The 5 best psychotherapy courses

April 25, 2024

The work of psychotherapists in relation to mental health It is extremely important at present, and it is not strange that many individuals have the need to attend psychotherapy sessions to resolve some conflict of the past, improve some aspect of their life, acquire greater self-awareness, achieve emotional balance, and so on.

In a society that demands so much of us, the psychologist must be prepared to attend with the maximum guarantees to the patients who need it.

The importance of continuing education

Undoubtedly, a good education is the best investment to grow professionally and do a good job as a psychotherapist, but many psychology students who, upon finishing the Degree or the Master in General Health Psychology, recognize that they are not fully prepared to practice as psychological therapy professionals. The race touches a bit of everything and provides a good base, but it is impractical and does not prepare to be able to sit in front of a patient with total confidence.

Luckily, some educational institutions offer a wide variety of training opportunities and certifications for therapists interested in their own professional training. These programs, of excellent quality, are designed for those psychologists who have already completed the Bachelor's Degree in Psychology (and in many cases the General Sanitary Master), for those professionals with extensive experience in the therapeutic field who want to continue learning and for the students who are finishing their studies and have already visualized their future as therapists.

The best psychotherapy courses

This week we have prepared a list of courses in psychotherapy that we consider that they can be interesting for psychologists who wish to dedicate themselves or dedicate themselves to this plot of behavioral science.

Some of them are ideal for treating a specific population group, others provide tools, methods and psychotherapeutic skills necessary to meet the expectations of patients, and others offer the possibility of acquiring practical experience, so necessary for the proper performance of the profession. All these programs are excellent and provide great knowledge.

1. Practical course on Child and Youth Psychology (Mensalus Institute, Barcelona)

The Mensalus Institute, one of the most prestigious centers in Barcelona, teaches the "Practical Course on Child and Youth Psychology", an ideal practical training for those psychologists and psycho-pedagogues who want to gain experience in the field of child and youth psychotherapy and wish to delve into different techniques and therapeutic tools in this field.

Its methodology, therefore, is practical and experiential, designed so that students can develop the necessary functional skills to perform professional work and, at the same time, get the necessary confidence to practice as psychotherapists with children and young people.

Throughout the school term, the students integrate the theoretical contents with the real professional intervention , visualize real cases facilitated by the center itself and work directly with tools and materials for real evaluation and intervention.

The next edition of this course starts on October 17, 2017 (morning group) and October 20, 2017 (afternoon group).

In addition, the same center, together with the Rey Juan Carlos University of Madrid, teaches the "Master in Integrative Psychotherapy", one of the best Masters that is possible to find in Spain. It works from an integrating position, and the students perfect their own therapeutic style thanks to the practice with real cases , in which they act as psychotherapists with their own patients (facilitated by the center).

Also, from the beginning of the course students learn from other professionals with the viewing live cases through unidirectional glass .

If you want more information about both training activities, you can find the contact information of the Mensalus Institute by clicking here.

2. Course "Skills of the Therapist": Miguel Ángel Rizaldos

Much of the success in psychological therapy is the relationship of trust that exists between the therapist and the patient. Therapeutic skills, therefore, are key for the patient to notice an improvement in his mental health after going through consultation with a psychologist. For this reason, Miguel Ángel Rizaldos, one of the most prestigious clinical psychologists in our country, who has more than 20 years of experience offering psychotherapy sessions, teaches the online course "Therapeutic Skills" .

Thanks to this course, you can improve your communication and language before, during and after the sessions, identify your strengths or weaknesses when exercising as a psychotherapist, positively impact on the facilitating variables of an efficient therapy (motivation, authenticity, creativity, etc.), adopt a relational style as a therapist that favors patient-therapist confidence regardless of the patient's age (children, adolescents and adults) and much more.

If you are a psychologist, doctor, psychiatrist, occupational therapist, nurse or dietitian, this training can be very useful and can help you grow as a health professional.

To know more, you can visit the Miguel Ángel Rizaldos website by clicking on this link.

3. University Expert in Third Generation Therapies (University of La Laguna, Tenerife)

In recent years, a new wave of therapies has begun to be used in psychotherapy because of its benefits. This type of therapies, called third generation, have a more contextualized and holistic approach of the individual , and do not only take into account the symptoms or problems of the patient, but focus on how it relates to the environment in the present moment, with special emphasis on verbal behavior and clarification of values, always from the functionality.

Third-generation therapies educate the patient on how he sees the problem and how it de-psychopathizes, and pay special attention to internal dialogue and acceptance.

The University of La Laguna offers a course to delve into this topic, and provides the opportunity to delve into the different therapeutic views of this new trend, for example, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Functional Analytical Psychotherapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy or Cognitive Therapy Based on Mindfulness. In this way, psychologists leave behind the cognitive-behavioral approach to discover a new way of doing psychotherapy.

4. Course on the Application of the Motivational Interview to Health Problems: A Useful Tool in Treatments (Center for Applied Psychology, Madrid)

The Center for Applied Psychology belongs to the Autonomous University of Madrid, and is intended for assistance, research and training. One of the training actions that it gives is the "Application Course Motivational Interview for Health Problems: A Useful Tool in Treatments". The motivational interview is a therapeutic approach , focused on the patient, who intends to initiate a change in behavior in this helping him to resolve his ambivalence.

Scientific research shows that it increases the internal motivation of patients resistant to change and favors adherence to treatment, so it becomes an especially useful tool for psychotherapeutic practice, which provides a greater feeling of satisfaction in both patients and professionals. . The main objective of this course is to train psychologists who wish to specialize in this methodology.

5. Specialization Course in Integrated Psychotherapy of Personality Disorders (University of Deusto, Bilbao)

Organized by the University of Deusto, the Foundation for Research in Psychotherapy and Personality (FUNDIPP) and the OMIE Foundation, this training is aimed at those mental health professionals who have a particular interest in deepening in the different Personality Disorders .

The teaching methodology is blended, and the course gives access to a university degree taught by the same university: "Postgraduate Diploma in Psychotherapy of Personality Disorders". This training enables students to better understand this phenomenon and provides a wide repertoire of therapeutic skills applicable to daily clinical practice. It is intended for psychologists with previous training in psychotherapy and clinical practice.