PTS | Faculty Dialogues: Psychotherapy Science sui generis

The Faculty of Psychotherapy Science introduced a new format in the summer semester of 2025: the Faculty Dialogues. This internal series of events invites colleagues to deliver short keynote lectures on current topics, which are then explored in greater depth through open discussion with members of the faculty. The aim is to engage collectively in reflection on key issues in teaching, research, and practice, and to develop fresh perspectives.

The fourth edition of the Faculty Dialogues, held on 2 October 2025, brought together numerous colleagues to discuss why psychotherapy science will remain indispensable in the future – particularly in light of the Austrian Psychotherapy Act 2024 (PtG2024). In his lecture, Kurt Greiner outlined why psychotherapy science sui generis is essential: psychotherapy requires its own scientific foundation – one that extends beyond purely psychological perspectives.

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The academic discipline of psychology has long claimed interpretive authority in the field of psychotherapy, which raises the question: “Why do we need psychotherapy science when we already have psychology, which conducts psychotherapy research and in many places provides the organisational framework for psychotherapy training?”

This question has become all the more urgent in light of the fact that, from the 2026/2027 winter semester onwards, public universities in Austria will also offer academic psychotherapy programmes. These courses, as far as can be anticipated, will be based within psychology departments and thus carry a predominantly ‘psychological’ orientation. In the interests of its own development and recognition, psychotherapy science sui generis is therefore called upon to assert its position today.

Many thanks to all who contributed to such an engaging and thought-provoking discussion!

Faculty of Psychotherapy Science
Sigmund Freud Private University Vienna
Freudplatz 1, 4th floor, 1020 Vienna
ptw@sfu.ac.at