Psychotherapy vs. Psychological Counseling
Psychological counseling and psychotherapy are services that can overlap in terms of content and methodology. They are often confused because not everyone is aware of the difference. However, there are differences in terms of diagnosis, intensity and duration of the collaboration, and coverage of costs.
Psychologische Beratung
As a psychologist, my services also include psychological counseling. However, it is important to know that "psychological counseling" is not a protected job title and that anyone can offer this type of counseling - regardless of what training they have. More on this topic in the section "Protection of the title of psychologist" below.
Psychological counseling provides support with issues such as life crises, relationship problems, conflict and stress situations as well as other stressful events in private or professional life.
During psychological counseling, the patient is not diagnosed with an F diagnosis for mental illness. Consequently, psychological counseling is not the treatment of a mental illness. The costs are therefore not covered by basic insurance.
Since stressful life events or crises can sometimes be involved in the development of a mental illness, psychological counseling is a good preventive measure.
psychotherapy
Bei einer Psychotherapie wird eine psychische Erkrankung behandelt. Entsprechend wird die Psychotherapie von den Krankenkassen in unterschiedlichem Umfang finanziert, vorausgesetzt eine psychische Krankheit ist diagnostiziert worden.
In einer Psychotherapie geht es um persönliche Veränderung, um neues Verhalten und neue Einsichten. Da eine solche Veränderung nicht in ein, zwei Gesprächen zu erreichen ist, dauert eine Therapie tendenziell länger als eine Beratung. Eine Kurztherapie erstreckt sich über etwa 10 bis 25 Stunden, eine mittellange über etwa 30 bis 80 Stunden, und eine Langzeittherapie ist grundsätzlich zeitlich nicht limitiert.
Eine Psychotherapie darf nur von Berufsgruppen wie psychologischen oder ärztlichen Psychotherapeuten angeboten werden.
Ab Herbst 2025 werde ich auch Psychotherapie anbieten. Bis dahin umfasst mein Angebot die psychologische Beratung.
title protection "Psychologist"
How do you recognize quality in the psychology professions?
Most people generally associate the term "psychologist" with experts in human experience and behavior, mental health, and mental disorders and illnesses. In practice, however, it is not always easy to distinguish professional offers from so-called "psychological" services offered by people without a higher education qualification. In order to make this opaque market more transparent, the Psychology Professions Act (PsyG) introduces protection for the professional title "psychologist".
Who can call themselves a psychologist?
Anyone who has obtained a qualification in psychology from a Swiss university or university of applied sciences (major subject, master's degree) recognized under the PsyG may call themselves a psychologist (Art. 2 and 4 PsyG).
These provisions also apply to compound terms, i.e. no one may call themselves an “industrial psychologist” or “sports psychologist” without having one of the above-mentioned qualifications in psychology.
Quoted from the following document from the Promotion of Swiss Psychologists ( https://www.psychologie.ch/sites/default/files/media-files/2019-03/titelschutz_de.pdf)