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§ OCCUPATION · GLOBAL STANDARDS

psychotherapist

Psychotherapists assist and treat healthcare users with varying degrees of psychological, psychosocial, or psychosomatic behavioural disorders and pathogenic conditions by means of psychotherapeutic methods.

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Description

Psychotherapists assist and treat healthcare users with varying degrees of psychological, psychosocial, or psychosomatic behavioural disorders and pathogenic conditions by means of psychotherapeutic methods. They promote personal development and well-being and provide advice on improving relationships, capabilities, and problem-solving techniques. They use science-based psychotherapeutic methods such as behavioural therapy, existential analysis and logotherapy, psychoanalysis or systemic family therapy in order to guide the patients in their development and help them search for appropriate solutions to their problems. Psychotherapists are not required to have academic degrees in psychology or a medical qualification in psychiatry. It is an independent occupation from psychology, psychiatry, and counselling.

Theoretical Knowledge
ESSENTIALTheoretical knowledge required
psychiatrypsychopharmacologyclinical social workpersonality development theorieshealth care occupation-specific ethicshistory of patient's psychotherapeutic problemspsychological diagnosticspsychosomaticspsychologypsychiatric disordershistoric development of psychotherapeutic schoolssupervision of personspsychological theoriestheories of personalityconditions for the professional practice of psychotherapybody languagetherapy in health carescientific research methodologydisorders affecting self-awarenesspsycho-social forms of interventionpsychopathology
OPTIONALAdjacent knowledge that strengthens fit
pedagogypsychoanalysispaediatricspsychomotor therapyrehabilitationsexual disordersgeriatrics
Practical Skills
ESSENTIALApplied skills & competences
comply with quality standards related to healthcare practicecontribute to continuity of health careempathise with the healthcare useruse e-health and mobile health technologiesinteract with healthcare usersuse techniques to increase patients' motivationmanage personal professional developmentconceptualise healthcare user’s needscommunicate in healthcaredecide upon a psychotherapeutic approachformulate a case conceptualisation model for therapyhandle patient traumadiagnose psychiatric symptomsperform therapy sessionsmanage psychotherapeutic relationshipsconduct psychotherapy risk assessmentsuse clinical assessment techniquesrespond to changing situations in health carefollow clinical guidelinesmanage healthcare users' datadiscuss the end point of therapeutic interventioncomply with legislation related to health careidentify mental health issueswork in a multicultural environment in health carerecord the outcome of psychotherapymonitor therapeutic progresswork with healthcare users under medicationmaintain personal development in psychotherapykeep up with current trends in psychotherapydevelop a collaborative therapeutic relationshipprovide a psychotherapeutic environmentuse psychoeducationrespond to healthcare users' extreme emotionspromote psycho-social educationorganise relapse preventionconclude the psychotherapeutic relationshipensure safety of healthcare usersapply context specific clinical competencescounsel clientsprovide treatment strategies for challenges to human healthsupport patients to understand their conditionswork on psychosomatic issuesaccept own accountabilityevaluate practice in psychotherapyadvise on healthcare users' informed consentpromote mental healthuse psychotherapeutic interventionslisten activelywork with patterns of psychological behaviourprescribe psychotherapeutic treatmentencourage healthcare user's self-monitoringadhere to organisational guidelines
OPTIONALOptional competences
educate on the prevention of illnesswork on the effects of abuseaddress side effects of menopauseinform policy makers on health-related challengesprovide health educationpromote inclusionwork in multidisciplinary health teamswork with healthcare users' social networkuse foreign languages for health-related researchuse foreign languages in patient carediagnose mental disordersapply hypno-psychotherapyhelp healthcare users develop social perceptivenessdeal with emergency care situationscollaborate to discuss treatment plans in psychotherapyapply systemic therapycarry out psychiatric assessment of childrecord healthcare users' billing informationapply organisational techniquesapply systemic design thinkingapply caseload managementapply psychoanalysisemploy cognitive behaviour treatment techniques

GLOBAL RESOURCE

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SKILLS OVERVIEW

103 total
73 essential · 30 optional

Data Source: Unified Global Standards (ISCED, ISCO, O*NET, ESCO)

© 2026 DESTINAI · BETA 1.0 · ISCED ISCO O*NET ESCO
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