Mental health professions in Finland

In Finland, psychologists must be registered with VALVIRA and listed with the JulkiTerhikki public register of health professionals. They must have a minimum of five years of university training. Psychologists can have many different specialisations: health psychology, counselling psychology, educational psychology, occupational psychology and clinical psychology, among others. Clinical psychology uses science, theory and clinical knowledge to better understand, prevent, and reduce psychologically based distress and to promote well-being. Clinical psychologists receive six to nine years of training in psychological assessment, clinical formulation and therapy. In Finland psychologists cannot make an official diagnosis and cannot provide psychotherapy.

In Finland, Psychotherapists are a separate title to Psychologists, and they are the only health professionals who can offer subsidised psychotherapy services. Psychotherapy is what a person receives for mental health treatment for conditions such as depression, anxiety and stress that is NOT medication. Psychotherapy is also known as “talk therapy”. Psychotherapists talk to and listen to their clients to work with them to overcome their difficulties using different therapeutic methods.

Psychotherapists use different theories, or orientations, to learn these methods and they usually train for a number of years in a specific type of therapy. Types of therapies can include Cognitive Integrative therapy, Cognitive Analytic therapy, Psychodynamic therapy, Integrative therapy, Family therapy, Gestalt therapy, and many others. You can learn more about different psychotherapeutic orientations here (LINK Psychotherapy) Often Psychotherapists in Finland are also Psychologists, but they have done some additional training to gain the title Psychotherapist. Some psychotherapists are other professions, such as a nurse, doctor or social worker. When someone has done the Psychotherapy training, they can be called a licensed Psychotherapist and are eligible to provide KELA-subsidised therapy and HUS (Helsinki-Uusimaa hospital/ health system).

This means that a person can obtain 20 sessions for free from HUS for psychotherapy, or up to 80 sessions per year (up to 3 years) for KELA therapy. Obtaining KELA-supported therapy requires a so-called “B-lausunto” document from a Psychiatrist, with a waiting time of 3 months before therapy is granted and a minimum of 2 visits with the psychiatrist. Psychotherapists are licensed by VALVIRA in Finland, and unfortunately VALVIRA very rarely grants licences to foreign educated psychotherapists. This means that most foreign-educated psychotherapists cannot offer subsidised psychotherapy sessions and cannot use the title Psychotherapist. When someone has done the psychotherapy training, they can be called a licensed psychotherapist and are eligible to provide KELA-subsidised therapy and HUS (Helsinki-Uusimaa hospital/ health system). This means that a person can obtain 20 sessions for free from HUS for psychotherapy, or up to 80 sessions per year (up to 3 years) for KELA therapy. Obtaining KELA-supported therapy requires a so-called “B-lausunto” document from a psychiatrist, with a waiting time of 3 months before therapy is granted and a minimum of 2 visits with the psychiatrist.

Psychiatrists are medical doctors who have specialised in treating mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and mania. In Finland this is a protected health title and all psychiatrists are registered doctors as well. Psychiatrists can prescribe medication and assess, diagnose and treat mental health conditions.