These regulations and procedures are for Societies wishing to become an ESTSS Affiliated Society or an ESTSS Member Society. Individuals wishing to join the ESTSS can refer to our Membership page for more information.
Apply to be an ESTSS Affiliated Society
The mission of the ESTSS should be seen as a guideline for organisations seeking to become an ESTSS Affiliated Society.
The main objectives of ESTSS, contained within the ESTSS mission statement, are:
- To increase and disseminate knowledge of traumatic stress based on sound science.
- To identify pan-European issues, such as differences in training and certification.
- To stimulate pan-European training for different levels of certification.
- To stimulate and help to set up local societies in different European countries.
- To help establish European wide research on traumatic stress.
- To focus on European issues relating to traumatic stress, e.g. disaster response, uniform services, child abuse etc.
- To liaise with pan-European and international organisations/bodies.
- The affiliation, therefore, aims to expand and promote the scientific quality and, consequently, to support the exchange of knowledge in psychotraumatology and improve the care of traumatised people.
Criteria for Affiliation
- The affiliate organisation must primarily focus on research, education, clinical services and/or policy formulation related to severe stress and trauma.
- The organisation’s mission must be consistent with that of ESTSS. The organisation must have a legally enforceable constitution.
- The organisation must be non-commercial (i.e., non-profit or not-for-profit) and have a substantial number of individual members.
Procedure for Affiliation
- Organisations can apply to become an ESTSS Affiliated Society by contacting the ESTSS Secretariat at secretariat@estss.org
- The applying Society has to provide the following documents:
- Cover letter from the organisation President (or equivalent leader) stating the request for affiliation;
- Charter of the organisation (in English);
- Last protocol/minutes of the organisation’s board meeting (with a decision on applying to become an ESTSS Affiliated Society);
- The number of members (at least 20).
- The standard agreement for Affiliation has to be signed and filled out (download here).
- The Board of ESTSS votes on the request upon receiving the completed application.
Rights, duties and benefits of an Affiliated Society
- Affiliation is voluntary and can be terminated by either party.
- A bilateral annual update with regard to the number of members and significant changes (e.g. board, mission) needs to be provided.
- Benefits of joining ESTSS are:
- Reduced registration fees for ESTSS Conferences and ESTSS Workshops.
- Collegial benefits are:
- Participation in annual conferences via symposia/panels;
- Publishing information without costs in the ESTSS newsletter or website;
- Access to a network of psychotraumatology professionals in order to obtain the latest information on scientific research as well as clinically relevant information;
- To actively participate in various ESTSS task forces of interest;
- To receive regular news and updates from the field.
Apply to be an ESTSS Member Society
The mission of the ESTSS has to be a guideline for organisations seeking to become a full ESTSS Member Society.
The main objectives of ESTSS, contained within the ESTSS mission statement, are:
- To increase and disseminate knowledge of traumatic stress based on sound science.
- To identify pan-European issues, such as differences in training and certification.
- To stimulate pan-European training for different levels of certification.
- To stimulate and help to set up local societies in different European countries.
- To help establish European wide research on traumatic stress.
- To focus on European issues relating to traumatic stress, e.g. disaster response, uniform services, child abuse etc.
- To liaise with pan-European and international organisations/bodies.
- The membership, therefore, aims to expand and promote the scientific quality and, consequently, to support the exchange of knowledge in the field of psychotraumatology and improve the care of traumatised people.
Criteria for Membership
- Member Societies are local, regional or language-based traumatic stress societies in Europe.
- The organisation must have a primary focus on research, education, clinical services and/or policy formulation related to severe stress and trauma.
- The organisation’s mission must be consistent with that of ESTSS. The organisation must have a legally enforceable constitution.
- The organisation must be non-commercial (i.e., non-profit or not-for-profit) and have a substantial number of individual members.
- Society has more than 20 members.
- Focus and promotion on different but evidence-based therapeutic techniques according to international guidelines.
- Individual membership in the Society is possible for all professionals in the psychotraumatology field in the respective country/region.
- Formal agreement that the entire membership of the Member society will become members of ESTSS.
- Society has its secretariat through which ESTSS information is passed on to its members.
- Institutional membership represents a significant engagement in the ESTSS (i.e. active as a board member).
- National or regional organisations from countries or regions where an ESTSS Member Society is already established can apply only to be an Affiliated Society.
Procedure for Membership
- Organisations can apply for ESTSS Member Society status after a period of 2 years as and Affiliated Society.
- Organisations can apply by contacting the ESTSS Secretariat at secretariat@estsss.org
- The applying Society has to provide the following documents:
- Cover letter from the organisation President (or equivalent leader) stating the request for affiliation;
- Charter of the organisation (in English);
- Last protocol/minutes of the organisation’s board meeting (with a decision on applying for ESTSS Members Society status)
- The number of members (at least 20).
- The standard agreement for full ESTSS Member Society status has to be signed and filled out (download here).
- The Board of ESTSS votes on the request upon receiving the completed application.
Rights, duties and benefits of a Member Society
- Paying an annual membership fee.
- Membership is voluntary and can be terminated by either party.
- A bilateral annual update with regard to the number of members and significant changes (e.g. board, mission) needs to be provided.
- Benefits of joining ESTSS are:
- Each member of the ESTSS membership organisation is eligible for a discount on ESTSS membership;
- publishing articles in the European Journal of Psychotraumatology (EJPT) with a reduced fee;
- Reduced registration fees for ESTSS Conferences and ESTSS Workshops.
- Collegial benefits are:
- Participation in annual conferences via invited symposia/panels;
- Publishing information without costs in the ESTSS newsletter or website (under existing regulations);
- Access to a network of psychotraumatology professionals in order to obtain the latest information on scientific research as well as clinically relevant information;
- To actively participate in various ESTSS task forces of your interest;
- To receive regular news and updates from the field;
- Exclusion see Statute.
