Do we still need to talk with every patient? On the basic psychotherapeutic skills and the possibility to learn them

This paper is based on an invited plenum lecture about psychotherapy learning at the 25th Nordic Psychiatric Congress. Based on the empirical literature and own experiences, the paper discusses the following questions: Why do we need to talk with every patient? Why do we need to learn psychotherapeutic skills? What do all psychiatrists need to learn of individual psychotherapy? Is it possible to learn to be a better psychotherapist? What should be the content of a mandatory educational programme in individual therapy?