The Proposal of the Psychotherapy Act is appropriate for further consideration
With 40 votes in favor and four voted, MEPs voted that the bill on psychotherapy activity was suitable for further consideration. Opinions regarding the draft law, which introduces the profession of psychotherapy into healthcare, diverges within parliamentary groups, and the votes of support have been contributed by the vast majority of Freedom MPs, the NSi and one SD MP.
The government’s bill, which aims to spread access to quality psychotherapy, sets out the conditions for pursuing the profession of psychotherapist and introduces the Chamber to be granted licenses. It also introduces psychotherapy activity into social protection and education.
MEPs made a general debate on the proposal on Wednesday. While MEPs defended the proposal of freedom and left and NSi, they were the most critical in the opposition SDS. They also expressed doubts in the SD and the Democrats’ MPs. In the Left, most MEPs did not support the law in the vote, while the SDS deputies did not vote, and the Democrat MPs were abstained.
The bill was only supported by SD Bojana Muršičwho is convinced that the proposal brings a clear definition of psychotherapy, determines the conditions of pursuing a profession, introduces a register of psychotherapists and the possibility of supervision and responsibility, which means greater security for service users and more respect for the profession that has been left to self -regulation to date. « Psychotherapy should not be the privilege of individuals who can afford it at all, but those who urgently need it, » she justified her voice today.
Is psychotherapy really need to be placed in healthcare?
Everyone agreed that the area had to be regulated, and the biggest question is whether psychotherapy should really be placed in healthcare. Freedom MPs said that interdisciplinarity was important, but that they were open to supplements to the proposal.
The bill is strongly distributed from the design. The health profession, including clinical psychologists, psychiatrists and pediatric, sharply rejects the proposal. They want the field of psychotherapy to be regulated, but it seems controversial that the proposal introduces the profession of psychotherapist into healthcare. According to the proposal, psychotherapists would have too little clinical experience and a very dispersed and undefined knowledge, they warned.
Against the pedagogical profession that considers that entry of psychotherapy into the school space interferes with the school counseling service and does not provide sufficient qualifications.
On the other bank, there are psychotherapy associations. On Thursday, the Slovenian umbrella association for psychotherapy called on MPs to vote for further consideration of the proposal. They believe that the proposal is the basis for arranging a professional network for mental health.
