Switzerland

Since 2013, the professions of psychology and psychotherapy have been protected. Terms such as psychological, psychological counselling or the term therapy did not receive protection. People without a master’s degree in psychology can continue to advertise with it (cf. Fueter 2013).

Due to the quadrilingual character of Switzerland (four national languages: German French, Italian, Romansh), the education, training and professional practice of counsellors* are divided between regional and linguistic interests. The counselling practice in the different regions of Switzerland is enriched by approaches of the neighboring countries France, Germany and Italy but also more complex.

“The result is indistinct relationships between accrediting organizations with regard to the management and validation of the counselling profession. The dearth of literature and the limited collaboration between the various counselling associations and credentialing agencies in Switzerland has meant that until recently peoples’ moral, existential, legal, and psychological dilemmas continued to be dealt with in a cantonal rather than federal manner, a factor that lends itself to fragmentation” (Thomas/Henning 2013, p. 264).

Nevertheless, as counselling is becoming a highly demanded form of intervention, Swiss counsellors are facing the challenges that come with the profession. Nevertheless, it still takes time until questions of definition, training and accreditation can be answered concretely (Thomas/Henning 2013, p. 263).

The field of counselling has been expanded and enriched since the beginning of the 21st century by qualified counsellors who have completed training in a wide variety of therapeutic approaches. Practicing counsellors include psychologists, psychiatrists, and psychoanalysts, some of whom have also completed specialized training as counsellors. Psychologists are allowed to provide psychological counselling even if they do not have an additional qualification for psychotherapy (cf. ibid.).

Counselling programs show too few uniform criteria in the points of obligatory standards of training, uniform terminology, legislation and awarding of certificates. This heterogeneous field of professional counselling “has much self-growth and realization yet to undergo in Switzerland” (Thomas/Henning 2013, p. 265). As a result, counselling in Switzerland takes many different forms and is carried out by a diverse group of people, both professionals and laypeople – with varying degrees of preparation and training (cf. ibid. p. 265).