems are seen as skills on the way to achieving goals.

Of course, wilob is also eduqua certified and we have a cooperation with the Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences (CAS FH). Further recognitions: BAG; SGPP, FSP, SBAP, Systemis, BSO, SKJP, Marte Meo Network International.
Strengths: Well-known lecturers and a very good price-performance ratio (despite their fame).
Region: Aargau
Sites: Lenzburg, Staufen
Next start date
Certifications, Memberships, Qualifications:
BSO
Bundesbeiträge
eduQua
Download info
Address:
Schulhausstrasse 64
8002 Zürich
IEF Institute for Systemic Development and Training
Our institute offers professionals - tailored to their individual needs - a wide range of further training courses in the areas of systemic psychotherapy (federally recognized), hypnosystemic training and further training, conflict management and mediation, systemic parent coaching and social-pedagogical family support, some of which are CAS courses. We use the different professional backgrounds of the participants as a learning environment and support their individual skills and learning processes.
Region: Zürich
Sites: Zürich
Next start date
Address:
Grossmünsterplatz 1
8001 Zürich
Klaus Grawe Institute for Psychological Therapy
Welcome to the Klaus Grawe Institute for Psychological Therapy. Here, psychologists can train to become psychotherapists.
Region: Zürich
Sites: Zürich
Next start date
Address:
Schöntalstrasse 21
8004 Zürich
Institut für Prozessarbeit IPA - Prozessorientierte Psychotherapie
4-year continuing education, further training for psychologists and doctors. Depth psychology-based, humanistic-experiential, experience-oriented and interactive

Courses in:
- Process-oriented psychotherapy-ASP-Integral acc. EDI
- Process-oriented psychotherapy for doctors
Region: Zürich
Sites: Zürich
Next start date Next info event

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