All The Different Domains
In each of these three main categories of Competencies (Core, Specific & Specialist), there are several different ‘domains’. These domains have to be considered within the general framework of views about the basic nature of humankind; interactions between human society and its environment; the nature of that society; and the key concepts of the arts and sciences that are relevant to the development of professional psychotherapeutic practice; and that are relevant to any method of practice.
All these domains indicate areas in which a European psychotherapist is competent:
- Domain 1: Professional, Autonomous & Accountable Practice:
- §1.1: Establish a professional practice
- Work either independently and/or as a member of a professional team
- Work according to accepted professional standards
- Record information appropriately
- Liaise and work collaboratively with other professionals
- Recognise difficulties in others
- Monitor and evaluate their caseload
- Maintain their fitness to practice
- §1.2: Provide an appropriate environment
- Provide a safe working environment
- Provide a therapeutic environment
- Make clear arrangements
- §1.3: Engage in Quality Assurance
- Routinely evaluate practice
- Review practice
- §1.4: Maintain Professional Development
- Maintain appropriate Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
- Practice professional qualities
- Reflect on self and professional work
- Incorporate research knowledge & findings
- §1.5: Maintain Personal Development
- Develop the personal qualities that make a good professional psychotherapist
- Engage in appropriate self-development
- To view the actual competencies within this domain, click here.
- Domain 2: The Psychotherapeutic Relationship
- §2.1: Establish a Therapeutic Relationship
- Communicate clearly
- Define the psychotherapist's role and the client's role
- Agree responsibilities
- Identify and start working towards mutually agreed and achievable aims or goals
- Express empathy and understanding about the client’s issues
- §2.2: Manage & Maintain a Therapeutic Relationship
- Maintain the Therapeutic Relationship
- Appraise the Therapeutic Relationship
- Recognise difficulties
- Communicate appropriately
- Manage the process of change
- Manage any difficulties
- Manage out of session contact
- Manage breaks & holidays
- Establish self-awareness in relationship
- §2.3: Conclude a Therapeutic Relationship
- Recognise an approaching conclusion
- Manage sudden endings
- Record the outcome
- To view the actual competencies within this domain, click here.
- Domain 3: Exploration, (Assessment, Diagnosis & Conceptualization)
- §3.1: Make an Assessment
- Make use of assessment tools
- Conduct an assessment interview
- Conduct a risk assessment
- §3.2: Diagnosis
- Recognise any possible mental health / illness issue
- Respond to mental health / illness needs
- §3.3: Conceptualisation
- Make use of assessment tools
- Conceptualize the patient/client’s needs
- Make decisions based on assessment
- Conclude the Assessment
- To view the actual competencies within this domain, click here.
- Domain 4: ‘Contracting’ (Developing Goals, Plans & Strategies)
- §4.1: ‘Contract’ with a Patient/Client
- Formulate the main issues
- Identify appropriate and achievable goals, plans & strategies
- Discuss the patient/client’s motivation
- Decide upon the amount or extent of the psychotherapy
- Make a ‘contract’
- Moderate the contract
- Give opportunities for referral on
- §4.2: Plan the psychotherapy
- Make use of evidence of effective practice
- Draw on psychotherapeutic theory
- Decide on the psychotherapeutic approach or strategy
- Moderate the plan or strategy
- To view the actual competencies within this domain, click here.
- Domain 5: Various Techniques & Interventions
- §5.1: Utilise ‘Standard’ Techniques & Interventions
- Establish a functional ‘Working Alliance’
- Identify which techniques and/or interventions are appropriate
- Identify which modes of interaction are appropriate
- Monitor and manage the process of change
- Manage any difficulties
- §5.2: Manage the Emotional Content of the Sessions
- Facilitate the processing of emotions
- Handle extreme emotions
- §5.3: Utilise ‘Other’ Techniques & Interventions
- Use research-based techniques and interventions
- Ensure proper training & supervision in these
- To view the actual competencies within this domain, click here.
- Domain 6: Management of Change, Crisis & Trauma Work
- §6.1: Manage change
- Awareness of difficult moments
- Management of change process
- §6.2: Undertake work with people in crisis
- Awareness of crisis intervention
- Working with people in crisis
- §6.3: Work with trauma
- Awareness of trauma work
- Working with people in trauma
- To view the actual competencies within this domain, click here.
- Domain 7: Completion & Evaluation
- §7.1: Work towards a completion of the psychotherapy
- Prepare for completion of the psychotherapy
- Explore feelings about endings
- Identify any possible risks or difficulties
- §7.2: Manage the conclusion of the psychotherapy
- Manage the conclusion
- Review the process
- Indentify issues, thought and feelings
- §7.3: Record and evaluate the course of the psychotherapy
- Record the process
- Evaluate the psychotherapy
- To view the actual competencies within this domain, click here.
- Domain 8: Collaboration with Other Professionals
- §8.1: Function as a professional
- Behave professionally
- §8.2: Collaborate with other professionals
- Become familiar with the work of other professionals
- Develop and sustain good working relationships with other professionals
- Communicate effectively with other professionals
- §8.3: Function as a team member
- Be part of a functioning team
- React to team members / colleagues’ misbehaviour appropriately
- To view the actual competencies within this domain, click here.
- Domain 9: Use of Supervision, (Peer) Intervision and Critical Evaluation
- 9.1: Undertake Routine Evaluation of Practice
- Arrange appropriate supervision
- Engage in supervision
- Adapting the supervision
- Engage in practice audit
- To view the actual competencies within this domain, click here.
- Domain 10: Ethics & Cultural Sensitivities [6]
- §10.1: Work within an ethical framework
- Knowledge of professional and ethical guidelines and codes of practice
- Applying professional and ethical guidelines
- Working with ethical difficulties
- §10.2: Work with social & cultural differences
- Awareness of cultural and social differences
- Apply knowledge of cultural and social differences
- Work with social and cultural difficulties
- §10.3: Social, cultural and political context of psychotherapy
- Awareness of the social, cultural and political context of psychotherapy
- Awareness of current trends in psychotherapy
- To view the actual competencies within this domain, click here.
- Domain 11: Management & Administration
- §11.1:Handle a professional practice
- Manage a full working case load
- Undertake regular self-management
- Maintain appropriate support systems
- §11.2: Manage a self-employed or small business
- Maintain good business practice, administration and accounting systems
- Apply approriate regulations
- Ensure appropriate advertising
- §11.3: Manage and administer employees in a small business
- Awareness of employment law and regulations
- Manage & administer employees properly
- To view the actual competencies within this domain, click here.
- Domain 12: Research
- §12.1: Be aware of psychotherapy research
- Awareness of psychotherapy research
- Make use of psychotherapy research
- §12.2: Engage in appropriate research
- Take part in appropriate research
- Plan appropriate research
- Conduct psychotherapy research
- To view the actual competencies within this domain, click here.
- Domain 13: Prevention & Education
- §13.1: Prevention and education with clients
- Awareness of repetitive patterns in patient/clients' history
- Education of patients/clients to avoid relapse
- Help to promote change in patient/client and their family & social environment
- §13.2: Prevention and education with others
- Awareness of aetiology of mental health problems
- Promote psycho-social education
- Actively engage in projects designed to reduce or prevent mental health problems
- To view the actual competencies within this domain, click here.