FOR PROFESSIONALS
PsyConnect: Connecting Your Patients with Specialist Psychological Support
Has a patient or client experienced or witnessed a potentially traumatic event? Are you looking for a qualified professional who can provide timely psychological support?
PsyConnect allows you to submit a referral request to a network of doctors and psychologists specialising in psychological first aid and psychotraumatology across French-speaking Switzerland.
Registration is free and reserved for medical doctors, psychologists and other health-care professionals.
The concept
Why PsyConnect Matters
Following a potentially traumatic event, timely psychological support can make a real difference. In psychological first aid, the aim is to offer appropriate care within the first three weeks. In psychotraumatology, however, finding a therapist with availability can be challenging, with waiting times often stretching into months.
For referring professionals, finding the right specialist traditionally means relying on personal contacts, making phone calls and sending emails, often without knowing who is actually available.
PsyConnect changes the way referrals work.
Instead of searching for a specialist yourself, you submit an anonymised referral request, specifying the geographical area and the type of support needed: psychological first aid or psychotraumatology.
The request is then directed to the relevant network of professionals: psychologists holding FSP certification in psychological first aid and RNAPU specialists, or psychologists specialising in psychotraumatology, depending on the patient’s needs.
An automated sequence of emails is then initiated:
1
A first email goes to the specialists in the region.
2
If there is no reply within the time limit (6 h in emergency psychology, 24 h in psychotraumatology), a second email goes to specialists in neighbouring areas. The cascade follows geography, not cantonal borders: for a person living near a cantonal boundary, specialists from the neighbouring canton are included.
3
If there is still no reply, a third email goes to all specialists in the canton (24 h in emergency psychology, 48 h in psychotraumatology).
4
As a last resort, an email goes to all specialists (48 h in emergency psychology, 72 h in psychotraumatology).
PsyConnect takes care of the search, connecting you with available specialists as quickly as possible.
Restricted access
Who Can Use PsyConnect?
PsyConnect is exclusively available to professionals working in Switzerland, including:
- Psychologists and psychiatrists, including child and adolescent psychiatrists, specialising in psychological first aid or psychotraumatology, or trained in approaches such as EMDR or Somatic Experiencing®.
- Medical doctors seeking specialist psychological support for their patients.
- Professionals working in LAVI victim support centres.
Every registration request is individually reviewed and verified before access is granted.
Not a Healthcare Professional?
PsyConnect is a platform reserved for professionals and is not open to the general public.
If you’ve experienced a difficult or potentially traumatic event and are looking for support, please visit our Psychological First Aid page or get in touch with us. We’ll help you find the right support for your situation.
Three steps
How it works
1
Post an Anonymous Request
Indicate the patient’s region, whether they are an adult or a minor, the type of support needed and a brief description of the situation. No identifying patient information is included.
2
An Available Specialist Contacts You
Network members receive your request, and those with availability can contact you directly.
3
Arrange the Referral Directly
You and the available specialist coordinate the referral outside the platform, sharing any necessary patient information securely and only with the patient’s explicit consent.
Confidentiality & professional ethics
Designed Around Your Professional Obligations
PsyConnect was designed with professional confidentiality and data protection at its core. These principles shape how the platform works, not the other way around.
- No Identifiable Patient Data: referral requests contain no names or information that could identify a patient. Only registered members’ professional contact details are accessible on the platform.
- Explicit Patient Consent: before initiating a referral, the patient must consent to the search for another professional. Their explicit consent is also required before any personal or clinical information is shared.
- Direct Professional-to-Professional Communication: once contact has been established, any patient information is exchanged directly and securely between the professionals concerned, outside the PsyConnect platform.
- Protected Member Data: members’ information is hosted on secure servers within the European Union, with data protection measures designed to comply with Swiss legislation.
Your questions
Frequently asked questions
Is PsyConnect Free to Use?
Yes. Registration and use of PsyConnect are completely free for all approved members.
Who Can Register?
PsyConnect is open to professionals practising in Switzerland, including psychologists, psychiatrists and child and adolescent psychiatrists specialising in psychological first aid, psychotraumatology or approaches such as EMDR and Somatic Experiencing®. Other medical doctors and professionals working in LAVI victim support centres may also register.
All registration requests are individually reviewed and verified before access is granted.
Is My Patients’ Data Protected?
Yes. PsyConnect does not store any identifiable patient information. Referral requests are anonymised, and any personal or clinical information is exchanged directly and securely between professionals, outside the platform, with the patient’s explicit consent.
I’m Not a Healthcare Professional. Where Can I Find Support?
PsyConnect is reserved for professionals. If you’ve experienced a potentially traumatic event and are looking for psychological support, please visit our Psychological First Aid page or get in touch with us. We’ll help guide you towards the support you need.
Join PsyConnect
Registration is free. Simply get in touch, indicating your profession, area(s) of specialisation and the region of Switzerland where you practise.