The Psychotherapy Training and Research Centre

The Psychotherapy Training and Research Centre

The Psychotherapy Training and Research Centre is a part of Department of Psychology and provides therapy services for individuals, couples, families, and groups.

In addition to psychotherapy services, the clinic provides training and teaching to master’s and postgraduate students, organizes continuing education programmes and scientific conferences, and produces scientific knowledge on psychotherapy and psychological treatment processes.

The psychotherapy clinic is equipped with video and observation equipment for research and teaching purposes. Professor Juha Holma is the director of the clinic's health services.

Research

The Department of Psychology at the Ģ��ֱ�� has been conducting research on psychotherapy and psychological treatment processes since the 1970s. The aim of this research has been to develop practical models and tools for quality treatment of psychological problems and psychiatric disorders.

Research has focused on the qualitative study of treatment processes, but there has also been a growing focus on the quantitative measurement of treatment outcomes. This focus on care processes is driven by the idea of combining research and education and by an interest in developing new care practices.

The Psychotherapy Training and Research Centre has developed treatment models for clients with social anxiety, anxiety disorders, depression, intimate partner violence and self-harm. We have studied the effectiveness, interaction and change factors of psychotherapy and other psychological interventions in all these areas. Individual, couple and family therapies are studied, as well as group treatments.

In collaboration with local and national mental health service providers, we have been involved in the development of early intervention models and family and network-centered treatments for schizophrenia, psychosis, and depression.

Therapy services

Our services include individual, couple and family therapy. These services are fee-based and are always provided by persons who are licensed health professionals (psychologists). The participation of students in client activities is subject to the client's permission. In addition to the general regulations governing health care activities, our work is carried out in accordance with the professional ethical rules for psychologists adopted by the Finnish Psychological Association and good research ethics.

Teaching

The Psychotherapy Training and Research Centre provides psychotherapy services as part of the Department of Psychology's clinical psychology teaching and research activities.

Students participate in client activities on a limited basis, as part of their master's and postgraduate studies. Research on therapeutic activities is related to theses at the prograduate, licentiate and doctoral levels, as well as other research by clinical psychology research groups. As a rule, research activities focus on the interaction, discourse patterns and change factors of psychotherapeutic and other psychological interventions. The psychological processes involved in the construction of self-reflection and the discovery of new options for action in the face of different problems of self-experience, life situations and interaction will be of central interest.