How to become a child psychotherapist uk

You’ll need to complete:

a degree in psychology or a related subject like nursing, medicine or social work
an accredited postgraduate qualification
450 hours of practice to be registered as a licensed psychotherapist by the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)

Your course should be one recognised by the:

Courses can take up to 4 years to complete.

To become a child psychotherapist, you will need to complete 4 years of training with the Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP).

You’ll also need experience of working with children or vulnerable adults.

Some courses may expect you go into therapy yourself during your training. This is to help you deal with any issues that may affect you as a therapist, as well as to experience therapy from a client’s point of view.

Entry requirements

You’ll usually need:

2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study

More Information

Child and Adolescent Psychotherapists use their specialist skills and knowledge to work with infants, children and young people up to age 25, and their families.

This page sets out the training route to qualification as a Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist (CAPT) which is comprised of pre-clinical studies and experience and a clinical training that develop the necessary skills and competences to assess and treat infants, children and young people up to age 25, and to work psychoanalytically with them, their parents, carers and the networks surrounding them.

Pre-training Requirements

The Standards for Entry into an ACP Accredited Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy Clinical Training are described in detail here. Applicants to the training must have complete either a course of study leading to a PG Diploma/Masters (UK academic level 7) that includes the prescribed minimum components or these components, or their equivalent, gained through a combination of other courses that provide some elements of a pre-clinical course but not others. The minimum components are extended psychoanalytic infant observations, work discussion seminars, psychoanalytic theory and child development research lectures.

The pre-clinical studies help to develop an observational, reflective stance which, allied with an understanding of child development and the unconscious mind and its manifestations, is the cornerstone of the CAPT approach. Click here to view the range of pre-clinical courses that are available in the UK.

The courses are normally self-funded and offer an opportunity to decide whether psychotherapy with children and young people is the right profession for you. They help in the development of reflective practice, emotional availability and awareness of oneself. The courses are at post-graduate level and are undertaken full-time or part-time over two or three years to allow students to simultaneously develop their work experience with children and young people. Because CAPT is a graduate entry profession, students who do not have an honours degree must complete the course to Masters level.

In addition to the pre-clinical course, applicants to train as a CAPT must have experience of working with children and adolescents. This experience may be gained in a wide range of occupations across health, education, social care and other sectors. Prior experience of working in mental health services is not essential and applications from those with lived experience and from a diverse range of backgrounds are encouraged.

Personal psychoanalysis (three/four/five times a week) is an essential component of the Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy training. Therefore, as a minimum, applicants to the training should have an understanding of the importance of a personal psychoanalysis in order to undertake psychoanalytic work and what this might entail in terms of the exploration of their conscious and unconscious thoughts and feelings. A period of personal psychoanalysis or psychotherapy is not a requirement within the ACP entry standards, however, where it is possible, applicants should be supported to begin personal psychotherapy or analysis before they apply to the training as this is an important developmental opportunity. Please refer to the Standards for Entry for more detail.

Clinical Training

The training of Child and Adolescent Psychotherapists (CAPTs) is longer than most psychological professions to enable the breadth and depth of skills and competences to develop that are required for complex work with children and young people. The ACP clinical training in CAPT is an NHS funded programme. In England there is a National Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy Training Scheme funded by Health Education England. Different local funding arrangements are in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland but the programme of training is the same.

The clinical training is a four-year full time programme which includes teaching, supervision, personal psychoanalysis and a salaried training post (on NHS Band 6) in a child and adolescent mental health service. A part-time training option may be available. Most of the trainings offer a Professional Doctorate qualification. The training provides a thorough understanding of child development, childhood psychopathology and psychoanalytic psychotherapeutic technique linked with direct experience of clinical work across the 0 to 25 age range and enhanced by research knowledge and skills. Trainees work intensively with three patients of different ages and also learn to apply the psychoanalytic understanding gained in this experience to other interventions, such as brief work, consultation and work with families, groups, teams and networks.

There are five training centres in the UK; two in London, one in Birmingham, one in Leeds and one in Glasgow. Clinical training placements are available across the UK. Click here for information about the ACP accredited Clinical Training Schools.

Explore the Competence Map for CAPTs at the Point of Qualification here.

Professional Registration

The standards of training and practice of Child and Adolescent Psychotherapists (CAPTs) are regulated by the Association of Child Psychotherapists. Qualified CAPTs must be a registered member of the Association of Child Psychotherapists and appear on the ACP register of CAPPTs which is accredited by the Professional Standards Authority. Trainees must be Trainee Members of the ACP.

Further information about the accreditation of training and the Quality Assurance Framework can be found here.

You’ll need substantial experience of working with children and adolescents in a social care, health or education setting to work as a child psychotherapist

As a child and adolescent psychotherapist, you’ll provide psychoanalytic, psychotherapeutic assessment and treatment to infants, children and young people up to the age of 25 with a range of mental health difficulties. These can include:

depression
anxiety
development delay
phobias
aggression
gender dysphoria
consequences of child abuse
self-harming
learning difficulties and disabilities
eating disorders
psychosomatic disorders.

You’ll use a multidisciplinary approach to work within the context of the child’s life, for example their family or school. Your relationship with the child is central to treatment.

You may see a child individually, in a group with other children, or with parents or other family members. You may also see parents or carers without the child being present.

Child and adolescent psychotherapy is a core profession within Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

Responsibilities

As a child and adolescent psychotherapist, you’ll need to:

provide specialist psychotherapeutic assessments of referred children, young people, parents and carers to assess the most appropriate treatment
develop specialist programmes of care and provide psychoanalytic, psychotherapeutic treatment to children and adolescents either individually or in a group
carefully observe children and young people and respond to what they might be communicating through their behaviour and play
tailor your approach to the individual child and work in an age-appropriate way. You might use play or drawing techniques with younger children, but talk about feelings with teenagers
ensure that treatment is integrated with the work of other professionals in the wider multidisciplinary team
provide short-term and long-term interventions with children, young people and/or parents, from a few sessions to regular appointments over several years
attend core group meetings and work alongside other professionals in planning how best to help a child and the child’s family, for example in schools, hospitals, children’s services and child protection agencies
regularly review and monitor the outcome of assessments and effects of treatment
work as part of multidisciplinary teams made up of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, paediatric nurses, special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs), family therapists and community psychiatric nurses, most commonly in CAMHS
offer psychoanalytic, psychotherapeutic advice, training, consultation and supervision to other professionals who contribute directly to the child’s treatment plan
undertake risk assessments and risk management from a child psychotherapy perspective
receive regular clinical professional supervision from a more senior child psychotherapist
supervise trainee child psychotherapists and other therapists
plan service delivery in conjunction with commissioners and develop new services
keep up to date with developments in theory and research and undertake continuing professional development (CPD).

Salary

NHS pay scales apply to the majority of child and adolescent psychotherapists who are employed in NHS CAMHS or other mental health services. Psychotherapist trainees can earn £32,306 to £39,027 (Band 6).
Qualified child and adolescent psychotherapists can expect salaries in the region of £40,057 to £45,839 (Band 7).
Principal/lead psychotherapists will be paid at Band 8 of the NHS pay scale, starting at £47,126 and rising to £90,387 for the most senior posts.

There is no standard scale of fees in private practice and the fees you charge can vary depending on your client base, experience and location, for example. Some psychotherapists may provide low-cost therapy for unemployed or low-income clients.

Income data from Agenda for Change (AfC) pay rates. Figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

Working hours within the NHS are generally regular. You may need to work extra hours to attend meetings, run training sessions or take on additional private practice activities. There may be times when you need to be flexible and work some evenings or weekends.

What to expect

Many child and adolescent psychotherapists have several part-time roles, such as working for the NHS, the voluntary sector, schools, social services or local authorities, or in private clinics.
Opportunities for work tend to be in cities and large towns. The number of jobs within the NHS varies between regions.
The work can be emotionally demanding and a support framework is essential.
You may need to travel locally during the day if you work for more than one organisation, have consultancy commitments, are involved in training or need to attend meetings. However, time spent away from home is uncommon.

Qualifications

Before training to become a child and adolescent psychotherapist, you must first undertake pre-clinical studies by completing a course of observational psychoanalytic studies at postgraduate diploma, Masters or equivalent level.

Courses are offered at schools accredited by The Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP) and usually take two (Diploma) or three (Masters) years to complete.

You’ll need an honours degree (or equivalent) and substantial experience of working with children and adolescents to get a place. This experience can be from a range of settings, including social care, health and education.

After your pre-clinical studies, you must complete four years of clinical training, which covers theory, technique and clinical practice under supervision. Training usually leads to a Professional Doctorate in Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy (DPsych).

The NHS provides a limited number of clinical training posts, offered by a small number of NHS trusts or as a partnership between a trust and a training provider. These posts provide paid training and additional support.

Areas covered during the training include:

long and short-term psychoanalytic work with children, young people and parents
assessments and work with groups and families
consultation with other professionals.

Personal psychoanalysis or psychoanalytic psychotherapy is an essential requirement of clinical training. It’s usually begun at least one year before you start clinical training and continues throughout the training process. You’ll typically undergo four or five sessions of personal analysis per week.

Once qualified, you must register as a member of the ACP and appear on the ACP Register of Child Psychotherapists, which is accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.

For more information and a list of training schools and pre-clinical courses, see ACP – How to Train.

Skills

You’ll need to have:

sensitivity, empathy and a genuine interest in the emotional problems faced by children, adolescents, young people and their families
excellent communications skills to be able to relate to children, young people and their families, as well as colleagues
the ability to cope with the extremes of human emotion, ambiguity and vulnerability
the ability to work on your own and as part of a multidisciplinary team
resilience, to withstand being overwhelmed or burdened by your clients’ problems
the capacity to differentiate your personal feelings and emotions from those of the child or adolescent
confidence to help children and adolescents explore difficult and painful aspects of their life
experience of working in a constantly changing environment
the ability to prioritise your work and manage changing priorities
organisation skills and the ability to manage your own workload
self-motivation
leadership qualities in order to support team members and trainees.

Work experience

Personal suitability is extremely important and this is judged on experience. You’ll usually need a minimum of two years’ work with children of varying ages or families in a voluntary or professional capacity.

Child psychotherapy is a second career for many people who come from a range of backgrounds, including:

medicine
nursing
psychiatry
psychology
social work
teaching.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

The majority of child and adolescent psychotherapists work for the NHS in CAMHS, community-based clinics, such as the child and family consultation service, or in hospitals.

Other work environments both within and outside the NHS include:

eating disorder services
forensic services
learning disability teams
looked-after children teams within social services
perinatal services
pre-school, primary and secondary schools
specialist and residential units
student health services
youth justice services
voluntary sector.

Many therapists are employed by more than one type of organisation, for example the NHS, private clinics and voluntary organisations.

A small percentage of therapists are self-employed and work exclusively in private practice. If you choose to work in private practice, you must follow strict guidelines, organise your own insurance, provide practice premises, pay your own income tax and arrange clinical supervision.

A small number also work in training institutions or in universities as lecturers and clinical tutors.

Look for job vacancies at:

Details of job vacancies are made available to members of the ACP.

Professional development

In order to retain your membership of the the ACP, you’ll need to undertake continuing professional development (CPD) to keep up to date with clinical and theoretical advances.

Relevant activities may include:

work-based learning – supervision, in-service training, peer review and discussion with colleagues
professional activity – involvement in a professional body, lecturing and teaching, presenting at conferences
formal training and education – top-up courses, submission of papers to a journal, undertaking research
self-directed learning – reading professional journals and updating your knowledge via the media
relevant short courses – in areas such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), confidentiality and report-writing, special interest work and current child protection guidelines.

Accredited training schools provide post-qualification courses and workshops. Charities working with children and young people, such as YoungMinds, may also run relevant short courses.

You must also undertake a minimum of 12 hours per month of psychotherapeutic contact with children and young people or parents and families. This should include individual psychotherapy with three individual cases.

It’s also important to carry on receiving individual clinical supervision from a consultant child psychotherapist or other senior member of the profession. The number of hours needed in supervision depends on your experience.

Career prospects

Child and adolescent psychotherapy is a small and specialised profession, so opportunities for advancement will vary depending on your areas of specialism, experience and willingness to relocate.

If you’re working in the NHS for a CAMHS team or other related setting, there are opportunities to develop specialisms in areas such as:

eating disorders
forensics
learning disabilities
looked-after children
neonatal work
parenting groups.

There are opportunities to take on managerial responsibilities in a service leadership role within NHS mental health services, or you could move into a supervision, teaching or research role.

If you’re working in private practice, your success will depend on building a reputation and a network of contacts. You’ll need a good head for business, as well as administration and marketing skills.

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