When three terms mean something different
When you're looking for therapeutic support, you quickly run into terms like “psychotherapist,” “psychotherapist in training,” “clinical psychologist,” or “life and social counselor.” In everyday language they sound similar. Legally, they aren't, and that's precisely why, at MatchYourTherapy, we only allow the two official designations under the Psychotherapy Act 2024 (Psychotherapiegesetz 2024). This article explains what's behind the titles and what to look out for.
The two official job titles under the PthG 2024
Since the 2024 reform, Austria has exactly two permissible status designations for people who are allowed to practice psychotherapy on their own responsibility. All other wordings circulating online or on business cards are either outdated, shortened, or simply not permitted.
The first designation is “psychotherapist,” with no addition. It may only be used by someone who is entered in the register of psychotherapists at the Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection. Entry in the professional register is governed by Section 25, while the permissible job titles themselves are set out in Section 8 of the PthG 2024. Entry requires completed specialist training in one of the state-recognized psychotherapy methods, such as behavioral therapy, systemic family therapy, psychoanalysis, existential analysis, or person-centered psychotherapy, along with a successfully completed psychotherapeutic licensing examination under Section 18. A registered psychotherapist works fully on their own responsibility, with no supervision requirements for ongoing treatment, and is entitled to use the full job title without any further addition.
The second designation is “psychotherapist in advanced training under teaching supervision.” It applies to people who are in the final stage of their specialist psychotherapy training, as regulated in Section 17 of the PthG 2024; the additional designation itself is anchored as mandatory in Section 8, paragraph 8. The prerequisite is that the person meets the admission requirements, has been admitted to a psychotherapeutic professional association for the third stage of training, and has completed the required theory, self-experience, and supervision hours for that cluster. In concrete terms, this means: the person may treat patients on their own responsibility, with their own treatment contract, their own duty of confidentiality, and their own liability framework. They regularly make use of teaching supervision, in which their ongoing therapies are discussed with an experienced training therapist. The status is time-limited and tied to the continuation of training.
Important: This stage is not called “in training” alone, not “under supervision” alone, and not “i.A.u.S.” as an abbreviation, all of which are misleading or legally impermissible. The correct, full designation is “in advanced training under teaching supervision.”
What changed in 2024
Before 2024, the Psychotherapy Act 1990 applied. There, the training stage was called “in training under supervision.” Many profiles, business cards, and websites still carry this old wording today. Specifically, the following changed: the old wording “in training under supervision” was replaced by “in advanced training under teaching supervision,” the preparatory course and the specialist course are more clearly regulated, and the status transition within training is defined more precisely.
People whose training began before 2024 now use the PthG 2024 designation as soon as they reach the corresponding stage of training. The old wording may no longer be used. At MatchYourTherapy, we have automatically switched all profiles to the PthG 2024 designation, so that patients don't see outdated or inconsistent terms.
Distinguishing from related professions
Things get confusing with related professional roles. They all help people, but legally and methodologically they are different.
Clinical psychologists are entered in the corresponding register at the BMSGPK under the Psychologists Act 2013 and may carry out clinical-psychological diagnostics and treatment. That is not the same as psychotherapy. Clinical treatment includes, for example, neuropsychological diagnostics, counseling for psychological strain, or crisis intervention. A clinical-psychology entry does not replace a psychotherapy entry, and vice versa. Some therapists hold both entries, in which case they officially use both job titles.
Health psychologists are also registered under the Psychologists Act, but with a focus on health-promoting behavior, prevention, and health education. Independent treatment of mental disorders is not included in this.
Music therapists are entered in the register of music therapists under the Music Therapy Act 2008. This is a recognized healthcare profession in its own right, but not a psychotherapy profession under the PthG. The method has its own legal basis and its own training path.
Psychiatrists are specialist physicians for psychiatry and psychotherapeutic medicine. They are the only one of the professional groups named here who may prescribe medication, which psychotherapists may not do. Some psychiatrists are additionally entered in the register of psychotherapists and then use both designations.
Life and social counselors carry out a counseling activity recognized under trade law. Treating mental disorders is expressly not permitted for them and remains legally clearly separated from psychotherapy and clinical psychology.
What this means for patients
When you're looking for a therapist, you should pay attention to two things. First, the job title must be one of the two official ones, either “psychotherapist” without an addition, which means a registered and fully practice-authorized person, or “psychotherapist in advanced training under teaching supervision,” which denotes a person who is well into their training and practices on their own responsibility with regular teaching supervision. Second, you can check the registration publicly at any time.
You'll find the official psychotherapy register at psychotherapie.ehealth.gv.at, where all registered psychotherapists can be found by name, method, and registration number. The clinical-psychology register is at sozialversicherung.at/psychosearch. If someone calls themselves a “therapist” or “psychotherapist” but isn't in the official register, that's a warning sign, and in most cases unlawful.
By the way, therapy with a person in advanced training under teaching supervision is no less valuable than with a registered therapist. Both work to the same methodological standards. The difference typically lies in professional experience, in the ongoing supervision, which in practice often even means an additional layer of quality assurance, and in the price.
What a session costs
Sessions with people in advanced training usually cost between 60 and 80 euros for 50 minutes, depending on region and experience. Registered psychotherapists are mostly in the range of 100 to 130 euros per session. Austria's statutory health insurance grants a partial reimbursement for therapy with registered elective therapists, whose treatment isn't paid directly by the insurer. With the ÖGK, that's currently 33.70 euros per session, with the SVS (self-employed) 50.00 euros, and with the BVAEB (civil servants, railway and mining insured) 50.20 euros; the exact amounts can change through decisions of the respective health insurer. For people in advanced training under teaching supervision, an insurance reimbursement is generally not provided. Some offer a reduced private rate instead. Therapists with an insurance contract, where the costs are fully covered, are scarce nationwide and usually come with long waiting times.
An important change in 2026: Since spring 2026, clinical-psychological treatment has also been available as an insurance benefit through a central service point of the BÖP, around 120,700 treatment units without having to pre-finance the costs yourself. This does not concern psychotherapy under the PthG, but it's worth knowing, as a patient, which path is better suited to your concerns.
What this means for therapists in advanced training
If you yourself are currently in advanced training, Section 17 of the PthG 2024 governs your rights and obligations. You may treat patients on your own responsibility, with your own treatment contract, your own duty of confidentiality, and your own liability. You may charge a fee, freely negotiable. You may advertise, provided the designation “in advanced training under teaching supervision” is stated in full. And you may list yourself on platforms like MatchYourTherapy as soon as the status confirmation from your training institution is available.
What you may not do: Call yourself “psychotherapist” without the addition. Abbreviate the designation, since wordings like “i.A.,” “i.A.u.S.,” or “i.F.u.L.” contradict the obligation to state the full designation under Section 8, paragraph 8, and can be penalized as an administrative offense under Section 55 of the PthG 2024 with a fine. And creating the impression that you're registered when you aren't is likewise impermissible.
A few practical marketing tips for your profile: write out the full designation, that is, “psychotherapist in advanced training under teaching supervision.” Name your method, such as behavioral therapy or systemic family therapy, in a separate field, not in the title. State your training institution, for example SFU, ÖGATAP, ÖGwG, APG-IPA, or AAP, which builds trust. And mention openly that you make use of teaching supervision. That's a mark of quality, not a shortcoming.
Once you've completed your qualification and received a positive decision from the BMSGPK, you automatically move into registered status. At MatchYourTherapy, it's enough to send us your new registration notice, and we'll adjust your profile right away.
What this means for registered psychotherapists
You use the designation “psychotherapist” without an addition. Your registration number is public and you're obliged to state it on request, which in practice makes sense in the imprint on your website and possibly on your business card too.
A common question from colleagues is: “May I call myself a behavioral therapist?” The answer is no, at least not as a job title. The job title is “psychotherapist.” The method, such as behavioral therapy, is a content-related specialization and belongs in the profile description area, not in the title. That's also why, at MatchYourTherapy, we keep methods in a separate field, cleanly separated from the legally protected professional title.
If you're additionally entered in the register of clinical psychologists or health psychologists, you may use those designations too. At MatchYourTherapy, we currently focus on psychotherapy work; if you'd also like to offer clinical-psychological treatment, feel free to write to us: we're currently looking into expanding the platform to include clinical psychologists.
Why we only allow the two designations
Dozens of hybrid forms circulate online: “psychotherapist in training,” “psychotherapist i.A.,” “psychotherapist under supervision,” “behavioral therapist,” all legally problematic or at least misleading. We've decided to offer exclusively the two PthG 2024 designations on MatchYourTherapy: “psychotherapist” and “psychotherapist in advanced training under teaching supervision.” Nothing else. No free text, no abbreviations, no methods in the title.
This has three advantages. For patients, a person's status is recognizable at a glance, with no need for translation. For therapists, the profile is legally sound and compliant with the PthG 2024. And for the whole field, clearer designations build more trust in the psychotherapy landscape. On MatchYourTherapy, the method is kept in a field of its own and taken into account in search and filtering, but it isn't part of the protected professional title.
Conclusion
When you're looking for a therapist, look for one of the two official statuses and check the registration in the BMSGPK register. If you yourself are currently in advanced training, write out your status in full and use it as a mark of quality, not as an awkward stopgap wording. And if you're registered, keep the protected title cleanly free of method labels, which belong elsewhere.
Clear designations aren't just a legal obligation. They're a form of respect for everyone involved, for patients who want to get their bearings, and for colleagues who play by the rules.
