Trainees are required to be engaged in individual and/or group personal psychotherapy (personal psychotherapeutic experience) throughout the training programme, with a total of 260 hours in accordance with EAP/ECP standards.
Students must complete at least 80 hours of individual personal psychotherapy with a psychotherapist who holds the ECP and has a minimum of three years of professional practice. This psychotherapist may not simultaneously serve as the student’s supervisor or principal trainer. The remaining 180 hours are completed through group personal psychotherapy within the 4.5-year training programme, resulting in a total of 260 hours of personal psychotherapy.
Personal psychotherapy (individual and/or group) represents a core developmental component of training, as it enables personal growth and self-reflection in line with the requirements of psychotherapy education and strengthens professional and ethical clinical practice.
The purpose of personal psychotherapy is to sensitise the trainee to:
- connect significant aspects of theory with their own personal development;
- develop sufficient insight to make a mature appraisal of their personal history and current level of functioning in both individual and group contexts;
- integrate personal insights into clinical practice, particularly in understanding transference and countertransference processes.
A trainee’s capacity to be a psychotherapist is directly related to their capacity to be a client.
A list of recommended psychotherapists who meet BHIDAPA-EAPTI standards is provided to trainees.
Note: If a trainee is already in personal psychotherapy and/or works with a psychotherapist who is not on the recommended list, the psychotherapist must hold the ECP or an equivalent European certification and must not simultaneously be the trainee’s trainer or supervisor, in line with EAP/ECP standards. The trainee is obliged to submit the relevant information to the training team at: adi.grebovic@bhidapa.ba.