Child psychotherapist : Entry requirements

Trainings in child and adolescent psychotherapy in the UK are offered at training schools accredited by two organisations: The Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP)  and the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) .

Entry to accredited trainings is at graduate (honours degree or equivalent) level and those wishing to train must already have substantial experience of working with infants, children, young people or families. Trainees often come from other professions including psychology, psychiatry, medicine, nursing, social work, academia and teaching.

Details of UKCP courses and Standards of Education and Training as well as entry requirements can be obtained from the UKCP website or the UKCP office (tel: 0207 014 9955). UKCP accredit trainings in child and adolescent psychotherapy in several organisations across several psychotherapy traditions. The trainings are at a minimum four years part time and it usually takes five to seven years to reach accredited status as a practitioner. UKCP psychotherapists and counsellors registered to work with children and young people make a major contribution to working with children in educational settings and some trainings specialise in this field.

ACP-accredited trainings take around six years and involve two stages: a part-time, two- or three-year pre-clinical training course in infant observation and a four-year clinical training. Trainings are offered at the ACP’s five accredited training schools:

• The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust  (London);
• British Association of Psychotherapists (BAP)  (London);
• Birmingham Trust for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy ;
• Northern School of Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy  (Leeds);
• The Scottish Institute of Human Relations  (Edinburgh).

The Masters level pre-clinical training includes close observation of infants and young children in order to gain an understanding of child development and attachment theory. Once trainees have successfully completed the pre-clinical training, they can apply for a doctoral-level clinical training based full time in a multidisciplinary Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)  or other setting. This helps them to develop skills in a multidisciplinary setting from the outset.

Entry on to the pre-clinical training for candidates who do not have a degree or equivalent may be possible for those with relevant experience. Contact individual institutions for details.

Clinical training includes long- and short-term individual psychoanalytic work with children, young people and parents, as well as assessments, work with groups and families, and consultation with other professionals. A central feature of this stage of training is personal psychotherapy, which deepens self-knowledge and enables trainees to experience first-hand the impact of a therapeutic relationship. The four years of hands-on clinical training and personal psychoanalysis, followed by supervision throughout your career, develops the capacity to differentiate your personal feelings and emotions from those of the child and the resilience to withstand being overwhelmed or burdened by clients' problems.

Personal suitability is extremely important and this is judged on experience. A minimum of two years' work with children of varying ages or families, in a voluntary or professional capacity is required.

Candidates need to show evidence of the following:

• maturity;
• sensitivity, a broad mind and a genuine interest in the emotional problems faced by children and their families;
  the ability to cope with the extremes of human emotion, ambiguity and vulnerability;
• the confidence to help children explore difficult and painful aspects of their life.

Tuition fees for the pre-clinical training are around £1,500 to £3,000 per year and trainees usually meet these costs themselves - although NHS funding is provided in some areas. Bursaries may be available from some institutions. Contact individual institutions for information on fees and possible sources of funding.

Clinical training takes place in a full-time child and adolescent psychotherapy training post within an NHS CAMHS or equivalent. Most posts are NHS funded, although trainees fund the clinical training themselves in some areas. Personal analysis during the clinical training may cost between £6,000 and £8,000 per year. Again, how this is funded varies around the country: some training posts offer part funding; in other cases trainees meet these costs themselves. Contact individual institutions about the availability of partial funding in the form of loans or bursaries. See NHS Careers  or contact individual NHS trusts for more details.

For more information, see work experience and internships and search courses and research.