Psychotherapy is an independent scientific discipline practiced at an advanced, qualified, and scientific level. It encompasses a wide range of approaches and methods based on established theories, methodologies, and research. Read more about the Declaration on Psychotherapy.
The term psychotherapy encompasses a wide range of approaches and methods. All of them involve psychotherapeutic treatment (as opposed to medical or pharmacological treatment) for a variety of psychological and emotional difficulties and disorders, as well as relational challenges and disturbances. Each approach is based on established theories, methodologies, and research, rooted in a philosophy of personality and the human condition.
Psychotherapy can be either short-term or long-term. Some approaches are focused on treating and resolving symptoms and addressing observable behavior and cognition. Other approaches aim to bring about change in personality and emotional development by considering aspects of the individual's inner world that may be unconscious, helping the person understand and transform deep and often unconscious emotional and relational problems. Different approaches may be indicated or appropriate depending on the issue at hand or the client's preference.
Psychotherapy provides effective treatment for individuals with serious mental disorders. People may seek help from a psychotherapist for specific reasons such as early childhood trauma, eating disorders, psychosomatic conditions, suicidal thoughts, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive behaviors, or phobic anxiety. In other cases, clients seek help due to a general, pervasive sense of depression or anxiety, difficulties with concentration, dissatisfaction at work, or an inability to form fulfilling relationships. However, the value of psychotherapy is not limited to those with psychological problems. Many people who experience feelings of emptiness or meaninglessness in their lives, or who are seeking a greater sense of fulfillment, can benefit from psychotherapy. Psychotherapy can be helpful for adults, adolescents, children, and families.
The relationship with the psychotherapist is a key element of every psychotherapy. The psychotherapist provides a confidential and private environment in which difficult experiences can be safely explored and processed. Current theoretical and empirical research confirms the importance of the therapeutic relationship as a crucial factor influencing the success of psychotherapy.
Psychotherapy has also benefited from recent developments in attachment theory and findings from affective and cognitive neuroscience. Psychotherapists closely collaborate with colleagues in neuroscience within these emerging fields. At its core, psychotherapy is a therapy of relationship; however, psychotherapists may use a wide range of methods, including art, music, role play, and movement.
PSYCHOTHERAPY SESSIONS CAN
- be one-on-one
- involve a partner or a family member
- be group sessions
- some therapists specialize in working with adolescents and children.
EAP psychotherapists work in a variety of settings, including national health services, psychiatric hospitals and general hospitals, child and adolescent centers, private practices, and volunteer organizations.
Psychotherapists support and treat healthcare users with varying degrees of psychological, psychosocial, or psychosomatic disorders and pathological conditions using psychotherapeutic methods. They promote personal development and well-being, and provide guidance on improving relationships, coping abilities, and problem-solving techniques. They apply scientifically based methods such as behavioral therapy, existential analysis and logotherapy, psychoanalysis, or systemic family therapy to support clients in their development and help them find appropriate solutions to their problems. Psychotherapists do not necessarily need to have a degree in psychology or medical qualifications in psychiatry. It is an independent profession within the fields of psychology, psychiatry, and counseling.
European Commission – ESCO (Code: 2634.2.4) – Occupation, skills, competences, qualifications, and roles of psychotherapists