Psychologists

Licensing Procedures | Minimum Academic Requirements | Recognition as a Specialist | Licensing for Developmental Psychologists | Knowledge of Hebrew | Finding Work | Additional Resources

Psychological services in Israel are offered in the public and private sectors. In the public sector, services are offered by:

• Mental Health Clinics
• Hospitals and rehabilitation centers (through Misrad Habriut, the Ministry of Health)
• Daycare centers for special needs children
• Educational psychological services (through the Municipalities)
• Psychological services provided through the Misrad Habitachon, the Ministry of Defense)
• Bituach Leumi (National Insurance Institute)
• Kupat Cholim (Health Funds)

In the private sector, services are offered at private clinics, residential treatment centers, institutions for the elderly, family therapy clinics and non-profit organizations.

Licensing Procedure

Psychologists must be registered in the Pinkas HaPsychologim at Misrad HaBriut (the Ministry of Health) in order to work in their field.
To obtain a license, Olim in the region of Jerusalem and Acco should be mailing their notarized documents and teudat zehut to Misrad Habriut, Division of Medical Professions, 2 Ben Tabai, Jerusalem 93591.

Everyone else should present their documents in person at the local Misrad Habriut branch  (according to the address written in your Israeli Identification Card). See Misrad Habriut offices for a full listing.

Once you are approved, you will receive a voucher with which you must pay a registration fee in Bank Hadoar. You will mail the receipt back to Misrad Habriut in registered mail and they will send you the license. If you live outside Jerusalem or Acco, you will personally go to your branch to pick up your license.
The following is a list of the documents necessary for processing this request. For additional information, contact the Vaadat Harishum B'Pinkas Hapsychologim by phone at 02-670-5866 or fax 02-679-0846. The office is located at 2 Ben Tabai St., Jerusalem. You can also fax the Tel Aviv branch at 03-515-1180 or call 03-515-1166, Sunday through Thursday between 8 am and 4 pm.

• Questionnaire, in 2 copies. You will receive this and complete it at the health office or you can download it at http://www.health.gov.il/download/forms/a2889_form_oved_mik.pdf.
• Israeli identification card + 2 photocopies. The Sefach (attachment) of your Teudat Zehut must state that you are an Israeli citizen. Sometimes new Olim do not have this written on the Sefach. You need to check what it says. If it does not state that you are an Israeli citizen, you must request from Misrad Hapnim to issue a new Sefach that says on it "Ezrach Yisrael". You must be an Israeli citizen for a minimum of 3 months before Misrad Hapnim will issue the new Sefach (attachment). You should send in your documents to Pinkas HaPsychologim before the Teudat Zehut is corrected in order to get the process started, and bring in your corrected Teudat Zehut (original, not a copy) when you receive the updated Sefach.
• If the name on your Teudat Zehut differs from the name on your diplomas, you must provide either a marriage license or document from the Ministry of Interior confirming a change of name + 2 photocopies.
• 3 passport photos.
• Diplomas: BA, MA or Ph.D + 2 photocopies. Your university must be recognized by one of the following: International Handbook of Universities (see www.palgrave.com), the American Psychological Association (APA) or Malag (Israeli Council for Higher Education (see www.che.org.il).
• Detailed university transcripts noting the courses for all degrees. For each course, you must list the number of course hours or the number of academic credits.
• Letter from the police indicating that you have never committed a felony. You can bring this letter from your own city in the U.S. or you can bring a letter from the police in Israel. To obtain the letter in Israel, first go to the local post office and buy stamps or "Bulim", for a "Tofes Le'Iyun B'Mirsham Haplili". Take these stamps to the local police station and you should receive the necessary document on the spot.

Unlike other medical professions, transcripts, syllabus and any others documents that are in English do NOT need to be translated or notarized. The transcript must be an original copy.

Note: If you have a degree in counseling (and not psychology), you will not be recognized as a psychologist.

Once you are listed in the Pinkas Hapsychologim, you are entitled to work both in the public and private sectors. However, in a lawsuit, you will be required to defend yourself and prove that you acted professionally, something that a licensed specialist is not required to do.

Minimum Academic Requirements

The Pinkas Hapsychologim checks the total number of credits obtained during your professional training. Here is what they look for in determing whether you can be licensed in Israel:

Undergraduate Studies

Undergraduate studies must include one of the following courses: statistics, research methodologies or experimental psychology.

In addition, undergraduate studies must include 4 basic psychology courses, two courses in each of the following groups:

Group 1:
1. Introduction to Psychology
2. Testing and Assessment methodologies
3. Cognitive psychology: (psychology of thinking, cognitive psychology or Psychology of Perception)
4. Physiological Psychology or Neuropsychology

Group 2:
1.Theories in Personality
2. Developmental Psychology
3. Social Psychology,
4. Psychopathology or Abnormal Psychology

Graduate Studies

• You must have an MA (or higher) in psychology.
• The minimum academic requirement in order to be registered is a total of 72 credits in psychology in your BA, Master's or Ph.D combined. These requirements refer to lecture and seminar hours; clinical work, research and independent study are not counted.
• You must have completed a thesis at a Master’s or PhD level.
• If you participated in a direct Ph.D program, your studies must have included 4 years of full time study.
• At least 16 credits must be on an MA level.

Recognition as a Specialist

After you are registered in the Pinkas Hapsychologim, you can request to be recognized as a specialist through the Moetset Hapsychologim, which has subcommittees for each specialization. The following areas of specialization are recognized: education, clinical, development, social-organizational, medical and rehabilitation.

The phone number for Moetzet Hapsychologim is 03 515 1186. The best way to reach the office is by fax at 03 515 1100. Office hours are Sunday through Thursday between 8 am and 4 pm. You can also write to the Moetset Hapsychologim at: 5 Rabbe Mebachrach St., Tel Aviv-Jaffa 66749.

Licensing for Developmental Psychologists

Developmental psychology in Israel is a specialization (Hitmachut), one of the six different recognized Hitmatchuyot in Israel. Therefore, in order to be licensed as a developmental psychologist, you need to be registered in the Pinkas Hapsychologim and follow the same licensing procedure as other types of psychologists. See Licensing Procedure above.

Knowledge of Hebrew

A good working knowledge of Hebrew is a pre-requisite for most psychology positions in order to confer with clients, and a knowledge of the culture, customs, and heritages of Israelis and of the immigrants who have made aliyah to Israel is also important.

Some opportunities exist to work in an English speaking environment, but most of these opportunities are in the greater Jerusalem area.

It is strongly advised to take Ulpan upon arrival. In addition to regular ulpan, Misrad Haklita (Ministry of Absorption) offers an ulpan for medical professionals - shlav bet. They will open this class provided there are enough people interested. Be in touch with your branch of Misrad Haklita to find out when the next class will begin.

Finding Work

If you are opening a private practice, advertise your services through local email lists and newspapers. It is advisable for new Olim to combine working in private practice with working in the public sector, since it takes time to build up a practice. It is imperative that you acquaint yourself with the relevant laws as related to practicing psychology in Israel, which are listed in their entirety at: http://wwww.health.gov.il.

If you are looking for a position in the public sector, contact neighborhood schools. Other ways to look for a job include applying at the Bureau for the Placement of Professionals (Lishka LeTa’asukat Acadama’im) in your city or region.

Job openings are often advertised in the situations-vacant sections of the major newspapers, particularly on Fridays. While the English language papers carry some ads, the majority are to be found in the Hebrew press.

Finally, word of mouth is often one of the best sources of job leads. Don't hesitate to let everyone you can know that you are seeking work, and follow up on any leads they may offer. Many positions are filled without ever being advertised.

Additional Resources

Nefesh (www.nefesh.org) is an organization for Orthodox mental health professionals. The web site includes contact information for Orthodox mental health organizations.

A special thank you to Dr. Ruby Wolbromsky and Dr. Joshua Mark for their assistance in preparing this article.