Within statutory psychotherapeutic care, the German psychotherapy guidelines provide for regular diagnostic consultation hours and for acute treatment of concrete crisis situations. Whether guideline psychotherapy can then begin, where it is indicated, depends on the availability of free treatment places.
Consultation
In the first appointment — the psychotherapeutic consultation — we clarify whether outpatient psychotherapy is indicated for your concern and which method fits. Other sensible treatments (for example medication or inpatient care) are considered as well.
Trial sessions
Where guideline psychotherapy is indicated, deeper diagnostic sessions follow (trial sessions, probatorische Sitzungen). The application for cover is then submitted to your health insurer.
Therapy
A session usually lasts 50 minutes. Frequency and duration depend on the method. Subject to availability, acute treatment of up to 12 sessions is offered to relieve an acute crisis.
Who pays
Behavioural, psychodynamic and psychoanalytic psychotherapy are provided for mental illness (as classified in ICD-10) at the expense of the statutory health insurer (via the insurance card) or of the private insurer.
What statutory insurers cover varies with method and duration: acute treatment up to 12 sessions, short-term therapy up to 24 sessions, long-term therapy up to 80 sessions (behavioural therapy), 100 (psychodynamic therapy) or 300 sessions (psychoanalytic therapy).
If you are privately insured, please check your policy carefully: benefits vary considerably and not infrequently cover fewer hours than statutory insurance. If you are entitled to Beihilfe (civil-servant assistance), please also clarify the terms of reimbursement, and any application procedure required, before treatment begins.
The assessment of ADHD and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a private medical service invoiced under the German medical fee schedule (GOÄ); we tell you in advance what it costs and who bears it — fees for the assessment.
Patients with international insurance are welcome as self-payers. You settle our invoice yourself and may submit it to your insurer; whether and how much is reimbursed depends on your policy.