Psychotherapy – general information

Psychotherapy is the name for a type of acknowledged treatment, the general objective of which is to enable clients to manage both their personal lives and to be a functioning part of society. Furthermore, it will help them find their path in life according to their own wishes. Any form of therapy is a method to help people help themselves. The therapist never solves problems for the client, but he will assist him or her in understanding their problem, and help them find a solution. In Germany, health insurances acknowledge and cover only the so-called standard therapies. Today, the scientific advisory council defines the following forms of therapy as sufficiently safe and effective: behavior therapy, psychoanalysis and depth psychology. Only psychologists (psychological psychotherapists) and physicians (specialists for psychotherapeutic medicine, psychotherapy and psychosomatic medicine) holding the respective degree may call themselves “psychotherapists”. In addition to their professional training, psychotherapists are required to complete years of highly sophisticated further education and pass a state exam. Psychiatry and psychology are often confused with each other, but are actually two different disciplines. Psychiatrists are medical doctors specializing in psychiatry. Whereas the professional field of psychiatry overlaps to a certain extent with a number of psychological fields, only psychiatrists and medical psychotherapists are allowed to prescribe psychotropic drugs.