"Psychologe / Psychologin darf sich in der Schweiz neu nur noch nennen, wer einen Masterabschluss bzw. einen gleichwertigen Studienabschluss (z.B. Lizenziat) in Psychologie hat."
http://www.law-news.ch/2013/03/bunde...gieberufe-psyg
A Licentiate is the equivalent to Master's in Switzerland, per Wiki:
"Switzerland
At Swiss universities, until the adoption of the Bologna Convention , the Lizentiat/licence was the equivalent of a master's degree (there being no prior degrees) and qualified the holder for doctoral studies. The degree names are followed by the field of study (e.g. lic. phil. , lic. ès lettres , lic. oec. , etc.). In line with the Bologna Process , the degree has now been replaced by master's degrees (with bachelor's degrees being newly introduced).
According to the Swiss University Conference, the joint organization of the cantons and the Confederation for university politics, and the Rectors' Conference of the Swiss Universities, the old Lizentiat/licence is considered equivalent to the current master's degree. [17"
Have a look at this article, it explains that there is an ongoing discussion regarding having costs for psychotherapy covered by the basic insurance (Grundversicherung). Of course, in order to become a licensed psychotherapist in Switzerland, there are very stringent criteria.
A Bachelors in Psych won't get you far in CH.
I do have a PhD in an area related to health psychology. I constantly checked this website: http://www.science-jobs.ch/ and from time to time found offers which were relevant (only applied for one, but never heard back). If you are looking into doing a PhD, the opportunities are much more easier to come by, than for a Postdoc which was my case, and that same website lists offers all the time.
Another good resource was xpatjobs where you can set up notifications to your email every time a job related to your search becomes available. I came across some interesting ones, not just HR, but also for research with health companies, but never applied because I was really into taking German lessons and was always holding on to the idea of finding a Postdoc.
A friend also recommended that I searched in the websites of the Fachhochschules. I did so, and found that in nursing and social work sometimes they look for people with a background in research in health related areas. There are some jobs for which one of the swiss languages is essential, but I know for a fact that there are some where English is perfectly fine. Not only for research, but also for teaching. So I would also look on the websites of those FS that may be near to you.
After almost two years, I have finally been offered a Postdoc, however it was not by sending an application without having had previous contact with the researchers. I was lucky to be introduced through colleagues of mine and when the opportunity became available, I was able to compete with other candidates but with them already knowing who I was and what my work was like.
It is certainly not easy, but jobs as research assistant and PhDs might be a bit easier to find.
Good luck in your search!
The prescription needs to be written by a psychiatrist that works with the psychologist, which seems to be common. Anyone that has had an illness, severely acute or chronic can ask for a prescription for this form of therapy. Generally, it's good practice to see a psychologist to learn to cope with an illness, and the basic insurance will pay on a regular basis for this until you're out of the woods. Sometimes you have to ask for it though.
Of course, it should go without saying that anyone with a mental health problem is afforded the same coverage.
Best of luck with the job hunting
When it comes to diplomas recognition one has to take into account that it is quite a lengthy process, it took me 3 months and it costs around 700 CHF. I could not understand the costs as I come from an European country and hold the European Directive 84 certificates which seem to be without value here although Switzerland ratified the above mentioned convention. Also, there are huge differences from canton to canton when it comes to the defining of concepts (psychologist, psychotherapist, counsellor) and the rights/obligations which accompany them.
Hope it works out for you!
I wonder if someone may be able to assist me.
I am currently doing my final year Masters in Counselling Psychology in South Africa. My fiancé has now been relocated to Geneva. I was wondering if you could give me some assistance with the process of becoming a psychologist/ registering in Switzerland.
Here in South Africa, after completion of degree, we need to do a 1 year internship, and then write the health professionals of South Africa board exam to qualify.
What board/association do we need to be affiliated with. Does Switzerland also require an internship before being able to practice?
Thank You In Advance
First you would need to have your qualifications recognised.
The Psychology Professions Commission (PsyCo) is responsible for recognition of foreign higher education qualifications as well as continuing education and training qualifications in areas falling within the scope of the Psychology Professions Act (PsyPA, SR 935.81).
Contact :
Psychology Professions Commission (PsyCo)
Secretariat
T +41 31 324 38 18
[email protected]
You also have the problem that as a non-EU national you’re last in the jobs queue as priority is given to Swiss/EU nationals. The hiring criteria is here:
https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/en/home…zulassung.html
What nationality is your fiancé? When do you plan to marry? Because the easiest way to get around the non-EU hiring regulations is to get a dependent’s permit via your marriage. If your fiancé has a B permit then you would be able to work without needing prior approval, if he has an L though any employer would have to make a request on your behalf for you to be able to work for them. And both are still dependent on getting your qualifications recognised here first of course.
Set up a clinic treating English speakers. The waiting line for even the Swiss "life line" is Spring 2017
All the best for your job search
Greeting
Puddy