American psychologist in Italy?

Welcome on Expat.com Sacredportals

As per many professions in Italy, you have to get a license by the Ordine degli Psicologi, a semi-public organization, you find some infos on wikipedia

http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordine_Naz … _Psicologi

good luck !

The Italian Specialist

Thank you so much!

Hello.. well, I came to italy with my phd in clinical psych and full licensure  thinking that, considering the requirements to sit for licensure are fewer than in the USA, getting my license recognized would be quick and painless. I was very wrong. I was trapped in a bureaucratic nightmare for longer than I expected. If you are not yet licensed in the US, things will be even worse for you. You will need to first prove the validity of your education (trust me, this is a long and frustrating process) and sit for italian license exam, which obviously involves being fluent in italian AND being up on all the material they require you to know here (in general, psychology is still more humanistic than scientific here- though the trend is shifting). I would definitely advise you to sit for licensure in the USA first!
If you ARE licensed in the USA, you will need to get a hold of the Ministero della Salute (Ministry of Health). You will need to first prove the validity of each of your academic degrees (undergrad too!) by having official transcripts sent to the Italian Consulate in the state in which you received said degree and asking for something called a DICHIARAZIONE DI VALORE. example: I got my Phd in Illinois, so I had to have this done at the Italian Consulate in Chicago. For my undergrad, I had to do it through the one in NY. You will also have to do the same for your actual license through the state you are licensed in. Next, you will have to submit all your official transcripts to the ministry, translated officially of course. A committee will eventually review your case. If they see any discrepancy between their requirements and your background, they will ask you to sit for a "MISURA COMPENSATIVA"- basically a written/oral exam to prove you are worthy of license. The problem here is there is a load of bureaucracy and things take time.. it is very frustrating indeed. Only AFTER ALL THIS can you submit your request to the local ORDINE PSICOLOGI to be registered as a practicing psychologist in your actual region of residence (kind of like state licensure in the US).
I have been through all this personally, so if you have any questions please do contact me. good luck!

Hi nyteck and welcome to the forum

Thanks for your contribution!

Armand

NYteck,

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!! Your response could not have been more helpful. I am still contemplating the move but oh my goodness, what an ordeal to go through! I really appreciate you taking the time to respond and for just shedding light on the reality of all that. It really helps me be better prepared.

Do you happen to know what would be required of me if I were to just teach in a University?

I definitely plan to be in contact with you.

Hi, I am considering the same route, PhD in Clinical Psych here. Did you get any more responses? Would you mind exchanging email addresses? Thanks! Adrian

Hello Davis PHD and welcome to Expat.com!

Just to inform you that this is an old thread. You may start a new topic on the Italy forum.

Thanks,
Christine

Do you  know how it works the other way around?

Federica83 wrote:

Do you  know how it works the other way around?

You're replying on a rather old/inactive thread.  It's unlikely you'll get a response.  You might find it better to start a new topic with your question

Romaniac
Expat.com Experts Team

Welcome to the site. Although a beautiful country to live in, everything is so complicated here, not only for your profession, but general things. I hope if you decide to move to Italy, it works out well for you.

Hello all,

I can see this is an old thread, but I am wondering if anybody here has had success in being recognized as a 'psicologo' or 'psicoterapeuta' in Italy.

I am currently in the process on gathering the very many documents, but I am not sure how to get a Dichiarazione di Valore for my Virginia Psychology License. One staff at the corresponding Italian Embassy (in Washington D.C.) told me on the phone that they ONLY provide a Dichiarazione di Valore for completed studies, not for professional licenses. Consequently, I am at a loss at the moment. 

Has anybody had this problem? If yes, can you please give me some advice.

I thank you in advance.

Hi there, I am a counselor working toward LPC licensure in VA, and then planning to move to Italy within the year (or sooner!) and practice there.  If you feel like chit-chatting, I know we have different Boards/regs in the U.S., but it's still a similar thing of figuring out how to get a visa to Italy and work in the mental health field there, likely as a self-employed person.

Crystal

I'm working on getting a LPC license, as well. I would like to propose being the counselor for the school I graduated from in Italy a few years ago but need more information before doing that. Do you know if master's level therapists should contact the same department in Italy to get licensed that psychologists would need to contact?

Hi, I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in PA. An American client contacted me from Italy for English speaking therapist. They are originally from Massachusetts which is not my license state. They need English speaking therapist. The mostly live in Italy but they come to the U.S. Can I see them online when they are in Italy not in Massachusetts? any thoughts?

Thank you nyteck, your well thought reply is very helpful.
My husband and I are possibly relocating in a year or so, he is a therapist and we'd be closest to Naples. We are thinking that an English speaking therapist would market fairly well in a US naval town. Any tips you'd have would be very appreciated.
Thx much, Dasa

@nyteck Hi, I am pursuing my bachelor's in psychology from India and plan on doing my higher studies in Italy- Master, Mphil, and Ph.D.  I need to know if there is plenty of job opportunities in Italy for psychologists and if it is worth the move according to your experience. Will completing my higher education in psychology from Italy benefit me and make it easier for me to get a job? Also, how is the education culture there regarding Psychology?

Thank you.

@nyteck Hi!! I am a third year PsyD in Illinois as well - looking to contact someone who has taken their american clinical psychology degree to Italy. Can I contact you about this?

@nyteck Thank you so much for all of this information. I have my Masters and am currently an LPC (sitting for LCPC exam in 01/24). I want to move to Florence for at least a year and continue as a therapist. I wonder if you might know if the process you went through would be the same for a Masters level. Also, have you found it easy to find a job (preferably one where the pay is decent) in Italy after going through this process?

Hello everyone,

Please note that you are participating on an old thread and that the member @Nyteck hasn't been on the forum for the past 7 years. Don't expect a response from him.

It is better that you create your own thread on the Italy forum by clearly asking your questions so that active members might guide you.

All the best

Bhavna

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