ISST Guidelines
To begin training in Schema Therapy applicants who are beginning training on, or after 1st of September 2021 must meet the following requirements (both of them!):
1) Academic training: Applicants must have at least Master’s Degree (or an equivalent) in psychology, social work, special education and rehabilitation or medicine.
2) License or certification for practice: In countries that certification or license for practice exists, a person must be certified or licensed by either the government body or professional organization, which grants this. Furthermore it is recommended that if no such control exists in a country, the standard of one of the national or international professional psychotherapy organizations must be met to fulfill this requirement. In Serbia, we will adhere to the standards of SUAP (Serbian Union of Associations for Psychotherapy).
Training Guidelines
The individual can either attend one ISST approved ST program in its entirety or assemble his/her own certification programs by independent study. In such a case the individual needs to fulfill all the requirements. Only workshops given by Certified Trainers who are part of an ISST Approved Training Programs or have been invited by an approved program to provide a particular module of the ISST certification curriculum can be counted.
All ISST approved Schema Therapy Certification Training Programs (including this one) provide the 25 didactic and 15 dyadic hours required for certification. In addition to these hours trainees need: Supervision sessions, Self-Therapy and Peer supervision. There is a requirement for a certain number of patient sessions and a certain number of cases treated with Schema Therapy. Finally, applicants submit taped sessions, case conceptualizations and Session Recording Background and Information Summary to an independent rater who rates them using the Schema therapist competency rating scale- STCRS and Schema Therapy Case Conceptualization Rating Scale – STCCRS.
The specific requirements differ depending on the level of certification.
Standard certification
Therapists at this level are certified to practice schema therapy, participate in outcome studies, and to train or supervise other therapists at a basic level only with the supervision of an Advanced level trainer-supervisor within an ISST-approved training program. They are not qualified to run a training program, rate sessions, or offer supervision on difficult cases.
The requirements for standard level certification are the following:
- Minimum 25 didactic hours
- Minimum 15 dyadic hours of practice (Supervised Role-Playing in Dyads).
- Minimum 20 supervision sessions (50-60 minutes each Single or Converted Group Minutes). These may be conducted in person or online.
- Self-Therapy as part of case supervision – Highly Recommended: Max. of 3 sessions out of 20 can be primarily self-therapy.
- Peer Support (with a Certified Schema Therapist or Schema Therapist also in training) – Highly Recommended
- Minimum Number of cases Treated with ST – Minimum of 2 cases, at least 25 therapy hours each; One patient with a personality disorder or significant personality disorder features, the remaining patients appropriate for Schema Mode work. These client hours must be supervised & confirmed by your ST supervisor.
- Minimum Number of Patient Sessions (at least 45 minutes each) – 80 sessions; These client hours must be supervised & confirmed by your ST supervisor.
- Duration of supervision – At least one year
- Session Competency Ratings of Patient – One session with minimum STCRS (Schema therapist competency rating scale) score of 4.0 and one case conceptualization form with minimum average STCCRS (Schema Therapy Case Conceptualization Rating Scale) scores of 4.0. Candidate must receive individual ratings of no less than 4.0 on items 6 (if scored), 7-9 & 11 on the STCRS.
Advanced certification
Therapists at this level are certified to treat all patients, participate in outcome studies, and to apply for certification as a supervisor / trainer / rate others, and to run training programs after three years of practice as a certified schema therapist. An advanced level Individual Schema Therapist is also eligible to apply for certification as a Trainer/Supervisor in order to provide supervision, rate the recordings of others and to run training programs, after the required years of practice (see other documents on the ISST website for specific details) as a Certified Schema Therapist.
The requirements for advanced level certification are the following:
- Minimum of 25 hours in total (no additional hours after completion of Standard Certification)
- Minimum 15 dyadic hours (no additional hours after completion of Standard Certification)
- Minimum 40 supervision sessions (50-60 minutes each Single or Converted Group Minutes). These may be conducted in person or online.
- Self-Therapy as part of case supervision – Highly Recommended: Max. of 6 sessions out of 40 can be primarily self-therapy
- Peer Support (with a Certified Schema Therapist or Schema Therapist also in training) – Highly Recommended
- Minimum Number of cases Treated with ST – Minimum of 4 cases, at least 25 therapy hours each; One patient with a personality disorder or significant personality disorder features, the remaining patients appropriate for Schema Mode work. Applicants are expected to demonstrate competence with both the overcompensating modes and avoidant or surrender modes. These client hours must be supervised & confirmed by your ST supervisor.
- Minimum Number of Patient Sessions (at least 45 minutes each) – 160 sessions; These client hours must be supervised & confirmed by your ST supervisor.
- Duration of supervision – At least one year
- Session Competency Ratings of Patient – Two sessions with minimum average STCRS (Schema therapist competency rating scale) scores of 4.5 and two case conceptualization forms with minimum average STCCRS (Schema Therapy Case Conceptualization Rating Scale) scores of 4.5. Candidate must receive individual ratings of no less than 4.0 on items 6 (if scored), 7-9 & 11 on the STCRS. The two required tapes must be scored by two different raters.
NOTE: The only type of workshops or trainings that the ISST accepts Certificates of Attendance from are those from ISST Approved Certification Training Programs in which the approved curriculum is instructed by ISST Certified Trainer-Supervisor(s), affiliated with the program. We do offer these king of workshops and trainings.
Supervision undertaken by a candidate that can count towards standard and advanced accreditation must be carried out by an ISST Certified Supervisor who has maintained their membership of the ISST and their Certified Supervisor status. Our supervisors meet this requirements.