Luxembourg's child psychotherapists are not legally compliant

The Luxembourg Parliament recently questioned the Minister of Health and the Minister of Education about the recognition of qualifications for child and adolescent psychotherapists. This problem arises because current educational programmes in this field do not always meet the requirements set out in the 2015 law. According to the legislation, a psychotherapist's qualification should cover working with patients of all ages, including adults.

This explains why qualifications focusing exclusively on working with children and young people are not directly recognised. For such professionals, there is a so-called 'compensatory measure' - an internship or examination to fill in the gaps. To date, all candidates have successfully completed this procedure, which demonstrates its effectiveness, but raises the question of whether such restrictions are necessary.

Ministers said that the possibility of simplification would be explored as part of the legislative review. However, the timeframe for implementation remains uncertain. The government also believes that the impact of the lack of direct recognition on the quality and accessibility of care is limited, as existing measures compensate for shortcomings.

The problem is related not only to legislation, but also to the diversity of pathology of patients of different ages. Child-oriented specialists often do not have sufficient experience to work with adults, which creates the need to verify their qualifications.

It remains unclear how and when the system will be adapted, but the government recognises the need to address the problem. In the meantime, professionals can continue to undergo compensatory procedures to become eligible to practise.