European Certificates of Psychotherapy awarded to Maltese psychotherapists

July 4 was a memorable occasion for the Malta Association of Psychotherapists (MAP). Nine Maltese psychotherapists received their European Certificate of Psychotherapy (ECP) at an award-giving ceremony at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Sliema.

The ceremony was presided over by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Policy Lawrence Gonzi and Professor Serge Ginger, Registrar of the European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP).

MAP president Charles Cassar welcomed those present and, having introduced the members of the executive committee, pointed out how their work had been important in leading up to the occasion.

Committee members include Dr Lidija Pecotic (vice-president), Patricia Camilleri (secretary), Christiane Sullivan (treasurer) and Laner Cassar (PRO).

Mr Cassar outlined the association's history since its inauguration in 1999, by Health Minister Louis Deguara, and EAP secretary general Professor Alfred Pritz.

Since then much work followed by the executive committee. The association qualified to become a National Umbrella Organisation (NUO) within the EAP. This implies that the MAP is the sole voice for psychotherapy in Malta.

Last November Mr Cassar was elected chair of the NUO, which forms part of the EAP Executive Board. The MAP also enjoys the National Awarding Status, which gives it the authority to award European Certificates of Psychotherapy.

Mr Cassar concluded by congratulating the qualifying psychotherapists and auguring that the work done to achieve European status will herald the regularisation of psychotherapy as a profession in Malta.

Professor Ginger, representing the EAP, expressed his pleasure in awarding the certificates to Maltese professional psychotherapists who now join over 3,000 other ECP holders and 10,000 EAP members in 42 European countries.

He explained the implications of being an ECP holder, stating that these individuals have reached a European level of competence in the field, including the necessary qualifications, training and ethical behaviour.

This qualification implies ten years of training; three years of studies in the Human Sciences at graduate level; four years of training in a specific modality of psychotherapy (which may include different approaches, such as Gestalt, the Psychodynamic approach, the Cognitive-Behavioural approach, Transactional Analysis and Psychosynthesis, among others); and another three years of supervised practice with evidence of ongoing professional development work.

"It is important to underline that psychotherapy is now a specific profession in Europe, different from psychology and psychiatry, implying a high level of specific training, not only medical and psychological but also social, and specifically with deep formative work on the therapist him or herself (a personal therapy) together with long-term supervision of clinical practice," Professor Ginger said, congratulating Malta on the leading impact it has already had in the field of psychotherapy as it approaches its entry into the European Union.

Dr Gonzi expressed his pleasure that Malta has reached European standards in the field of psychotherapy. He emphasised that lately more importance is being given to this profession and other professions related to the health and social fields.

The fact that nine Maltese psychotherapists have fully qualified as ECP holders after ten years of hard work, is an honour both for themselves and for the MAP.

One should also be appreciative of the fact that the MAP has put Malta in a positive light; so much so that in a relatively short time, and with hard work, the association managed to achieve all the necessary qualifications for membership within the EAP, also becoming a National Awarding Organisation.

Dr Gonzi said that whereas in the past Malta has relied on voluntary organisations for many services, now there is more awareness that it is vital to have professionally trained people to do this work. He stressed the importance of ongoing education and training, to maintain high standards of practice and service provision.

The minister explained that legislation will provide minimal standards for the profession as well as the assurance that every involved professional continues in its development and maintains high standards of practice. Legislation for social work will soon be enacted and this is only the first of a series of professions which will be regularised.

The psychotherapists who were awarded the European Certificates for Psychotherapy by Dr Gonzi were: Carmen Buttigieg, Patricia Camilleri, Charmaine Cardona, Charles Cassar, Laner Cassar, Caroline Mallia, Ingrid Rapa, Ian Refalo and Christiane Sullivan. The ceremony was followed by a reception.

For more information on psychotherapy and the Malta Association of Psychotherapists write to the MAP, PO Box 17, Gzira.