How do I find a psychotherapist? How to Find a Therapy Spot

• Contact several psychotherapy practices and the appointment service center at the same time.
• Most psychotherapists respond late or not at all. If you wait for a response before contacting the next practice, you could end up wasting months.
• Contacting them by phone is usually much faster. Almost all medical offices list their office hours in their answering machine message: so call the office, note down the hours, and call back.
• I'll say more about searching by email later.
• Document every attempt to contact the practice, including the practice name, date, time, and outcome. You may need these records later to file a claim for reimbursement with your health insurance provider.
• Start close to where you live. If you don't find anything within that initial radius, expand it: neighboring cities, adjacent counties, video therapy.
• On the websites of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, you can search specifically by location, procedure, and available appointments. The sites also list which doctors are currently offering appointments.

Taking the first step toward psychotherapy is often the hardest part.

Most psychotherapists covered by health insurance are fully booked. This is especially true of those with whom people feel truly understood. So the question isn’t just how to find a psychotherapist in the first place, but: How do I find the one who’s exactly right for me?

Psychotherapy does not work primarily through methods. It works mainly through the therapeutic relationship. Psychotherapists know this. So make a connection quickly, and let the therapist know that, from your perspective, the chemistry is right. It’s not hard.

Make Full Use of Phone Hours

Psychotherapists in private practice are required to offer telephone consultation hours. You can find the times on the answering machine or (rarely) on the practice’s website. Call, write down the times, and make use of them (yes, I’m repeating myself!).

In these kinds of conversations, you have five to fifteen minutes—sometimes less. That’s enough. Pay attention to whether you feel taken seriously, whether good questions are being asked, and whether someone is really listening. This internal feedback is more precise and important than it may seem at first. It says more about the therapy that will follow than any list of techniques.

Tell us what you liked

If you notice during a conversation that something is going well, say so. Not as a strategy, but as honest feedback: „I felt understood.“ „Your questions helped me.“ „I felt comfortable with you.“ Say it in your own words.

That's something to remember.

After that, it's all about staying the course.

If someone is fully booked

Almost all of them are. In that case, ask, „Would it be okay if I followed up again in four or six weeks?“

Quiet persistence pays off. Every month, patients complete their psychotherapy, and spots open up. Those who actively reach out to psychotherapists and have already established a relationship with them have a good chance of success.

What Works in Psychotherapy, I'll explain that here.

Some people write down their entire story of suffering—page after page, in great detail, and very personally. Then they send this email to many psychotherapy practices at once. The impulse is understandable: Those who are suffering want to be seen, want someone to understand how serious their situation is, and, of course, want to secure a spot in therapy as soon as possible.

This is what it looks like from the other side. Psychotherapists are confronted daily with difficult situations, trauma, and acute crises. Long, highly intense emails sent without prior contact often end up unread in the trash.

I realize that it takes a lot of effort, especially when you’re already feeling down. My advice, nonetheless, is this: Call the office and establish a personal connection. A quick phone call will get you closer to scheduling an appointment than even the best email.

The wait time for a spot in psychotherapy near you depends primarily on where you live. A Analysis from the year 2025 This illustrates the extent of the problem: In some counties, the average wait time is five days; in others, it's over 150.

Anyone who thinks that a high concentration of therapists will solve the problem is mistaken. Bonn has a higher-than-average number of private-practice therapists, yet it still has one of the longest wait times in the country.

Here are a few official statistics on search:

Three professional groups, three different roles. Psychological psychotherapists have studied psychology and then completed postgraduate training, often lasting more than five years. Psychotherapy is their primary profession. Medical psychotherapists come from a medical background and have additionally earned a qualification in psychotherapy. Unlike their psychological colleagues, they can also prescribe medication. Psychiatrists diagnose, prescribe, and monitor patients medically; sometimes they also provide psychotherapy.

Anyone seeking psychotherapy—that is, talk therapy—needs a psychological or medical psychotherapist. Those who primarily need medication should see a psychiatrist. There is a separate specialty and separate practices for children and adolescents; the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians’ therapist search lists them separately. Which complaints, symptoms, and conditions are treated depends on the specific approach and the therapist’s qualifications.

Statutory health insurance (GKV) covers the costs of psychotherapy if three conditions are met: The psychotherapist must be registered with a health insurance fund; the Associations of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians grant this registration and maintain a list of addresses. The diagnosis must be considered a medical condition, and the treatment method must be recognized. Recognized methods include behavioral therapy, depth psychology-based psychotherapy, analytical psychotherapy, and systemic therapy. You do not need a referral from your primary care physician.

In private practices, psychotherapy may also be covered by statutory health insurance (GKV) through the reimbursement process.

Psychotherapy Appointments

Each treatment session is preceded by a consultation lasting at least 25 minutes. This consultation serves as an initial assessment: Are there any disorders that require treatment? What are the primary symptoms? Is psychotherapy the appropriate course of action? Which approach is suitable? You can schedule an appointment directly with any psychotherapist who accepts health insurance or by calling 116117.

At the end of the session, the psychotherapist fills out Form PTV 11. It includes the findings and recommendations. If treatment is needed promptly, this is also noted on the form, along with a referral code. This code is the key to the next step.

What Happens After the Appointment

There are three possible scenarios.

In the best-case scenario, the therapist has availability. In that case, you can schedule trial sessions directly, without going through the appointment scheduling service.

The second scenario is more common: You receive a PTV 11 form with a referral code because you need psychotherapy promptly, but the psychotherapist has no openings. This gives you a legal right: the appointment service must arrange an initial trial session within four weeks. If the rapport isn’t right, you’re entitled to a second referral. No more than two guaranteed referrals are provided. You can then arrange any additional trial sessions directly with the psychotherapists.

The third scenario: The psychotherapist does not recommend psychotherapy. Other forms of assistance are more appropriate: counseling, rehabilitation, self-help. The recommendation specifies which forms of assistance are appropriate. In this case, the PTV 11 does not include a referral code.

Trial Sessions and Therapy Application

Two to four preliminary sessions precede the actual therapy. They serve the purposes of diagnosis, planning, and getting to know one another. Afterward, the psychotherapist needs a consultation report from a physician who rules out any physical causes. Only then is the application submitted to the health insurance provider.

For short-term therapy consisting of up to 24 sessions, no medical evaluation is required; the health insurance provider will respond within three weeks. For applications for long-term therapy, the health insurance provider usually commissions an external expert to decide whether to approve the treatment. The response time is up to five weeks. If no response is received by the deadline, the psychotherapy is considered approved.

If there is no PTV 11 with a referral code

Without PTV 11 or the note „required promptly,“ a referral via 116117 is not possible. In this case, please contact the practice again: It may be possible to add this information to the form retroactively. If the psychotherapist stands by their assessment, continue your search on your own—online, by phone, or by email.

The 116117 System

The 116117 Appointment Service Center is accessible nationwide by phone, through eterminservice.de, and via the app. It arranges three types of appointments: consultations without a code, emergency treatment, and probationary sessions. For the latter two, you’ll need a PTV 11 with a referral code. You can also contact a psychotherapy practice directly to schedule a consultation.

In conversations with my patients, it has become clear that the counselors at 116 117 have very varying levels of knowledge. It’s therefore worth taking the time to learn about the process and your rights first. That’s exactly what you’re doing right now.

The guaranteed timeframes: consultation within four weeks, preliminary session within four weeks, acute treatment within two weeks. If an outpatient appointment cannot be scheduled, a hospital appointment must be arranged within five weeks.

116117 assigns you an available appointment. You have no say in who is assigned to that appointment. However, among the three therapists you might see there, there’s usually someone you’ll like.

For those with private health insurance, conditions have taken a turn for the worse in recent years, as public health insurers now generally pay higher fee rates than private insurers. When searching for a therapist, you should therefore be prepared to pay the difference out of pocket and make this clear to the psychotherapist early on in the process in order to secure an appointment at all.

As a patient, you can contact psychotherapists directly. You cannot go through the appointment scheduling service. This will allow you to get an appointment more quickly at many practices.

If a psychotherapy consultation reveals an acute crisis, so-called acute treatment can begin immediately—without submitting a claim to the insurance company. It includes up to twelve sessions for treatment and stabilization; the therapist notifies the insurance company using Form PTV 12.

In the event of an immediate threat to life—such as after a suicide attempt or a serious act of self-harm—call 112. This is not an overreaction; it is the right thing to do.

Other emergency numbers:

• Telephone counseling, available 24/7, free of charge and anonymous: 0800 111 0 111 or 0800 111 0 222. You can get immediate help there, even at night.
• Medical On-Call Service (116117): For psychiatric emergencies outside of office hours
• Regional Crisis Services: Many federal states operate their own numbers; Bavaria, for example, uses 0800 655 3000

You can also go directly to a hospital’s psychiatric emergency room—no appointment or referral needed. There, doctors and nurses will first help stabilize your condition: assessment, medication if necessary, and immediate safety. You will not receive long-term psychotherapy there. After such an initial visit, the transition to outpatient psychotherapy should be planned—ideally before the acute relief wears off.

A good Overview of Crisis Response Centers offers the German Depression Support.

Section 13(3) of the Fifth Book of the Social Code (SGB V) Your health insurance must cover the cost of therapy with a licensed psychotherapist who is not affiliated with a health insurance fund if the system does not provide timely access. As a general guideline, a search lasting about three months without success is considered sufficient.

Reimbursement Process: Treatment Not Covered by Health Insurance

This so-called cost-reimbursement procedure is the most important tool available to those with public health insurance who cannot find a spot in the regular healthcare system.

The process is bureaucratic. Still, it works.

• Ask your psychotherapist to issue you a PTV 11 form marked „needed promptly“ and including a referral code. The session is arranged through 116117.
• Document at least three to five unsuccessful attempts to contact psychotherapists who are in-network: practice name, date, time, and outcome.
• Find a licensed psychotherapist who is not affiliated with a health insurance provider. Licensed psychotherapists are authorized to provide psychotherapy and work according to established guidelines. Ask for written confirmation that a spot is available.
• Contact your health insurance provider before starting therapy and submit the application along with all supporting documents.

Insurance providers often reject initial applications. Don’t let that discourage you—you have the right to appeal. Many appeals are successful. Each insurance provider has its own documentation requirements. Make sure you understand these before you take the first step, not afterward.

Paying for Therapy Out of Pocket

If you want to avoid the bureaucratic process, you can pay for psychotherapy entirely out of pocket. A session costs between 100 and 150 euros. For a long-term course of treatment involving 40 to 80 sessions, the total cost ranges from 4,000 to 12,000 euros.

The advantage: you can choose any practice, there is no approval process, and your diagnosis is not recorded by your health insurance provider. Under certain conditions, the costs can be claimed as an extraordinary expense for tax purposes.

Digital Health Applications as a Temporary Solution

Since October 2020, statutory health insurance providers have been covering certain digital health applications (DiGA). These are evidence-based apps that are used in the Directory of the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) are listed and primarily address mental health issues: depressive episodes, anxiety, sleep disorders, and stress.

DiGA apps are not a substitute for psychotherapy. However, they do offer structured support, especially during the months between finding a therapist and starting therapy. They bridge the waiting period; they are not a form of treatment. They are prescribed by doctors or psychotherapists.

You’re looking for help with your mental health. That’s your right—not a favor. If you actively seek help and stay in touch, you’ll find a place. Often, it’s with the very psychotherapist who felt like the right fit from the start.