The Institute of Systemic Therapy of Thessaloniki is a certified training institute by the Training Institutes Chamber of the European Family Therapy Association (EFTA-TIC)  and the National Organization for Psychotherapy of Greece (NOPG). It offers a four-years training program in systemic therapy, based on the guidelines of these associations (possibility to obtain the European Certificate of Psychotherapy, ECP) and includes the full program of systemic couples’ therapy of our Institute.

Emphasis is placed on the therapist’s self-awareness, his/her familiarity with human communication and on clinical application. Therefore the experiential exercises, the role-plays, the supervision of the trainees’ cases and the live sessions have a central roleduring the training.

The aim is that in a safe environment the competencies of the trainees emerge, their therapeutic skills are cultivated and that their role as therapists or counselors is encouraged.

The training program lasts four years (1.472 hours), including 10 weekends per year and participation in a therapy group on a fortnightly basis. The group coordinates the psychologist, systemic therapist Ms. Sotiria Chatzi.

The hours of training, which the trainees have attended or attend in other recognized institutes as well as the therapy-hours with other recognized therapists can be taken into account/ consideration.

Content of the training program:
Theoretical and practical topics
Basic concepts and development of systemic theory
Schools of family therapy (videos, simulations) with emphasis
on the experiential and narrative approaches
Life-cycle and developmental stages of a family
Cultural differences in the family organization
Models of change  and psychological approaches
Couples’ therapy
Systemic psychodrama
Formation of a therapeutic relationship and process
Therapy-methods from other psychotherapy-schools,which are
compatible with the systemic approach
Application on different psychopathological cases
Application on self-encounter groups
Application in a school context
Application on research
Ethical issues
Literature

Personal development of the trainee
Genogram of the trainee
Self-reflexivity through experiential exercises and supervision groups
Learning psychotherapy in a group

Clinical experience
Participation in therapist-groups
Participation as co-therapist
Supervision (in a group and individually)

In certain subjects guest-trainers are invited

Trainees who have completed the program are able to become members of the Systemic Association of North Greece (SANG) and of the European Family Therapy Association (EFTA), if fulfilling the other criteria of these associations. Also have the possibility to obtain  the European Certificate of Psychotherapy, three years after completing the training and if they fulfill the other prerequisites (degree in Human Sciences and work permission).