What is the training process like for psychotherapists in Ireland?
Disclaimer: Updated as of January, 2022. Created with the help of ChatGPT to summarise and compare the data. For most up-to-date info and accurate hours required in each category, we recommend that you check on the websites of each accrediting body.
Not all people who call themselves psychotherapists are accredited and certified. Currently, in Ireland it’s not illegal to use this title regardless of professional or educational background.
Those who are (pre)certified and/or (pre)accredited, typically do so under one of the accediting bodies listed below.
Each accrediting body specifies the level of qualification required, the number of hours for supervision, client work, and personal therapy to ensure psychotherapists are well-trained, competent, and ethically sound practitioners. These standards reflect the rigorous training and professional development necessary to provide effective psychotherapeutic care in Ireland.
Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP)
Level of Qualification Required:
- Completion of an accredited training program in counseling or psychotherapy, typically at the master's level.
Supervision Hours:
- Requires a minimum of 450 hours of supervised client work.
Client Work Hours:
- A minimum of 450 hours of supervised client work.
Personal Therapy Hours:
- Completion of 50 hours of personal therapy.
Irish Council for Psychotherapy (ICP):
Level of Qualification Required:
- Completion of a recognized training program in psychotherapy, typically at the master's level.
Supervision Hours:
- Requires a minimum of 450 hours of supervised clinical practice.
Client Work Hours:
- A minimum of 450 hours of supervised client work.
Personal Therapy Hours:
- Personal therapy as determined by the training program.
Irish Forum for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy (IFPP):
Level of Qualification Required:
- Completion of a psychoanalytic training program accredited by IFPP, which typically requires extensive postgraduate training (4-years, including 2 years with Trinity College Dublin, followed by 2 years with the Irish Institute of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy - IIPP)
Supervision Hours:
- Requires a minimum of 400 hours of supervised clinical practice, with a focus on psychoanalytic approaches.
Client Work Hours:
- A minimum of 320 hours of supervised client work.
Personal Therapy Hours:
- Mandates personal therapy as required by IFPP for at least 4 consecutive years, twice a week, reaching a total of 400+ hours of personal therapy with a training analyst (that’s a psychoanalytic psychotherapist specifically trained in this modality and trained to work with therapists in training).
Why is personal therapy required as part of the accreditation, certification, and training of a psychotherapist?
Self-awareness and personal growth
Identifying personal triggers and biases
Experiencing therapy as a client
Enhancing therapeutic skills
Maintaining emotional well-being
Ethical and professional standards
Some psychotherapists who obtain local accreditation in Ireland decide to proceed with a recognition on European level and that’s when they apply for accreditation with EAP.
European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP):
Level of Qualification Required:
- Completion of a comprehensive psychotherapy training program meeting European standards, typically at the master's level.
Supervision Hours:
- Requires a minimum of 450 to 600 hours of supervised clinical practice.
Client Work Hours:
- A minimum of 450 to 600 hours of supervised client work.
Personal Therapy Hours:
- Mandates personal therapy hours as part of training, fostering personal development and self-awareness.
The European Certificate stipulates that the total duration of the training for psychotherapists is 3,200 hours spread over a minimum of seven years.
