In accordance with the standards of the Polish Psychotherapy Council, the training program in psychotherapy should include the following areas of knowledge and skills, introduced in parallel during the course of study:

1. Theoretical knowledge in the following areas:
   • theories of human development,
   • social and cultural determinants of psychotherapy,
   • theories of psychopathology and diagnostic classifications,
   • psychotherapeutic diagnosis,
   • psychotherapeutic approaches,
   • selected elements of clinical knowledge.
2. Practical training, in particular:
   • psychotherapeutic skills and methods,
   • personal development through engagement in psychotherapeutic experience:
     • psychotherapy or other therapeutic experience in an individual or group setting that enables a trainee to gain knowledge about their own functioning,
     • learning about personal patterns of functioning, and experiencing, and personality traits,
     • self-reflection and analysis of one’s own functioning in a psychotherapeutic relationship,
   • psychotherapeutic practice under supervision,
   • clinical internship.
3. Improving practical and theoretical skills through:
   • courses, seminars, didactic workshops, exercises, lectures and other specified didactic forms applied in a given modality which include a specifically determined range of theoretical knowledge,
   • clinical internships, practical classes, practices and other specified methods of acquiring practical work skills,
   • forms and methods of self-education:
     • studying professional literature (magazines, monographs, textbooks),
     • participation in conferences, scientific seminars and other events,
     • preparation of papers, publications or other materials.

It should be remembered that a comprehensive postgraduate training in psychotherapy is a specialist training, separate from specialization in clinical psychology or psychiatry. The training may be attended by individuals with a Master’s degree and fulfilling other conditions defined by the training centre, e.g. accredited or recommended by members of the Polish Psychotherapy Council.