Clinical Psychology – Track Psychotherapy – V year 2026/2027 academic year
Head of the specialization: dr Karolina Małek
The specializations in clinical psychology at WISP are based on the belief that psychological well-being and psychological disorders are best understood by combining insights from different disciplines. Psychological disorders are not solely a matter of mental issues, nor are they only rooted in abnormal brain processes; abnormalities and pathologies exist on a continuum that includes the mental and the biological. The scope of this specialization, therefore, is broad and integrative. For instance, instead of treating psychotherapy and neuropsychology as separate fields, they are taught jointly and in a complementary way. This approach also connects well with the work field of clinical psychologists, where teams are often multidisciplinary. A broad background allows graduates to understand phenomena from different angles and better comprehend and communicate with other professionals.
Hence, introductory courses related to different domains of clinical psychology are shared between the psychotherapy and neuropsychology tracks. The tracks differ in that they specialize further in one or the other direction.
The psychotherapy track focuses mainly on the two psychotherapeutic approaches with profound empirical support for their effectiveness: Psychodynamic Therapy (PT) and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Courses cover both approaches; underlying theories and assumptions and train students in psychotherapeutic techniques. Students will also gain basic knowledge of systemic and humanistic therapies.
“In addition, students are offered the opportunity (in the form of elective courses) to focus deeply on self-reflection and the development of their personal therapeutic resources. This includes experiential learning through specialized modules such as “Mentalization in Clinical Practice: Theory and Self-Experience” or the “Psychological Flexibility ACT Workshop.”
It is also important to highlight that the course “Psychodynamic consultation”“ does not involve conducting independent psychotherapy. Instead, it serves as an introduction to the supervisory framework and the consultation process. In a safe environment and under the guidance of a licensed psychotherapist, students gain hands-on experience by conducting initial consultations with simulated patients (trained actors). Along with supervisory course – Introduction to Clinical Supervision, this approach provides a vital foundation for building professional attitudes, recognizing one’s own competencies, and maintaining a mindset of continuous growth and self-reflection—all of which are essential in the psychotherapist profession.
To ensure the depth and continuity of this experiential learning and group reflection, these courses require a high level of dedication. When signing up, please remember that regular, weekly attendance is mandatory throughout the semester.
The tables underneath provide an overview of the courses offered within the specialization.
From time to time, minor changes are made to the courses offered or their timing; for the most up-to-date overview of courses, see the course offer.
Criteria for completion of the specialization
In order to complete the specialization, students are required to gain a minimum of 48 ECTS points from the specialization courses offered at WISP.
High-priority specialization courses (see the tables below) are required to complete the specialization. In justified cases (e.g., Erasmus exchange, longer sick leave), students can ask to count other specialization courses (e.g., accomplished in other universities) as a replacement for the high-priority courses. The replacement courses should cover similar topics to the classes missed. In such cases, students are obliged to write an e-mail with a request to the head of the specialization with an attached syllabus of a replacement course.
The other courses on the list have a standard priority. In justified cases (e.g., Erasmus exchange or longer sick leave), students can ask to count other specialization courses accomplished in other universities as a replacement for the standard-priority courses. The replacement courses do not have to cover similar topics to the classes missed; however, they need to cover topics from the field of clinical psychology. In such cases, students are obliged to write an e-mail with a request to the head of the specialization with an attached syllabus of a replacement course.
In justified cases, the elective courses that cover clinical content can be counted for the specialization with a limit of 6 ECTS points.
The maximum number of ECTS points covered from the classes outside the program cannot exceed 24 points.
The grade for the specialization is the average grade from the specialization courses weighted by ECTS points.
| YEAR 4 | Format | Hours | ECTS | High-priority courses (ECTS) |
| Semester 1 | ||||
| Introduction to Psychotherapy | seminar | 30 | 3 | yes (3) |
| Psychodynamic and Cognitive-Behavioural Models of Mental Disorders | seminar | 30 | 3 | yes (3) |
| Psychiatry | seminar | 30 | 3 | yes (3) |
| Introduction to Clinical Neuropsychology | seminar | 30 | 3 | no |
| Semester 2 | ||||
| Psychodynamic Psychotherapy | seminar | 30 | 3 | yes (3) |
| Cognitive Behavioral Therapies: Theory and Principles | seminar | 30 | 3 | yes (3) |
| Assessment, Diagnosis and Rehabilitation in Clinical Neuropsychology | training | 30 | 3 | no |
| Basic Issues in Neuropsychological Assessment | training | 30 | 3 | no |
| Clinical Diagnosis in an In-Patient Setting | seminar | 30 | 2 | yes (2) |
| Clinical Diagnostic Testing | seminar | 30 | 2 | no |
| Sum | 300 | 28 | 15 |
| YEAR 5 | Format | Hours | ECTS | High-priority courses (ECTS) |
| Semester 3 | ||||
| Techniques in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy | training | 30 | 2 | yes (2) |
| Techniques in Cognitive-Behavioural Psychotherapy | training | 30 | 2 | |
| Culture and Psychopathology: Cross-Cultural Perspectives and Practice | seminar | 15 | 2 | no |
| Cross-Cultural Neuropsychological Assessment | seminar | 15 | 2 | no |
| Child and Adolescent Clinical Psychology | seminar | 30 | 3 | no |
| Ethics in Therapeutic Contexts | seminar | 15 | 2 | yes (2) |
| Systemic Family Therapy | seminar | 15 | 2 | no |
| Couple Therapy, an Introduction | seminar | 15 | 2 | no |
| Semester 4 | ||||
| Psychopharmacology for Psychologists | seminar | 15 | 2 | no |
| Neuropsychiatry | seminar | 15 | 2 | no |
| Advances in Humanistic and Existential Psychotherapy | seminar | 15 | 2 | no |
| Research Methods in Clinical Psychology | seminar | 15 | 2 | no |
| Sum | 225 | 25 | 4 | |
| Total | 525 | 53 | 19 |
- ACT workshop – Sebastian Korfel (4 year, 2nd Semester, 30hrs) 3ects
- Introduction to Clinical supervision – Sebastian Korfel ( 5 year, 30hrs) 3 ects
- Mentalization in clinical practice – theory and self-experience – Tomasz Jurczyk (5 year, last semester, 30hrs) 3 ects
- Psychodynamic consultation – Katarzyna Czajkowska – Łukasiewicz 2 ects (15 hrs) or 30 hrs (4ECTS) TBE
These courses are classified as elective courses but are primarily foreseen for students of this specialization.
They are not formal specialization courses and so do not count towards completion of the specialization and are not required to complete the specialization.