Psychotherapists work with individuals, couples, families and groups to help them overcome a range of psychological and emotional issues. With the client as an active participant, psychotherapists use personal treatment plans and a variety of non-medical-based treatments to:
Psychotherapists take a variety of approaches according to the theoretical models they adopt and the therapy they practise. These 'talking therapies' include:
Psychotherapists work with individuals on a one-to-one basis, with couples and families, and with groups of clients.
Typical work activities include:
The role of psychotherapist can overlap with the role of counsellor. To find out more about the work of a psychotherapist, see the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) (http://www.ukcp.org.uk) website.
Although this area of work is open to all graduates, the following subjects may increase your chances:
Entry with an HND only is not possible. Most entrants are graduates, many of whom have previous experience from working in a related area, e.g. social work, mental health professions, psychology and psychiatry.
A pre-entry postgraduate qualification is essential. The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) (http://www.bacp.co.uk) publishes the Training in Counselling & Psychotherapy Directory (http://www.bacp.co.uk/education/td.html) which outlines the main training courses. Courses are normally part time and take four to six years to complete. They include theory, supervised clinical work and clinical seminars. Training in an established institution will almost always include undergoing personal therapy. Not all training programmes necessarily give clearance to practise as a psychotherapist, so check course content and qualifications carefully.
For a recognised position with a public institution, training that conforms to standards set by the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) (http://www.ukcp.org.uk) or the British Psychoanalytic Council (http://www.psychoanalytic-council.org) is usually required. Prospective employers usually specify which psychology qualification they seek in their job adverts, so it can be useful to consult job postings on the NHS Jobs (http://www.jobs.nhs.uk) website before deciding on a training course.
For private practice psychotherapy, there is currently no registration or licensing of psychotherapists in the UK, and so there are no specific qualifications required.
Pre-entry experience is required. Life experience is essential for prospective psychotherapists in order to cope with the extremes of human emotion, ambiguity and vulnerability that they are likely to encounter. Psychotherapy is commonly a second career with many people coming from clinical psychology, psychiatry, mental health or social work backgrounds.
Candidates will need to show evidence of the following:
Psychotherapists also need to be able to separate their own feelings and emotions from those of the patient, with the resilience not to be overwhelmed by the clients' problems.
The selection process is rigorous and some training courses are heavily oversubscribed.
Training in psychotherapy is expensive (personal therapy and fees) and grants are few. As many of the courses are part time, students often work during their training. There is a limited number of training posts in adult psychotherapy in The National Health Service (NHS) offering varying degrees of financial support in exchange for clinical practice, usually at an NHS site. The NHS Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme, for example, has led to an increase in training posts in cognitive behavioural therapy in many NHS trusts. Vacancies are advertised on the NHS jobs website.
For more information, see work experience (www.prospects.ac.uk/workexperience) and find courses and research (www.prospects.ac.uk/pg).
A psychotherapist may be a medical health professional who has done further specialist training in psychotherapy, or a non-health professional who has undertaken in-depth training in this area. Irrespective of their background, all psychotherapists are required to participate in continuous professional development (CPD) and keep abreast of clinical and theoretical papers, which can be done by regular attendance at conferences, courses or meetings.
The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) (http://www.bacp.co.uk) produces the Training in Counselling & Psychotherapy Directory (http://www.bacp.co.uk/education/td.html) , an online directory of training courses. Their courses are organised and led by experienced BACP psychotherapists and are presented in a number of formats, ranging from introductory lecture/discussion groups to post-qualification workshops. This ensures that courses remain accessible to psychotherapists from a range of professional backgrounds who are at different stages in their careers.
Training routes vary between different areas of psychotherapy. Contact the relevant membership organisation for the specialism you are interested in, to identify training and accreditation options.
Associate membership of the BACP and registration with the British Psychoanalytic Council (http://www.psychoanalytic-council.org) are open to those candidates who have successfully completed professional training. Many proceed to full membership of the BACP after about five years.
Opportunities for advancement will vary depending on the interest and expertise of the individual, as well as geographical mobility.
Managerial responsibility is possible within NHS mental health services, although this usually means a reduction in clinical work as the emphasis moves to managing individuals and services. Lecturing and clinical teaching in universities or training institutions is an attractive career development route to some practitioners.
With extensive experience, it is possible to become either a training therapist, training student psychotherapists, or a supervisor, providing support to other psychotherapists.
A growing number of therapists undertake research and also act as consultants to allied professional and community organisations.
Psychotherapists can also undertake ‘trainings’ in more than one area of psychotherapy, for example training first in psychodrama psychotherapy, and then later in group analytic psychotherapy. Some psychotherapists specialise as child psychotherapists.
It is important for all psychotherapists to access sources of professional support and to keep up to date with new developments in psychotherapy. This can be achieved through membership of a relevant professional body, such as the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) (http://www.ukcp.org.uk) or the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) (http://www.bacp.co.uk) .
Psychotherapists work in a variety of environments in The National Health Service (NHS) (http://www.nhs.uk) , including:
Psychotherapists in the NHS usually work as a member of a multidisciplinary team made up of psychiatrists, social workers, psychologists, family therapists, occupational therapists, mental health nurses and therapists.
Some psychotherapists are employed by universities and training institutions where they teach, conduct research or facilitate training for groups of medical professionals and other health workers, for example nurses and social workers.
Some psychotherapists set up in independent private practice, where competition is strong. Building a practice, especially in the early years, is difficult and many do not achieve a full-time professional career.
Search graduate jobs (www.prospects.ac.uk/links/jobvacs).
Recruitment agencies rarely handle vacancies.
See also job hunting tips (www.prospects.ac.uk/links/jobhunt) and applications, CVs and interviews (www.prospects.ac.uk/links/appsinterviews).
The following Case studies are also available on prospects.ac.uk:
© Content copyright of or licensed to AGCAS (www.agcas.org.uk)
Written by Helen Reed, Nottingham Trent University, May 2009.
The work of writers, editors and other contributors is gratefully acknowledged - full details on www.prospects.ac.uk/links/occupations. To view the terms and conditions for the material provided in this publication, please see www.prospects.ac.uk/links/disclaimer