Institute for Psychotherapeutic Education and Training (IPAW)
Dear visitor, dear visitor,
Welcome to the website of our training center for depth psychology-based psychotherapy.
We are delighted that you are considering training as a psychological psychotherapist with a specialization in "depth psychology-based psychotherapy" at the IPAW at Hannover Medical School. On the following web pages we have compiled the most important information for you about the training, the requirements for admission, the application procedure, the aims and components of the training, the course of training and the costs.
Psychological director of the training center (organization, psychiatry) | Medical director of the training center | Psychological director of the training center (psychosomatics) |
|---|---|---|
| Prof. Dr. Gregor Szycik | Prof. Dr. Stefan Bleich | Prof. Dr. Martina de Zwaan |
Information on training
Psychotherapy training and further education with a focus on depth psychology has accompanied the history of the Center for Psychological Medicine, now the Center for Mental Health, since the 1970s. It was aimed at scientific staff from the medical and psychological departments of the psychiatric and psychosomatic Clinical Department in order to provide them with an accompanying, practice-oriented psychotherapeutic qualification.
In the meantime, psychotherapeutic training has become part of the various specialist qualifications. When the Psychotherapists Act (PsychThG) came into force in 1998, the opportunity arose to establish a training center at the MHH in accordance with the PsychThG. In February 2000, the IPAW was admitted as a training center. The IPAW is a Facilities or Institutions of the Clinical Department of Psychiatry, Social- and Psychological Therapy and the Clinical Department of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy under the overall sponsorship of Hannover Medical School.
The IPAW aims to train psychological and medical psychotherapists in depth psychology-based psychotherapy. The focus is on the consideration of all theoretical and practical training and further education requirements for future psychological and medical psychotherapists.
Training in depth psychology-based psychotherapy to become a psychological psychotherapist aims to qualify students to carry out depth psychology-based psychotherapy independently and on their own responsibility and to prepare them for the state examination, the passing of which is a prerequisite for obtaining a license to practice.
The content of the training takes into account the statutory requirements set out in the Act on the Professions of Psychological Psychotherapist and Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist (PsychThG) and in the Training and Examination Ordinance for Psychological Psychotherapists (PsychTh-APrV).
After successfully completing their training, our training graduates can register for the state examination with the responsible authority with the issued "certificate of participation in training events". In the federal state of Lower Saxony, this is the Niedersächsische Zweckverband zur Approbationserteilung (NiZzA). The NiZzA organizes the examination twice a year (in March and August; the exact examination dates are published on the website of the Institute for Medical and Pharmaceutical Examination Questions). The examination consists of a written and an oral part. After successfully passing the examination, our graduates receive a license to practice as a psychological psychotherapist via NiZzA and a certificate indicating the specialization (depth psychology-based psychotherapy). The IPAW also issues a certificate of completion.
The training aims to impart theoretical knowledge of the most important depth psychological models of developmental psychology and the theories of disorder genesis (conflict model, object relations theory, self-psychology, ego psychology). This knowledge should be applied confidently in the context of initial contacts and diagnostics and be able to be implemented in a therapy plan and a psychotherapy application. The trainee should then be able to treat patients independently and safely within the framework of the depth psychology therapy model on the basis of this therapy plan and under regular supervision. The aspect of relationship building in the therapeutic setting is of particular importance from both a diagnostic and therapeutic point of view.
In principle, graduates of a university degree in psychology with a Dipl.-Psych. or M.Sc. degree in psychology whose studies included the subject of clinical psychology are eligible for training. In the case of Master's degrees in psychology, which are based on Bachelor's degrees in a subject other than psychology, the suitability must always be clarified individually with the State Examination Office.
The Niedersächsische Zweckverband zur Approbationserteilung (NiZzA) is responsible for the tasks of the state examination office in Lower Saxony. The NiZzA has the sole and binding authority to check the admission requirements for training in the IPAW. We will be happy to check your qualifications in advance when you submit your application. However, a final decision on the suitability of the qualification can only be made by NiZzA. We would like to point out that the examination offices of different federal states assess the suitability of university degrees differently. This applies in particular to foreign degrees. We therefore recommend that you check your own degree for suitability for training (especially in the case of foreign degrees) with the NiZzA in good time.
Training at the IPAW begins once a year.
Training at the IPAW is free of charge. We also do not charge any "hidden" or additional fees. So there are no fees for the interviews, no fees for the examination, or fees for the use of mobile card readers or the billing software etc.
Only the costs of self-awareness must be borne independently. We recommend a combination of individual and group self-awareness, which can reduce the individual costs.
We currently offer two training models: Fellowship based and salaried.
In the scholarship-based model (internal training), we currently offer around ten applicants a year the opportunity to train, which is linked to work at the Center for Mental Health at the MHH. Applications receive a monthly stipend of currently EUR 1000 gross (approx. EUR 780 net) for a maximum of three years (duration of training).
The training as an employee (external training) takes place in cooperation with our partners. These partners employ the applications in regular, temporary employment relationships in their Clinical Departments and enable them to participate in the training events at the IPAW in Hanover through work release agreements. In most cases, they are employed at 50% E13 TV-L. The number of training places in the employment relationship varies annually depending on the places made available to us by our cooperation clinics and is usually around 3 to 5 places.
If you follow the regular training course, you are financially secure at least at the level of the scholarship and do not need to worry about further financing of the training or additional part-time jobs. In the internal training program, there is also the opportunity to earn additional income by participating in expert activities.
The duration of the training depends on the individual performance of the training participant. However, it does not fall short of the statutory minimum requirement of three years.
The training curriculum is designed in such a way that it is easily possible to complete all training components within the three-year period. Most training participants at our training centers complete their training with the state examination at the end of the three years.
In the internal training model (see subsection "Training income"), you will receive all training modules "from a single source" at the MHH, apart from the self-awareness training. The individual training elements are coordinated and already organized for you. You only need to follow our curriculum and will be able to take the examination after three years. Of course, individual deviations from the curriculum are also possible. Such deviations are usually related to academic work (doctorate) or personal changes (starting a family, having children).
In the external model, you will complete Practical Work I and II (PsychTh-APrV § 2.2.1 and 2.2.2) in one of our partner clinics located in the Hanover region. You will complete all other training modules similar to the internal model at the IPAW. Training participants in the external model also sometimes wish to make individual adjustments to their training. Here, too, we always find suitable individual solutions.
Training components
Scope: at least one year with at least 1200 hours of work in periods of at least three months each.
You will usually complete this training module with us within the first 13 months of your training. After starting in October, you will have the opportunity to prepare and familiarize yourself with your work in (partial) inpatient care during the first month. The participants from the previous training year will help you here. At the end of practical activity 1, you will then be able to train the participants of the new training group in their work yourself. You will be deployed "full-time" on the wards or day clinics and will be released from work to take part in other training modules. You will be assigned to the various work locations according to the company's possibilities, taking into account your interests and skills. Training participants who complete their training in our cooperation clinics will be assigned there according to individual agreements.
Within this training module, participation in the treatment of at least 30 patients (including at least four treatments involving the family or social partner) must be documented on a case-by-case basis, stating the scope and duration.
Scope: at least 6 months with at least 600 hours of work.
You usually complete this training module with us directly after completing the "Psychiatry Year". For a period of at least one year, you will be involved in activities within the Center for Mental Health at the MHH at least one day a week. Training participants who complete their training in our partner clinics will be deployed there according to individual agreements.
Scope: at least 600 hours.
As a rule, you will complete this training module with us over the entire training period. Theoretical training at our clinic takes place mainly in the form of weekend courses (usually on Friday afternoons and Saturdays all day, a total of approx. 40 dates, mainly within the first two years of training) and teaching units during the week as part of the clinic's internal training measures. Individual weekend events can be made up as part of the curriculum of other training years without incurring additional costs. You may also attend the events of our behavioral therapy nurses' institute (AVVM). Of course, you can also complete more than the 600 theory hours as part of your training with us at no additional cost.
Scope: at least 600 hours of treatment under supervision with at least 50 hours of individual and 100 hours of group supervision.
You will usually complete this training module with us in the second half of the training period. The treatment of outpatients takes place within our psychotherapeutic institute outpatient clinic. To successfully complete this training module, you must complete at least 600 hours of treatment at the IPAW.
For supervision, we provide a list of supervisors recognized by the IPAW. Training participants organize their own supervision by contacting a supervisor directly. Group supervision takes place in groups of at least four participants.
During the practical training, training participants must prepare at least six anonymized written case reports on the treatments they have carried out. Two of these case presentations form the basis for part of the oral examination to become a psychological psychotherapist.
Scope: at least 120 hours.
Self-awareness is the only part of the training for which fees are charged. Our training participants arrange their self-awareness individually with our self-awareness instructors. We recommend taking part in both individual and group self-awareness sessions, which can reduce individual costs.
Scope: at least 930 hours.
The scope of the "free peak" results from the discrepancy between the prescribed minimum number of hours for the entire training (4200 hours) and the sum of the minimum number of hours for the individual training modules. The "free peak" can be freely designed by the training institutes.
At the IPAW, the following activities are counted towards the "free peak":
- Research activity (proof by means of a certificate from the head of the research working group)
- Literature study
- Documentation activities as part of the practical training
- Preparation and follow-up of supervision
- Participation in congresses and further training (the proven training points are credited)
- Hours completed in excess of the minimum quota in the various training modules
- Probationary training
The state examination takes place in two stages (written and oral) and is organized in Lower Saxony by the Niedersächsischer Zweckverband zur Approbationserteilung (NiZzA). The examination dates may not be earlier than two months before the end of the three-year minimum training period, with the written examination taking place on fixed dates twice a year (March and August). The oral examination is then usually held on the premises of our training center. For admission to the examination, you must register with the NiZzA with the "Certificate of participation in training events" issued by us.
You will receive the certificate from us after you have completed all the necessary training and have documented the treatments you have carried out in accordance with our requirements. We recommend that you check your training achievements in good time so that you do not unnecessarily miss the NiZzA deadline (usually around January 10 or June 10). Once you have successfully passed the examination, you can apply to the NiZzA for a license to practice.
With your license to practice, proof of specialization (depth psychology-based psychotherapy) and, if applicable, proof of additional qualifications, you can apply for entry in the medical register of the relevant medical association.
The training ends after passing the state examination or after finally failing the examination (PsychTh-APrV § 12.3) or at the latest six years after the start of your training. An extension of the training period beyond the six years requires an individual agreement with the training institute.
Information on the application procedure
The Institute for Psychotherapeutic Education and Training (IPAW) at Hannover Medical School (MHH) is looking for participants to train as a psychological psychotherapist (depth psychology-based psychotherapy). There is the possibility to do a doctorate.
The Institute is a state-recognized training center for psychological psychotherapists in accordance with § 6 PsychThG with a specialization in depth-psychologically based psychotherapy.
The training takes place in close cooperation with all Facilities or Institutions of a renowned maximum care hospital, the MHH. On the one hand, this means that patients are not only referred from the outpatient and inpatient areas of Psychiatry and Psychosomatics, but also from a wide range of disorders from Neurology, the Centre for Rare Diseases, Gynecology and many other Clinical Departments with a request for co-treatment. On the other hand, this also means that the aforementioned and other departments and Facilities or Institutions of the MHH are approached for support with diagnosis and treatment for severe or unclear cases.
In addition, trainees have the opportunity to take part in research work and, if interested, to complete a doctorate.
Our training is designed so that it can be completed in three years.
We currently offer two training paths ("internal" and "external"). Both paths are largely free of charge for you (no training fees). Only the costs for the self-awareness training must be borne by you.
In the "internal" training pathway, the complete training including all practical components can be completed in the various departments of the MHH. During the first three years of training, participants receive a stipend of currently 1000 euros gross per month. The fields of activity in the psychiatric areas of "crisis intervention", "addiction disorders" and "affective disorders" as well as clinical psychology with a focus on "sexual medicine and sexual therapy" offer a wide range of opportunities to gain clinical experience under guidance and supervision in order to be well prepared for independent therapeutic work.
In the "external" training pathway, we will place you at one of our partner clinics, where you will receive a regular employment contract with a reduced number of hours. The training components are then completed both at the cooperation clinic and at our training institute.
We offer very interesting fields of work in multi-professional teams, a wide range of experience opportunities and excellent training and further education opportunities.
PD Dr. Gregor Szycik
Institute for Psychotherapeutic Education and Training (IPAW)
Podbielskistr. 162, 30177 Hanover
Please clearly state in the title of your application whether you are interested in the "internal" or the "external" training pathway or in both training pathways and whether you are applying for behavioral therapy or depth psychology-based psychotherapy training.
Please do not include a letter of motivation with your application, a short cover letter is sufficient. In addition, we require a curriculum vitae, proof/certificates of degrees (Diploma, Bachelor and Master), proof of internships, information on additional qualifications, research experience (posters, publications, research knowledge or experience) and special commitments.
Once we have received your application documents by mid-April, we will look through them with interest. At the end of May, we will then invite the applicants to short interviews with us in Hanover. Within the next two weeks, we will then issue training place confirmations and ask for a binding commitment to accept the training place.
Unfortunately, we always have fewer training places than applications, which means that we are not able to offer everyone a training place immediately. However, experience has shown that some training places become available shortly before the start of training, or we receive further training places from our cooperation partners. In these cases, we will keep your application documents on our list of applicants and may be able to offer you a training place at a later date.
Unfortunately, travel expenses incurred during the application process cannot be reimbursed.
As a university institution, we are particularly interested in applications from applicants who are aiming for a doctorate.
Previous experience in scientific work is therefore advantageous. Knowledge of special methods (statistics, EEG, fMRI, psychophysics, programming, diagnostics) is also an advantage.
The formal possibility of doing a doctorate at the MHH is regulated by the respective doctoral regulations, which we recommend reading. It is currently possible for non-medical doctoral students at the MHH to pursue both a Dr. rer. nat. and a Dr. rer. biol. hum. doctorate. However, a degree in natural sciences is required for a doctorate in natural sciences. Usually, a degree in psychology is the admission requirement for the Dr. rer. biol. hum. doctorate at the MHH. It is possible to write a "classical" doctorate as well as a cumulative one (based on several publications).
From the very beginning of their training, we offer our training participants the opportunity to integrate into existing scientific working groups at the Center for Mental Health in order to plan their doctoral project with the head of the respective research working group. We offer individual solutions with regard to the organization of the training when taking up scientific work. These are agreed with the head of the respective research working group and the institute management. It is generally possible to complete the doctoral project after completing the training.
Additional qualification
As part of your training at the IPAW, you can acquire the additional qualification for practicing and suggestive techniques (autogenic training, Jacobsonian relaxation therapy, hypnosis) in accordance with the Psychotherapy Agreement (§ 6 para. 6) if you are interested and free of charge. The necessary courses take place as part of the regular curriculum.