Psychological Therapy, also called clinical-psychological treatment, is performed by clinical psychologists. Clinical Psychologists have completed a five to six years long university course, after which they need to attend a two to five years long theoretical and practical curriculum on top of their university courses, where they receive additional training in treatment,therapy and diagnostics.
Psychotherapists can come from a diverse range of educations and professions, but always have completed a three to six years training program in their respective psychotherapeutic school, as well as one to three years of basic psychosocial training ("psychotherapeutisches Propädeutikum")
Both professions are required by law to continously further their training and knowledge. In practice, the main difference between psychological therapy and psychotherapy comes down to the latter specializing in one distinct school of therapy, whereas clinical psychologists are unbound in their choice of method, as long as those methods and their underlying theories have been empirically shown to be effective. Most often, psychological therapy most resembles beavioural therapy, since both disciplines strongly draw from the results of the researchof clinical psychology.
The two professions make use of conversation techniques, a solid and reliable therapeutic relationship, behavioural techniques as well as a multitude of different psychological and psychtherapeutic methods in order to help their clients change their way of experiencing and behaving towards a higher quality of life. Neither profession is allowed to prescribe medications; this would run counter to their understanding of their work, since most clinical psychologists and psychotherapists see their support as helping their clients help themselves.
It should be said though that outside of Austria, the two terms are often used synonymously, and regulations around education, practice and differentiation differ, sometimes wildly so.
Prescribing medication which influence the psyche, then, is the main area of expertise of psychiatrists. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who have specialized their work in the area ofthe human psyche, much like a cardiologist would specialize in the area of the human heart. Thus, they have a strong (though not exculisively so) focus on the organic origins and workings of psychological disorders.
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