Today’s news / Government to mandate authorization for psychologists
Minister of the Interior and Health, Sophie Løhde (V), does not believe that citizens today can be completely sure of getting the right quality in psychological treatment. (Archive photo). Photo: Ida Marie Odgaard/Ritzau Scanpix

Government to mandate authorization for psychologists

The Danish government plans to introduce mandatory health professional authorization for psychologists as part of their finance bill proposal for 2025, announced Minister of the Interior and Health, Sophie Løhde (V) to Ritzau. Currently, psychologists can practice without an authorization, but this change aims to ensure that psychologists possess the necessary competencies and to provide citizens with the same complaint and compensation options as for other healthcare professionals. If passed, psychologists will lose the right to practice if their authorization is revoked. The government is allocating 27 million kroner for this initiative, hoping to reduce the current average wait time of 30 weeks for authorization. The Danish Psychological Association welcomes the plan, stressing the need for a proper transition arrangement for existing practitioners. The government’s commitment to a ‘thorough modernization of the psychological system’ is also praised by the director of Psykiatrifonden.