Psychotherapy in Germany — Access, Costs and Waiting Times

Mental Health — No Taboo

Mental illnesses are widespread in Germany — approximately one in three adults suffers from a mental disorder requiring treatment at some point in their lives. Particularly for migrants and refugees, living in a new country can bring additional burdens:

• Homesickness and loneliness
• Culture shock and adjustment difficulties
• Language barrier and isolation
• Traumatic experiences (flight, war, violence)
• Discrimination and experiences of racism
• Existential concerns (residence status, work, money)

Important: Psychotherapy is not a weakness — it is a sign of strength and self-care. In Germany, psychotherapy is socially accepted and covered by health insurance.

Who Can Help?

Psychotherapist vs. Psychiatrist vs. Psychologist

For insurance-covered Psychotherapy you need a Psychological Psychotherapist or Medical Psychotherapist with insurance approval.

What Types of Therapy Are Available?

Health insurance covers four guideline procedures:

1. Behavioral Therapy (VT)

• Most common in Germany
• Focus on current problems and their solutions
• Exercises and homework between sessions
• Good for: depression, anxiety disorders, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, PTSD

2. Depth Psychology-Oriented Psychotherapy (TP)

• Focus on unconscious conflicts and their influence on current life
• Less structured than VT, more conversation-based
• Good for: depression, personality disorders, relationship problems

3. Analytical Psychotherapy (Psychoanalysis)

• Most intensive form — multiple sessions per week, over years
• Deep understanding of your own psyche
• Less common, long waiting times

4. Systemic Therapy

• Focus on relationships and systems (family, couple, work)
• Covered by insurance since 2020
• Good for: family conflicts, couple problems

How Do I Find a Therapy Place?

The Problem: Waiting Times

The average waiting time for a therapy place is 3–6 months — in large cities sometimes shorter, in rural areas longer.

Step 1 — Psychotherapeutic Consultation Hour (Sprechstunde)

Since 2017, all therapists must offer consultation hours (without waiting for a therapy place). The consultation hour serves for diagnosis and assessment of whether therapy is necessary.

How to get a consultation hour:

• Terminservicestelle of the Kassenärztliche Vereinigung: Phone 116 117 (free), arranges appointments within 4 weeks
• Call therapists directly — list on the website of your state's Kassenärztliche Vereinigung
• Online search: therapie.de, psychotherapiesuche.de, jameda.de

Step 2 — Probatory Sessions

After the consultation hour, there are 2–4 probatory sessions — you and the therapist check if you're a good fit. You can change therapists if it doesn't work out.

Step 3 — Application to Health Insurance

The therapist submits a psychotherapy application to your health insurance. The insurance usually approves within 3–5 weeks.

Step 4 — Therapy

• Short-term therapy: 12–24 sessions
• Long-term therapy: 60–80 sessions (VT/TP), up to 300 (psychoanalysis)
• 1 session = 50 minutes, usually 1× per week

Costs

Statutory Insured

• Consultation hour and therapy — completely covered by insurance (no copay!)
• No doctor's referral needed — you can go directly to a therapist
• No entry in your employer's medical records

Privately Insured

• Reimbursement depends on your policy (check your contract)
• Sometimes only certain therapy forms or limited sessions

Self-Payers

• €80–150 per session
• Worthwhile if waiting for an insurance place or for specialized therapists

Cost Reimbursement Procedure — If No Insurance Place Available

If you cannot find an insurance place and waiting time is unreasonable:

1. Document your search (contact at least 5–10 therapists, note rejections/waiting times)
2. Find a therapist without insurance approval (private practice)
3. Submit a cost reimbursement application to your health insurance
4. The insurance covers the private therapist's costs

Important: Do not start therapy without prior approval!

Therapy in Your Language

Native Language Therapists

There are therapists who provide treatment in different languages:

• Search on therapie.de — filter by language option available
• KV therapist search — of your Kassenärztliche Vereinigung
• Refugio (Munich, Bremen, Berlin) — therapy for refugees in many languages
• Psychosocial centers — in many cities, specialized for migrants

Language and Cultural Mediators

If no native language therapist is available:

• Interpreter in therapy — in some states, insurance covers the interpreter
• Video interpreting — increasingly available

Crisis — Immediate Help

If you are in acute crisis (suicidal thoughts, severe anxiety, panic attacks):

• Telephone counseling: 0800 111 0 111 or 0800 111 0 222 (free, 24/7, anonymous)
• Muslim Pastoral Care Hotline: 030 44 35 09 821
• Psychiatric emergency department — every hospital with psychiatric ward
• Emergency number 112 — in life-threatening situations
• Krisenchat.de — free crisis counseling via chat (for under 25-year-olds)

Tips

1. Don't wait — the earlier you seek help, the better
2. Use consultation hours — quickly get an appointment via 116 117
3. The therapist must fit — that's what probatory sessions are for
4. Confidentiality — your therapist is bound by professional confidentiality, including toward authorities
5. No disadvantage — psychotherapy has no impact on your residence status

As of: March 2026. All information without guarantee.