Psychotherapy training moves to public universities. The Ministry of Social Affairs announced on Thursday that a master’s program with 500 places per year is planned from 2026. The measure is intended to make access wider and cheaper.
Currently the course is not academic and is privately paid. In some cases, up to tens of thousands of euros would have to be raised for this, Education Minister Martin Polaschek (ÖVP) said on Thursday. The federal government has now presented an extensive amendment to the Psychotherapy Act, which provides for master’s programs with 500 places per year. A prerequisite for the course, which lasts at least four semesters, is a relevant prior education, such as psychology, educational sciences or medicine. After graduation, a practical phase with patient contact and a state exam is planned.
The change may also create separate bachelor’s programs in psychotherapy in the future. “(…) To improve psychosocial care, we need even more well-trained specialists. The fundamental reform will make psychotherapy training more cost-effective. We ensure that more motivated people can pursue this important profession,” said Minister of Health and Social Affairs Johannes Rauch (Greens).
No extensive treatment possible
In Austria, a fourth person is affected by a mental illness every year. About seven percent are willing to undergo psychotherapy. However, currently psychotherapists can only treat about half of them. The training reform must now combat the staff shortage. “(…) Courses that previously had to be privately financed without exception and for which up to tens of thousands of euros had to be raised, are being transferred to public universities and thus to the financing logic of the universities. This means that in the future we will have approximately 500 additional psychotherapists at our disposal in Austria,” said Minister of Education Martin Polaschek.
Barbara Haid, President of the Austrian Federal Association for Psychotherapy, is also convinced that the newly structured training will guarantee long-term care for the population. The bill was sent for review on Thursday; the first psychotherapy law is now thirty years old.
Source: Krone
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