Clinical psychologist to psychotherapist
A clinical psychologist already meets 71% of what the psychotherapist role asks for. The move turns on 21 required skills not yet in the profile.
52.6/ 100
1 How much of what a psychotherapist is expected to do is already part of a clinical psychologist’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the psychotherapist role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A psychotherapist role treats 52 of its required skills as things a clinical psychologist already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- accept own accountability
- adhere to organisational guidelines
- advise on healthcare users' informed consent
- apply context specific clinical competences
- clinical social work
- comply with legislation related to health care
What stands in the way is 21 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 72 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A psychotherapist role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a clinical psychologist background worth leading with.
- already held history of patient's psychotherapeutic problems social sciences, journalism and information
- already held manage psychotherapeutic relationships communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held provide a psychotherapeutic environment assisting and caring
- already held record the outcome of psychotherapy information skills
- already held use psychotherapeutic interventions assisting and caring
- already held work on psychosomatic issues assisting and caring
All 72 carried skills, including the 52 the psychotherapist role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 31 missing skills fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn conditions for the professional practice of psychotherapy required
- still to learn historic development of psychotherapeutic schools required
- still to learn psycho-social forms of intervention required
- still to learn disorders affecting self-awareness required
- still to learn personality development theories required
- still to learn psychological theories required
- still to learn theories of personality required
- optional, not held psychoanalysis optional
- still to learn conduct psychotherapy risk assessments required
- still to learn evaluate practice in psychotherapy required
- still to learn keep up with current trends in psychotherapy required
- still to learn conceptualise healthcare user’s needs required
- optional, not held address side effects of menopause optional
- optional, not held record healthcare users' billing information optional
- still to learn discuss the end point of therapeutic intervention required
- still to learn encourage healthcare user's self-monitoring required
- still to learn communicate in healthcare required
- optional, not held collaborate to discuss treatment plans in psychotherapy optional
- optional, not held apply systemic design thinking optional
- still to learn conclude the psychotherapeutic relationship required
- still to learn maintain personal development in psychotherapy required
- still to learn manage personal professional development required
- still to learn psychiatric disorders required
- optional, not held psychomotor therapy optional
- optional, not held geriatrics optional
- optional, not held paediatrics optional
- optional, not held rehabilitation optional
- still to learn scientific research methodology required
- optional, not held pedagogy optional
2 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a psychotherapist role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 conclude the psychotherapeutic relationship practise this
- 02 conditions for the professional practice of psychotherapy study this
- 03 conduct psychotherapy risk assessments practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 72 skills that carry over
- already held accept own accountability skill
- already held adhere to organisational guidelines skill
- already held advise on healthcare users' informed consent skill
- already held apply context specific clinical competences skill
- already held clinical social work knowledge
- already held comply with legislation related to health care skill
- already held comply with quality standards related to healthcare practice skill
- already held contribute to continuity of health care skill
- already held counsel clients skill
- already held decide upon a psychotherapeutic approach skill
- already held develop a collaborative therapeutic relationship skill
- already held diagnose psychiatric symptoms skill
- already held empathise with the healthcare user skill
- already held ensure safety of healthcare users skill
- already held follow clinical guidelines skill
- already held formulate a case conceptualisation model for therapy skill
- already held handle patient trauma skill
- already held health care occupation-specific ethics knowledge
- already held history of patient's psychotherapeutic problems knowledge
- already held identify mental health issues skill
- already held interact with healthcare users skill
- already held listen actively skill
- already held manage healthcare users' data skill
- already held manage psychotherapeutic relationships skill
- already held monitor therapeutic progress skill
- already held organise relapse prevention skill
- already held perform therapy sessions skill
- already held prescribe psychotherapeutic treatment skill
- already held promote mental health skill
- already held promote psycho-social education skill
- already held provide a psychotherapeutic environment skill
- already held provide treatment strategies for challenges to human health skill
- already held psychiatry knowledge
- already held psychological diagnostics knowledge
- already held psychology knowledge
- already held psychopathology knowledge
- already held psychopharmacology knowledge
- already held psychosomatics knowledge
- already held record the outcome of psychotherapy skill
- already held respond to changing situations in health care skill
- already held respond to healthcare users' extreme emotions skill
- already held support patients to understand their conditions skill
- already held therapy in health care knowledge
- already held use clinical assessment techniques skill
- already held use e-health and mobile health technologies skill
- already held use psychoeducation skill
- already held use psychotherapeutic interventions skill
- already held use techniques to increase patients' motivation skill
- already held work in a multicultural environment in health care skill
- already held work on psychosomatic issues skill
- already held work with healthcare users under medication skill
- already held work with patterns of psychological behaviour skill
- already held apply caseload management skill
- already held apply hypno-psychotherapy skill
- already held apply organisational techniques skill
- already held apply psychoanalysis skill
- already held apply systemic therapy skill
- already held carry out psychiatric assessment of child skill
- already held deal with emergency care situations skill
- already held diagnose mental disorders skill
- already held educate on the prevention of illness skill
- already held employ cognitive behaviour treatment techniques skill
- already held help healthcare users develop social perceptiveness skill
- already held inform policy makers on health-related challenges skill
- already held promote inclusion skill
- already held provide health education skill
- already held sexual disorders knowledge
- already held use foreign languages for health-related research skill
- already held use foreign languages in patient care skill
- already held work in multidisciplinary health teams skill
- already held work on the effects of abuse skill
- already held work with healthcare users' social network skill
The 2 learning areas not shown above
- still to learn body language required
- still to learn supervision of persons required
10 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held collaborate to discuss treatment plans in psychotherapy optional
- optional, not held address side effects of menopause optional
- optional, not held psychoanalysis optional
- optional, not held psychomotor therapy optional
- optional, not held apply systemic design thinking optional
- optional, not held geriatrics optional
- optional, not held paediatrics optional
- optional, not held pedagogy optional
- optional, not held record healthcare users' billing information optional
- optional, not held rehabilitation optional
48 held skills the psychotherapist role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role apply clinical psychological treatment skill
- not needed by the target role apply psychological intervention strategies skill
- not needed by the target role assess healthcare users' risk for harm skill
- not needed by the target role clinical psychological treatment knowledge
- not needed by the target role clinical reports knowledge
- not needed by the target role conditions for professional practice of clinical psychology knowledge
- not needed by the target role conduct forensic evaluations skill
- not needed by the target role conduct psychological assessement skill
- not needed by the target role conduct psychological research skill
- not needed by the target role consultation knowledge
- not needed by the target role counselling methods knowledge
- not needed by the target role creation of clinical psychological opinions knowledge
- not needed by the target role crisis intervention knowledge
- not needed by the target role diagnosis of mental health issues knowledge
- not needed by the target role drug interaction management knowledge
- not needed by the target role emergency psychology knowledge
- not needed by the target role evaluate clinical psychological measures skill
- not needed by the target role evaluation of psychological performance knowledge
- not needed by the target role experimental psychology knowledge
- not needed by the target role expert services in clinical psychology knowledge
- not needed by the target role first aid knowledge
- not needed by the target role forensic psychiatry knowledge
- not needed by the target role health psychology knowledge
- not needed by the target role interpret psychological tests skill
- not needed by the target role methods of differential diagnosis knowledge
- not needed by the target role multi-professional cooperation in health care knowledge
- not needed by the target role neurology knowledge
- not needed by the target role neuroscience knowledge
- not needed by the target role occupational health knowledge
- not needed by the target role prescribe medication skill
- not needed by the target role primary care knowledge
- not needed by the target role provide clinical advice to team members skill
- not needed by the target role provide clinical psychological assessment skill
- not needed by the target role provide clinical psychological counselling skill
- not needed by the target role provide clinical psychological expert opinions skill
- not needed by the target role provide clinical psychological support in crisis situations skill
- not needed by the target role provide psychological interventions to chronically ill persons skill
- not needed by the target role provide strategies of differential diagnosis skill
- not needed by the target role provide testimony in court hearings skill
- not needed by the target role psychological healthcare services knowledge
8 further entries not listed here
17 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn conditions for the professional practice of psychotherapy required
- still to learn historic development of psychotherapeutic schools required
- still to learn psycho-social forms of intervention required
- still to learn disorders affecting self-awareness required
- still to learn body language required
- still to learn personality development theories required
- still to learn psychiatric disorders required
- still to learn psychological theories required
- still to learn scientific research methodology required
- still to learn supervision of persons required
- still to learn theories of personality required
- optional, not held psychoanalysis optional
- optional, not held psychomotor therapy optional
- optional, not held geriatrics optional
- optional, not held paediatrics optional
- optional, not held pedagogy optional
- optional, not held rehabilitation optional
Common questions about this move
Can a clinical psychologist become a psychotherapist?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. A clinical psychologist already covers 71% of what a psychotherapist is expected to do: 72 skills carry over, 52 of which the psychotherapist role treats as required.
What skills does a clinical psychologist need to become a psychotherapist?
21 required skills are missing, plus 10 optional ones. They fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by social sciences, journalism and information. The single most important is conclude the psychotherapeutic relationship.
How hard is the move from clinical psychologist to psychotherapist?
Its learning distance is 52.6 out of 100, which is the moderate band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.