How to open a psychology practice in Spain | Eholo

1. Why open a psychology practice?

More and more mental health professionals are deciding to take the step of opening their own psychological consultation. Being self-employed, whether in person, online or hybrid, gives you the freedom to work your way and create bonds of trust with your patients.

The high demand for psychological care makes opening a consultation a great opportunity to create a stable and lasting project. Of course: as in any professional activity, it also requires complying with a series of legal requirements and having tools that facilitate your daily life.

If you're thinking about opening your psychology practice, this guide is for you. In this guide, we explain step by step what you need, what procedures to do and how to organize everything so you can focus on what really matters: your patients.

2. Legal requirements for opening a psychology practice

Opening a psychology practice in Spain involves meeting a series of legal requirements. These steps are mandatory whether you are going to exercise in person or if you are offering online sessions.

Compulsory membership

To work as a health psychologist in Spain you need to be a member of the Official College of Psychologists (COP). The usual thing is to enroll in the school corresponding to your autonomous community. It is an essential procedure to be able to work legally and it also gives you access to resources, professional insurance and legal support.

Registration in the Treasury and Social Security

You must register as a freelancer in two institutions:

• Treasury, through the Economic Activities Tax (IAE), specifically under heading 776 (other health services).
• Social Security, within the Special Regime for Self-Employed Workers (RETA).

Both procedures can be carried out electronically if you have a digital certificate.

Civil liability insurance

It's not required by law, but it is highly recommended. Most Psychological Colleges offer group policies for members at reduced prices. This insurance covers possible claims for damages that may result from professional practice.

Regional health registry

If you offer clinical or health psychology, it is mandatory to register your consultation in the Health Registry of your autonomous community. Each community has its own procedure, so we recommend that you consult it directly with the corresponding health council.

Data Protection: LOPDGDD and RGPD

As a healthcare professional, you'll handle sensitive personal data. Therefore, you must:

• Inform and collect informed consent from your patients.
• Record your treatment activity.
• Establish appropriate security measures.
• Include legal clauses in forms and documentation.

You can do it yourself or with the help of a specialized consultancy.

Other recommended requirements

• Claim sheets: mandatory in many communities.
• Information posters: schedule, patient rights, etc.
• Accessibility measures: if you have a physical location.

3. Training needed to work as a psychologist

One of the fundamental requirements to open a psychology practice in Spain is to have the adequate training. It is not enough to have personal interest or experience in the field of mental health: an official qualification is required to enable you to practice as a health psychologist.

Degree or Bachelor's Degree in Psychology

The first step is to have completed the Degree in Psychology (or having previously obtained the Degree). This degree lasts 4 years and trains you in the scientific basis of human behavior, evaluation, diagnosis and psychological treatment.

General Health Psychology or Clinical Psychology

To open a private practice where you treat clinical cases (anxiety, depression, TCA, etc.), you need to have one of these two options:

• Master in General Health Psychology (MPGS): qualified to practice in the private sphere as a health psychologist. This is an official two-year master's degree.
• PIR (Resident Internal Psychologist) Training: enable as clinical psychologist. This road is public and requires opposition.

Both options allow you to practice autonomously in a healthcare facility.

Important: if you have training in psychology but do not have these qualifications, You will not be able to practice private practice with patients.

Requirements for foreign degrees

If you have studied Psychology outside of Spain, you will need to process the Homologation or Recognition of the title before the Ministry of Universities. You must also meet health training requirements if you want to practice as a general health psychologist.

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4. What do you need to set up your psychological consultation?

In addition to complying with legal requirements, you need to create a professional, comfortable and adapted work environment for your patients.

In-person consultation

If you are going to open a physical office, here are some of the key aspects:

• Location: central, accessible and well connected.
• Adequate space: private service room, waiting area, bathroom, etc.
• Furniture and materials: comfortable sofa or chairs, work table, filing cabinet or bookshelves.
• Soundproofing: important to protect patient confidentiality.
• Accessibility and safety regulations: make sure that the place complies with what is required by your autonomous community.

Online consultation

If you prefer to start with an online consultation (or combine both formats), you should consider:

• Una secure platform for video calls.
• Informed consents adapted to the digital environment.
• Tools of online agenda, payment and session management.
• Compliance with the LOPD and RGPD also in the digital environment.

Eholo Tip: More and more psychologists combine face-to-face consultation with online care, allowing them to expand their reach and reduce initial expenses.

5. Do I need a business plan to open a consultation?

Although it's often forgotten, having a basic business plan is key to making your practice work right from the start and remain profitable over time.

You don't need an extensive or technical document: you just need to define some essential points that will help you make decisions and avoid surprises.

What should be included in your business plan as a psychologist

Value proposition

What type of therapy are you going to offer? What do you specialize in? What makes your way of accompanying patients different? Here you define what sets you apart as a professional.

Target audience

Will you work with adults, teenagers, children, couples...? Is your service local or also online? The clearer you are who you are addressing, the easier it will be to reach them.

Competence and positioning

Investigate other inquiries nearby or online. What do they offer? How do they communicate? What prices do you manage? This will help you make more realistic and competitive decisions.

Services and rates

Define what services you are going to offer (individual sessions, workshops, evaluations, etc.) and their prices. You can set rates according to duration, frequency or mode (in personal/online).

Visibility and recruitment strategy

Will you have your own website? Social networks? Will you collaborate? Local advertising or on Google? Even if you don't have a closed plan, it's key to think about how you're going to make yourself known.

Basic financial plan

Make an estimate of:

• Initial investment (rental, equipment, web design, software, etc.)
• Fixed and variable monthly expenses
• Expected income
• Breakeven point (how many sessions you need per month to cover your costs)

Tip: If you're starting out, start with an agile format and validate your idea before making large investments. You can grow in phases.

6. Digitize your consultation from the start: software for psychologists

Setting up a practice doesn't just involve treating patients. You also have to manage schedules, bills, payments, data protection, sessions, medical records and more. And all of that is time consuming... unless you have it automated.

Why do you need clinical software?

Specific software for psychologists allows you to:

• Save time in administrative tasks.
• Organize your sessions better, patients and documents.
• Comply with data protection regulations uncomplicated.
• Offer a professional experience and take care of your patients.

What should good psychology software have?

• Customizable medical record
• Online agenda with automatic reminders
• Billing and payment control
• Secure and encrypted documentation
• Electronic signature and GDPR protection
• Access from any device
• Teamwork options if you have other professionals

Why choose Eholo?

In Eholo we know that when you open your office, you want to focus on what's important: your patients. That's why we created a specific platform for psychologists and psychology centers that:

• Automate reminders, payments, contracts and commission management
• It allows you to configure sessions, prices, types of intervention and templates
• Complies with all health and data protection regulations
• It adapts whether you work alone or if you are part of a team

And the best part: you can try Eholo for free and discover everything you can delegate in a secure, intuitive tool made for you.

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7. Useful resources and official links

To make it even easier for you, we've compiled some key resources that can help you if you're preparing to open your practice.

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Useful official links

• Registration at the Treasury (model 036 or 037)
• Official College of Psychologists (search by community)
• Social Security - Registered as self-employed (RETA)
• Regional Health Registry
• Spanish Data Protection Agency

8. Conclusion: setting up your consultation is possible (and easier with help)

Opening your own practice is more than a professional project: it is the space from which you will accompany and help many people. Although there are several steps you must follow, everything is easier if you have a clear guide and the right tools.

Your role as a psychologist is to take care of others. Ours is to help you take care of your practice.

At Eholo, we have accompanied hundreds of psychologists and centers in their process of opening, digitalization and growth. We know what you need and, more importantly, we know how to make it easy for you.

Ready to take the first step?

Activate your consultation today with Eholo and:

• Save time from day one with automations
• Complies with all legal and data protection regulations
• Offer a professional and safe experience to your patients
• Enjoy an intuitive platform, made by and for psychologists

👉 Request your free demo or start with our no-obligation test. We are here to accompany you.

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