Psychotherapist

As a psychotherapist you'll listen to people talking about their feelings and encourage them to think about their experiences.

You’ll guide your clients or patients to examine their emotional responses and actions. This will help them work out how to deal with emotional or relationship problems and become happier.

Psychotherapists use a variety of techniques and therapies, rather than drugs or physical treatments, with each person.

Your tasks might include:

• encouraging people to talk about their experiences and explore their problems

• analysing past events and behaviours, so they can make changes

• assessing their way of thinking and their feelings

• helping people tackle problems such as anxiety, depression or behavioural issues

• helping them develop new ways to cope and deal with life

• supporting with more severe problems such as psychosis

You could work with adults or children, individually and in couples or groups.

People will often be distressed so you'll need to ask them questions sensitively. You’ll need to develop the confidence and skills to explore painful issues with clients. It's crucial to be non-judgemental, so you can build trust and rapport with a wide range of people.

For some conditions, you might work with other professionals, such as psychiatrists or social workers.

Sometimes people tell you things that are upsetting so you’ll need to be able to separate your own feelings from those of your clients. You'll usually get your own support from a mentor at regular supervision sessions.

There are different types of psychotherapy that you can train in and deliver. These include:

• cognitive and behavioural therapies – looking at how people think and behave

• psychoanalytic therapies – dealing with how people's past experiences affect them

• humanistic therapies – focusing on self-development

• creative therapies – such as art therapy or music therapy

The approach you use will depend on the clients you work with.

• British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP) – find out about training, search for jobs or placements or develop your skills

• UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) – get advice on becoming a UKCP-trained psychotherapist

• British Psychoanalytical Council (BCP) – find courses and training provided by the BPC

• COSCA – Scotland’s professional body for counselling and psychotherapy – get advice and find training courses to help you become a counsellor in Scotland

• Association of Child and Adolescent Psychotherapists – get advice on how to train for this specialism

• Disclosure Scotland – find out about the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme