Psychological psychotherapists in outpatient practice
Who they are, what they do and which devices they use: a research-based profile for recruiting this target group for MedTech and pharma projects.
Overview
Psychological psychotherapists are psychologists who have completed several years of psychotherapy training after their degree. They run or work in a psychotherapy practice and treat mental illness with psychotherapeutic methods. At the start they use trial sessions to clarify whether patient and therapist are a good fit, which method is suitable and how long treatment is likely to take. They inform about diagnosis and prognosis, obtain consent and develop a treatment plan with agreed goals that are reviewed during the course. Whether there are physical causes is clarified by a physician beforehand. Unlike with psychiatrists, medication is not their main focus.
Profession by country
Fields of use and typical tasks
ambulante Praxis
Evidence from: DE, AT, CH
- Clarify and assess complaints in the psychotherapeutic consultation and make a diagnosis according to ICD-10
- Use questionnaires and tests in the first sessions
- Inform about the condition, suitable treatment and expected duration and record this in writing in the individual patient information
- Recommend next steps such as guideline psychotherapy, acute treatment, co-treatment by a medical specialist or inpatient treatment
- Provide individual therapy, usually one 50-minute session per week
- Provide group therapy, also jointly with a second therapist
Specializations
Devices and systems they use
Who they work with
- General practitioners
- Medical specialists
Frequently asked questions
How does treatment with this group begin?
With trial sessions that clarify whether patient and therapist are a good fit, which method is suitable and how long treatment is likely to take.
Does the group use structured tools during therapy?
The chamber's guide mentions symptom diaries as a measure explained in the trial sessions, and a treatment plan with agreed goals that are reviewed and adjusted during the course.
Who clarifies physical causes?
According to the guide, patients see a general practitioner or medical specialist for this before psychotherapy.
How does the group differ from psychiatrists?
According to the professional association, psychiatrists mainly treat conditions in which medication plays an important role. Psychological psychotherapists are psychologists with psychotherapy training.
Can the group prescribe digital applications?
This is documented for Germany: according to the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, psychological psychotherapists have been allowed to prescribe a growing range of services under statutory health insurance since 2018, and the service booklet for psychotherapy practices has a dedicated chapter on digital health applications. These apps and web applications have been prescribable since 2020 and can complement treatment, for example for depression. Prescriptions can also be issued electronically if the practice management system supports the function. No evidence was found for Austria or Switzerland.
Is this your profession?
Tell us what we got right and what we got wrong. Your review makes this profile more accurate, and you can register to take part in paid MedTech and pharma projects that match your experience.
That is me: review and joinOne question for this target group?
Send us your question or a claim you want checked. We will get back to you by email.
Recruit this target group through TechNurse
TechNurse recruits verified healthcare professionals and patients for usability tests, interviews, surveys and advisory projects, and handles screening, contracts, scheduling, documented fair market value compensation and payout.
Related target groups
Same work area
Same specialty
Sources
- Psychotherapeut*in, Psycholog*in, Psychiater*in, Deutsche PsychotherapeutenVereinigung (DPtV) (DE)
- Die Probesitzungen (Ratgeber Wege zur Psychotherapie), Bundespsychotherapeutenkammer (BPtK) (DE)
- Serviceheft zu Verordnungen in Psychotherapiepraxen neu aufgelegt (PraxisNachrichten), Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung (KBV) (DE)
- Die Behandlung in der Praxis (Ratgeber Wege zur Psychotherapie), Bundespsychotherapeutenkammer (BPtK) (DE)
- Die psychotherapeutische Sprechstunde (Ratgeber Wege zur Psychotherapie), Bundespsychotherapeutenkammer (BPtK) (DE)
- Telematikinfrastruktur, Deutsche PsychotherapeutenVereinigung (DPtV) (DE)
- Psychotherapie, Österreichische Gesundheitskasse (ÖGK) (AT)
- Psychotherapie, Öffentliches Gesundheitsportal Österreichs (Gesundheitsministerium, erstellt von der Gesundheit Österreich GmbH) (AT)
- PsychotherapeutIn (AMS Berufslexikon), Arbeitsmarktservice Österreich (AMS) (AT)
- Wissenswertes für Patient*innen, Assoziation Schweizer Psychotherapeutinnen und Psychotherapeuten (ASP) (CH)
- Wer übernimmt die Kosten für Psychotherapie?, Assoziation Schweizer Psychotherapeutinnen und Psychotherapeuten (ASP) (CH)
- Merkblatt Videobasierte Online-Psychotherapie, ZHAW IAP Institut für Angewandte Psychologie, Zentrum für klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie (bereitgestellt von der Schweizerischen Gesellschaft für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie und -psychotherapie) (CH)
- Understanding psychotherapy and how it works, American Psychological Association (US)
- Psychology Services, UTHealth Houston, McGovern Medical School, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Texas (US)
- Center for Psychological Services, Marquette University, Department of Psychology, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (US)