This continuing education course provides training in psychotherapy research, and covers the following fields:
- Conceptual research, neuroscience
- Process and outcome research, health services research
- Educational research, applied research
It includes advanced study of integrated research design for different specialist fields.
The latest research findings, professional evaluation of the state of current research, practical research techniques and scientific principles all form part of the syllabus.
The aim of the course is for students to develop advanced skills in integrating scientific knowledge and research know-how into treatment plans, in turn helping to improve how diagnostic evaluation and the efficacy of psychotherapy are addressed in day-to-day psychotherapy work.
Psychotherapy adopts a wide variety of methods, and this is strongly reflected in the course content.
Study of different research paradigms covers scientific research criteria and the principles of empirical research, evidence-based medicine, and approaches from the human and social sciences.
Students receive research training which takes an applied, practical approach to learning about the various psychotherapy traditions as well as the practical tools required to meet the quality and structural criteria for psychotherapy research and research into the effectiveness of psychotherapy (as stipulated by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Health, 2012).