Institut für systemische Entwicklung und Fortbildung, IEF Zürich

What Institut für systemische Entwicklung und Fortbildung, IEF Zürich does

IEF Zürich (Institut für systemische Entwicklung und Fortbildung) is a Swiss nonprofit association (Verein) founded in 1969 in Zürich and self-described as the oldest and leading systemic therapy institute in the country. The organization delivers continuing education and postgraduate training for mental health, social work, legal, and care professionals across six core curriculum areas: Systemic Psychotherapy, Hypnosystemic practice, Advanced Systemic Work, Mediation and Conflict Culture, Parent Coaching, and Marte Meo. Its flagship academic offering is the four-year 'Systemische Psychotherapie IEF' postgraduate program, which is BAG-accredited and leads to the federally recognized psychotherapist title, supplemented by a Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS IEF) in mediation at 15 ECTS. IEF also serves as the exclusive Swiss training partner for internationally recognized methodologies such as Marte Meo (with Maria Aarts) and Multifamily Therapy (with Eia Asen).

The operating model centers on in-person seminars held at IEF's main campus at Schulhausstrasse 64, 8002 Zürich and the secondary IEF Nord location at Bederstrasse 105a, supplemented by online webinars. Technology infrastructure consists of the ief-zh.ch website for program discovery, the Tocco campus management platform (ief.tocco.ch) for enrollment and learner access, and standard video conferencing for digital deliveries. IEF monetizes through direct tuition fees (CHF 45 for a 1.5-hour webinar up to CHF 9,460 for the multi-year CAS IEF) plus an annual CHF 80 membership program that grants a 10% discount on most short offerings, with ancillary revenue from room rental at the headquarters and referral facilitation between members and partner employers.

IEF serves approximately 16+ discrete customer segments through a horizontal segmentation strategy, with primary buyers being licensed psychologists, federally recognized psychotherapists, and psychiatrists pursuing postgraduate credentials or specialization in systemic methods. Secondary segments include social pedagogues, school social workers, mediators, supervisors/coaches, clergy in spiritual care, and legal professionals, as well as indirect end-users such as parents and caregivers reached via trained therapists. The organization maintains 80+ contracted faculty, most of whom maintain active clinical practices, and operates under Swiss nonprofit governance independent of any parent entity, with revenue channeled back into programmatic development.

Name

Institut für systemische Entwicklung und Fortbildung, IEF Zürich

Legal name

IEF Institut für systemische Entwicklung und Fortbildung

Website

https://ief-zh.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IEF Zürich is a nonprofit Swiss institute founded 1969 that delivers accredited continuing education in systemic psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, mediation, and Marte Meo to licensed mental health, social work, legal, and care professionals, including a BAG-accredited four-year postgraduate program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Continuing Education in Systemic Psychotherapy

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAF)

Keywords

• Systemic therapy training
• Psychotherapy continuing education
• Professional certification programs
• Family therapy courses
• Mediation training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Course and Seminar Fees: Primary revenue stream from registration fees for continuing education programs, seminars, workshops, and webinars. Fees vary by program duration and type, ranging from CHF 45 for webinars to CHF 9,460 for comprehensive multi-year programs. Prices are publicly disclosed on the website.
2. Annual Membership Dues: Non-profit association with annual membership fees of CHF 80 for natural persons, providing members with 10% discount on most training offerings up to three days. Membership revenue supports the organization's mission to promote systemic approaches.
3. Room Rental: Rental income from plenary and group rooms at Schulhausstrasse 64, 8002 Zürich, rented to external parties when not in use for IEF programs.
4. Practice Placement Referrals: Facilitates connections between member therapists and employers seeking psychotherapeutic services, listing job opportunities from partner organizations without explicit referral fees mentioned.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IEF Zürich is a nonprofit continuing-education institute founded in 1969 in Zurich, Switzerland. It delivers postgraduate training and certification programs in systemic therapy, psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, mediation, and family therapy aimed at credentialed mental-health professionals such as psychologists, physicians, and social workers. The institute operates as a traditional in-person educational provider, offering multi-year curricula and individual courses leading to recognised postgraduate qualifications in systemic modalities.

Product overview

IEF Zürich offers a comprehensive portfolio of systemic therapy, hypnotherapy, mediation, and coaching training programs. The core offerings include a four-year 'Systemische Psychotherapie IEF' postgraduate program accredited by BAG, foundational and advanced mediation training (CAS IEF), multi-family therapy (MFT/MFA) training, and Marte Meo certification programs. Short programs cover topics including parent coaching, hypnotherapeutic approaches, trauma work, conflict management, and emotion-focused interventions. The institute combines theoretical education with practical skills training, serving professionals in psychology, psychotherapy, social work, education, and mediation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Systemic Therapy Training Postgraduate training and certification in systemic therapy for credentialed mental-health professionals such as psychologists, physicians, social workers, and counsellors in Switzerland.
• Psychotherapy Training Continuing-education training in psychotherapy aimed at mental-health professionals seeking recognised postgraduate qualifications and ongoing professional development.
• Hypnotherapy Training Training in clinical hypnotherapy for credentialed mental-health practitioners seeking to integrate hypnotherapeutic techniques into their practice.
• Mediation Training Postgraduate training in mediation for professionals working in conflict resolution, counselling, family services, or organisational contexts.
• Family Therapy Training Postgraduate training in family therapy for mental-health professionals treating relational and systemic dynamics within family systems.

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Marte Meo InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive training partnership with Marte Meo International, directed by Maria Aarts. IEF is authorized to offer Marte Meo Practitioner and Therapist/Trainer certifications, with exclusive supervision days featuring Maria Aarts herself. The institute's Marianne Egloff is trained and certified by Maria Aarts.
• Eia Asen (Multifamily Therapy)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Prof. Dr. med. Eia Asen, developer of Multifamily Therapy (MFT), for exclusive supervision sessions in the MFT/MFA training. Training aligns with Asen and Morris's London-based comprehensive training standards.
• FSP (Föderation der Schweizer Psychologinnen und Psychologen)coreOthersProfessional association for Swiss psychologists. IEF's Systemic Psychotherapy program enables graduates to apply for FSP professional title upon completion of additional requirements.
• FMH (Verbindung der Schweizer Ärztinnen und Ärzte)coreOthersSwiss Medical Association. IEF's training is recognized for FMH specialization in psychiatry and psychotherapy.
• SYSTEMIS (Schweizerische Vereinigung für Systemische Therapie und Beratung)coreOthersSwiss association for systemic therapy and counseling. IEF graduates can apply for SYSTEMIS certification through this professional body.
• SBAP (Schweizerischer Berufsverband für Angewandte Psychologie)coreOthersSwiss professional association for applied psychology. IEF's training enables graduates to apply for SBAP recognition.
• GHYPS (Gesellschaft für Hypnose Schweiz)minorOthersSwiss society for clinical hypnosis. GHYPS maintains a directory of qualified hypnotherapists trained through programs like those offered at IEF.
• FSM (Fédération Suisse des Médiateurs)minorOthersSwiss Association of Mediators. FSM maintains a directory of over 700 recognized mediators trained through accredited programs including IEF's mediation training.
• Baker Street GmbHminorOthersDigital agency based in Winterthur responsible for the institute's website design and maintenance.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ifs Essen: Long-established German institute offering systemic therapy and counseling training curricula closely aligned to IEF's posture. Most directly comparable on mission, faculty reputation, and program depth in the DACH systemic-training market.
• Milton Erickson Gesellschaft: German-language clinical hypnosis society providing certification pathways for hypnotherapy — directly comparable to IEF's 'Hypnosystemisch!' department and the CHF 960 hypnosystemic conflict management programs.
• IGST Hamburg: Interdisciplinary Society for Systemic Therapy in Hamburg, providing postgraduate training and supervision in systemic approaches with broad DACH reach — a direct substitutable curriculum for IEF's offerings.
• Curriculum GmbH (Schweiz): Swiss mediation training provider accredited for FSM-recognized mediator credentialing. Directly competes with IEF's 'Mediation und Konfliktkultur' department and the CHF 6,960 / CHF 9,460 CAS Mediation program.
• Helm-Stierlin-Institut: Heidelberg-based systemic family therapy training institute focused on postgraduate professional development. Directly competes with IEF for DACH clinicians seeking multi-year systemic credentials.
• IWS Hamburg: Institute for Continuing Education in Systemic Therapy and Counseling in Hamburg, a comparable German DACH continuing-education institute with similar postgraduate certificate pathways in systemic work.
• Zentrum für Systemische Therapie und Beratung (ZST Mainz): Mainz-based systemic therapy and counseling institute with comparable postgraduate training in systemic psychotherapy and supervision. Overlaps with IEF on family therapy and supervision program verticals.

Emerging players

• EMDR Europe: Pan-European EMDR therapy training and accreditation organization serving mental health professionals. Adjacent therapeutic-method training play with similar postgraduate professional audience and continuing-education delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz (FHNW) — CAS Systemische Beratung: Swiss university of applied sciences offering CAS/DAS programs in systemic counseling and coaching — a broader incumbent that competes with IEF's CAS IEF and advanced training lines via state-subsidized higher-education pricing.

Others

• SBAP / SYSTEMIS (Swiss Professional Associations): Swiss professional bodies (SBAP for applied psychology; SYSTEMIS for systemic therapy) that co-credential IEF graduates. Strictly ecosystem partners rather than competitors, but they shape demand and curriculum recognition across the same pool of Swiss clinicians.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/institut-f-r-systemische-entwicklung-und-fortbildung-ief-z-rich

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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