Doctors undergoing further training in the field of child and adolescent psychiatry and psychotherapy can complete their structured further training in the special psychotherapy section at the AZVT.

A curriculum is offered for this purpose, which is based on the further training regulations of the Baden-Württemberg State Medical Association in the version dated 1 July 2020. However, the further training curriculum is also open to doctors who wish to undergo further training in specialised child and adolescent psychotherapy in accordance with similar further training regulations in other federal states or other specialist areas.

In order to be admitted to the AZVT for further medical training, it is necessary to submit a licence to practise and a curriculum vitae in tabular form.

The further training course for doctors at the AZVT has a curricular structure and is designed as a compact programme that covers all the requirements of the special psychotherapy section of the further training regulations for the field of child and adolescent psychiatry/psychotherapy.

Participants in further training can complete the following modules of the curriculum in a standard period of three years:

• Theory classes (100 hours)

In accordance with the further training regulations of the Baden-Württemberg Medical Association, seminars, courses, practicals and case seminars are offered on the theoretical foundations of psychotherapy for children and adolescents, in particular on general and special neuroscience, developmental psychology and developmental psychopathology as well as on the theory and methodology of behavioural therapy, including theory and therapy in psychosomatics/behavioural medicine.

The theoretical seminars take place as weekend events. The weekend courses usually take place on Fridays from 4.00 - 8.00 p.m. and Saturdays from 8.30 - 6.15 p.m. (15 teaching units of 45 minutes each).

• Acquisition of knowledge in therapies involving the caregivers

Participants will be involved in five double hours of family therapy, ten hours of crisis intervention and eight hours of supportive psychotherapy for children and adolescents and their caregivers under behavioural therapy supervision in their local clinics.

• Relaxation techniques (16 double hours)

Learning autogenic training (AT) with children and adolescents and/or progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) with children and adolescents as part of a multi-stage further training programme is also part of the further training content.

• Further training in crisis intervention, supportive procedures and counselling (10 hours of theory + 6 hours of treatment)

For this purpose, a ten-hour seminar is held in which participants learn the theoretical principles and methods of crisis intervention, supportive dialogue and counselling. Furthermore, six corresponding treatment hours are carried out under supervision.

• Psychiatric-psychotherapeutic consultation and liaison work (10 hours of theory)

Participants in further training complete a ten-hour seminar in psychiatric-psychotherapeutic counselling and liaison work with children and adolescents. Appropriate supervision is integrated into the seminar.

• Practical training in behavioural therapy (240 hours)

Participants complete a total of 240 hours of behavioural therapy with children and adolescents. Supervision takes place after every fourth hour.

The therapy cases can be completed in the outpatient clinic of the AZVT or in co-operating facilities. Practical training should be started in the second year at the latest in order to avoid a delay in further training.

• Balint groups (35 double hours)

As part of the further training, participants complete 35 double hours of balint group work with a balint group leader who co-operates with the AZVT.

• Self-awareness (150 hours)

Participants complete 150 hours of individual or group self-awareness in behavioural therapy with a self-awareness trainer recognised by the AZVT. At least 30 hours of this should be individual self-experience.

Participants are generally charged a monthly training fee for completing the training programme at AZVT Ulm.

These fees cover the theoretical training as well as the organisation and teaching of the other training modules.

Supervision, self-awareness and balint groups are billed directly by the participants to the providers of these services.

The training therapies within the AZVT outpatient clinic or co-operating outpatient clinics are financed by invoicing the individual services. After deduction of the administrative costs, the training candidates receive a performance-related payment for the services they provide (share of the proceeds for the psychotherapeutic treatments). This makes it possible to organise the overall costs of further training in a cost-effective manner.

More detailed regulations on remuneration during further training can be found in the AZVT fee schedule.

You can apply to the AZVT at any time by submitting your licence to practise medicine and a curriculum vitae in tabular form, stating your training objective (specialisation). Please use the AZVT application form for this purpose.

It is possible to start training at any time.