Key Considerations When Choosing a Psychotherapy Training Course
During a psychotherapy training course, you’ll gain the foundational skills, theoretical knowledge, and practical experience necessary to become a competent and effective psychotherapist. There are a multitude of courses to choose from, each with their own theoretical outlook, entry requirements, accreditation, and teaching style.
This blog explores the different types of training available, how to prepare, and key considerations to keep in mind during this decision-making process.
By investing in the right training, you can ensure you are well-prepared to support your clients and advance in your career.
There are myriad psychotherapy training courses to choose from, each with their own theoretical outlook and approach. Below we have explored the importance of selecting the right training course and key considerations to keep in mind during this decision-making process.
The Importance of Training in Psychotherapy
Suitable training is essential to progress your career and fulfil your potential. Here is a quick breakdown of the different training types:
Pre-qualification and foundation courses
These courses teach students entry-level skills and theoretical knowledge needed to prepare for the next stage in training, called ‘Qualifying Training’. You often need to complete a foundation course before starting Qualifying Training
Qualifying Training
These courses allow you to qualify as a psychotherapist (or counsellor). They last a minimum of 3 years and include supervised clinical work, further theoretical teaching, and, sometimes, a psychiatric placement and an infant observation.
Post-qualification/professional development courses
After qualifying, these courses enable psychotherapists to enhance their professional skills and develop their knowledge (we often call this: ‘continuous professional development’). All accredited therapists have to undertake around 30 hours of ongoing learning every year.
A well-rounded education ensures psychotherapists are prepared for the challenges they will face in their careers and help them provide the best support according to their client’s specific needs.
Considerations for Choosing a Psychotherapy Training Course
When choosing a psychotherapy training course, it’s crucial to consider several factors to ensure it meets your personal and professional needs. Training is a considerable financial investment, so it’s worthwhile to do your research before committing. Here are some key aspects to keep in mind when comparing the options available:
Accreditations
Always make sure the training courses you choose are accredited by a reputable psychotherapy authority, such as the British Psychoanalytic Council, the Association of Child Psychotherapists, the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy or the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. Accreditation guarantees that the course meets the accrediting body’s academic, clinical and ethical standards. In other words, accreditation demonstrates that the course has been quality-assured.
Theoretical Approach and Teaching
Courses, and the organisations that teach them, tend to have a specific theoretical outlook. At the bpf, for example, we specialise in teaching psychoanalytic and Jungian psychotherapy. Other schools will have different theoretical approaches, such as Humanistic, Existential, Integrative, or Gestalt to name just a few. Before choosing where to train, we recommend doing some research into the different types of psychotherapy and discovering which theories resonate with you the most. Introductory psychotherapy or counselling texts will often summarise the various schools of thought and can be a helpful starting point.
When selecting a course, it’s also important to ensure the teaching staff are professional psychotherapists who have experience in the disciplines you’re interested in. Their expertise and experience will help you to get the most out of your training.
Course Structure & Personal Therapy
Training is a marathon, not a sprint, so the structure of the training course you choose should fit around your routine and current work commitments (qualifying will take 4 years in most cases).
Traditionally, psychotherapy training courses are held in person, however, you sometimes have the option to study the theoretical components of a course online. Clinical seminars, where you will discuss your clinical work with your peers, still tend to be held in person.
In addition to the lectures, seminars, self-study, work with patients, and supervision, personal therapy will also be required. Psychotherapy and counselling schools also have rules about the qualifications, experience, accreditation your therapist needs in order to work with you while you are studying. Your personal therapy usually needs to be in-person, and you need to have started therapy at least 6-12 months before starting your course; that being said, being in therapy for longer than the minimum requirements will strengthen your application.
As you can see, there are a lot of elements to juggle at once, so some serious planning will be required before starting a clinical training. In most cases, you will need to complete a Foundation Course before you can be considered for the full psychotherapy or counselling training. This is a good opportunity to test the waters and see if now is the right time to change careers.
Practical Experience
Since psychotherapy is a practice-oriented profession, on training courses you will be undertaking clinical work with patients. During this, you will meet regularly with a supervisor to discuss your work, receive feedback, and think through any difficulties that arise.
In addition to working with patients, more intensive training providers may also require you to undertake a psychiatric placement for six months and an infant observation.
Clinical experience allows you to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world settings and to develop your identity as a practitioner. The British Psychoanalytic Council, who accredit the bpf’s courses, require trainees to work with a minimum of two patients, one for 18 months and the other for 24 months. Some courses take a different approach, instead requiring trainees to complete a certain number of placement hours (usually 100 hours) with a variety of patients.
Ongoing Support
Training to become a psychotherapist is an emotionally challenging process. It can be easy to overlook, but you should consider the support available to students throughout the course. On an accredited psychotherapy training, you should expect the following types of ongoing support:
- Personal therapy to cope with the demands of the course/clinical work
- Regular supervision, with an experienced practitioner, to discuss clinical work
- A personal tutor, for pastoral support, whilst studying
These resources will prove invaluable during the most challenging periods of your training.
Booking a Psychotherapy Training Course in London or Newcastle
All in all, choosing the right psychotherapy training course is a decision that will shape your career. Hopefully, the information above will help you ensure you’re investing your money, time and energy into the right training that aligns with your professional aspirations and personal growth goals. Here at the British Psychotherapy Foundation, we offer a vast range of psychotherapy training courses in London and the North East of England (Newcastle upon Tyne), designed to teach you how to tackle even the most complex cases with confidence. When you choose to train with us, you will be fully supported at every stage of your learning journey and we pride ourselves on our highly respected courses.
You can find out more about each of our courses on our website and we cover some commonly asked questions by prospective students on our training FAQ page. If this is a completely new career path for you, we recommend you look at our training pathways diagram below to discover how you can become a qualified psychotherapist.