Norway

The situation of psychotherapy in Norway, 2021

1. How many psychotherapists work in your country.

The Norwegian Association of Psychotherapy, founded in 1998 (NFP; https://nfpsykoterapi.no/) has approx 500 members. There are, in addition to these, an unknown number of practitioners not registered with the NFP due to there being no official recognition of psychotherapy as a profession in Norway.

2. Overview on psychotherapy training

In order to be accepted as a training institute under the umbrella of NFP the institutes training programmes must as a minimum be in accordance with NFP / EAP.  These standards also apply for members of associated psychotherapy societies.

 3. List of psychotherapy schools in your country

Under the umbrella of NPF there are at present 3 training institutes.

• Norsk Gestaltinstitutt AS Høyskole (Gestalt)
• Norsk institutt for Kunstuttrykk og kommunikasjon (Art and expressive therapy)
• Morenoinstituttet (Psychodrama)

 4. Legal situation (is there a law or regulation, if yes please attach the law regulation to the article)

Due to the lack of official recognition for psychotherapy as a profession in Norway, there is no specific law governing this.  However, the Law for Alternative treatments (Alternativbehandlingsloven; https://lovdata.no/dokument/NL/lov/2003-06-27-64) apply.  Public healthcare seems to increasingly include so-called alternative practices, although then offered by health workers within approved professions.  Hence; several sections in the law regulating authorized health workers (psychologists, doctors, psychiatrists, nurses, etc); Lov om Helsepersonell (https://lovdata.no/dokument/NL/lov/1999-07-02-64), apply to psychotherapists when relevant.

5. Is there a national register for psychotherapists

There is no national register for psychotherapists, but Alternativregisteret is a voluntary register of practitioners of alternative treatments, fulfilling certain criteria such as membership in approved professional organisations, insurance etc..  Many psychotherapists from NFPs member associations are listed there.

6. Payment; how much do clients pay on average per hour

This varies a lot but generally in the range of Euro 60-130

7. Is psychotherapy paid by health insurance

Usually not, but there are exceptions

8. Which government is responsible for psychotherapy in your country

The Ministry of Health

9. Which psychotherapy modalities are accepted in your country

As psychotherapists are not formally approved as part of public healthcare, all modalities are considered alternative treatments as long as the therapist is not e.g. also a nurse, medical doctor, psychologist, psychiatrist or similar.  However, modalities and practitioners fulfilling certain quality criteria such as membership in approved professional organisations having educational admittance standards and exclusion criteria, ethical guidelines, formal client complaint management systems, are allowed registration in Alternativregisteret; thus ensuring a minimum quality standard.   Our organization include (2021) 3 training institutes and 6 practitioners organisations covering the following modalities:

• Gestalt therapy
• Expressive arts therapy
• Psychodrama therapy
• Psychosynthesis therapy
• Analytical (Jungian) therapy
• Integrative therapy

NORWEGIAN ASSOCIATION FOR PSYCHOTHERAPY

NORSK FORBUND FOR PSYKOTERAPI (NFP)
www.psykoterapiforbundet.no

NFP was founded in 1998 .
In 2014 its members are 5 training institutes and 7 practitioners organisations.