How Much Does an Online Psychologist Cost in Germany? An Overview of Therapy Costs

In everyday life, various professional groups are referred to this way:

• Licensed psychotherapists are authorized to treat clinically significant mental disorders and can (depending on the setting) bill health insurance providers.
• Psychologists without a license to practice usually offer psychological counseling, but not psychotherapy in the legal sense.
• Alternative practitioners in psychotherapy have limited permission to practice healing; the training paths here are very diverse.
• Platforms like BetterHelp often combine online sessions, chat, and in some cases digital programs; these also include DiGA.
• Coaches work in a development- and goal-oriented way (e.g., career, stress, lifestyle), without a therapeutic treatment mandate.

When searching, you’ll usually come across the following services:

Prices vary widely. The cost per treatment ranges from 0 to over 200 euros. Here is an overview of the main categories:

Prices vary mainly for four simple reasons:

1. Training and authority
   Licensed psychotherapists have completed a state-regulated training program, often lasting more than five years after completing their psychology degree. They are authorized to diagnose and treat mental disorders; alternative practitioners in psychotherapy are allowed to do so as well, with limited permission to practice healing. Generally speaking, the higher the level of qualification and legal responsibility, the higher the price.
2. Billing method
   For licensed therapists, a fee schedule governs their fees, with fixed base rates and possible surcharges. Counselors and coaches do not have fixed guidelines. In these cases, the provider sets the price themselves.
3. What exactly is included
   A single video session is different from a monthly package that includes chat, several sessions, or additional programs. More services, and especially the duration of personal contact, usually mean a higher price.
4. How the service is organized
   Whether a session is paid for privately, conducted through a platform, or part of a set program has a significant impact on the price. Some models are streamlined, while others are more elaborate. This is reflected in the price.

In short:
It’s not “online” that makes the difference, but who provides the service, what exactly is offered, and how it is billed.

When comparing offers online, it’s worth paying attention to three things: the price of a single session, the total cost of a full package, and what happens if you stop early. How offers differ online is covered in a separate article. Online, it’s easier to switch to another provider than at an in-person practice, and dubious offers take advantage of exactly that. Unclear costs are the clearest warning sign online.

It depends.

For those with statutory health insurance, the health insurance provider covers the costs in cases of mental illness if it is guideline-based psychotherapy with therapists who have a statutory health insurance license, that is, a recognized approach such as behavioral therapy or analytical psychotherapy. DiGA on prescription are covered in full. Some platforms partner with specific health insurance providers and offer programs that are reimbursed in full or in part.

In private practices, reimbursement of costs is theoretically possible through the reimbursement procedure. However, it must be demonstrated that no therapy spot with a therapist who has a statutory health insurance license is available within a reasonable waiting time, and an application must be submitted and approved.

Private health insurers and offices for the healthcare allowance for civil servants (Beihilfe) usually cover online therapy if it is provided by licensed therapists. The type and scope of treatment depend on the individual insurance plan. You can often find out whether the costs can be covered with just a quick call to your insurer.

Who pays depends on the type of service: Coaching, online psychological counseling, general life counseling, and services provided by alternative practitioners are not reimbursed by statutory health insurance providers. International platform subscriptions are purely self-pay services. With an Employee Assistance Program, there is a third payer besides the health insurance provider and out-of-pocket payment: the employer funds the psychological counseling of its employees, usually through an external employee counseling service.

Since April 2025, up to 50% of a practice’s total treatment cases may be handled exclusively online. Psychotherapists can offer nearly all services covered by the Psychotherapy Guidelines online, as long as there are no therapeutic contraindications. This includes psychotherapy consultations and trial sessions, although the first consultation and the first trial session should take place at the practice whenever possible. Whether online or at the practice, this changes nothing about the costs of the trial session.

Acute treatments, individual and group therapy, and other services such as relaxation techniques can also be provided online.

If you want to find out what online therapy costs, you can read more about it here.

Self-pay patients benefit from anonymity, short wait times, and greater flexibility, but they pay the full amount themselves. Long-term therapy can cost between 5,000 and 15,000 euros.
Those looking for online therapy without health insurance coverage will find various platform options as alternatives. Subscription plans with weekly sessions typically cost between 200 and 360 euros per month. Some counseling platforms offer single sessions starting at just 49 euros. However, these are counseling services, not psychotherapy in the legal sense.

How Much People Pay Online for a Session

If you search online, you’ll quickly come across a wide range of prices. This is rarely due to location and almost always depends on the service offered: A single online psychotherapy session with a licensed professional costs about the same as an in-person session, whereas a subscription with courses is priced quite differently. Therefore, don’t compare one provider to another; instead, compare one service to another. Those who offer online counseling save on office space, but they don’t automatically pass this advantage on.

Separate reimbursement rules apply to German-speaking residents of Austria and Switzerland.

In Austria, under certain conditions, health insurance providers also offer subsidies for online psychotherapy sessions. The exact rules vary by state and health insurance provider.

In Switzerland, reimbursement is handled through mandatory basic insurance. Since the introduction of the referral model in 2023, psychotherapists have been able to bill basic insurance independently, provided that a physician’s referral is in place. Patients are responsible for the deductible and copayment.

The cost of a therapist’s services does not depend solely on formal qualifications, although these do establish important minimum standards. However, they provide only limited insight into how someone actually works.

There are significant differences across all professional groups. There are alternative practitioners who work carefully and have themselves been in personal therapy for decades, as well as licensed therapists whom you should avoid.

In my experience, it’s not so much the title that matters as the attitude: How deeply has the therapist engaged with her own issues? How seriously does she reflect on her own work?

Whether a therapy is a good fit usually becomes clear during the initial consultation: whether you feel understood, whether the other person is really listening, whether you can ask critical questions, and whether you encounter openness rather than defensiveness.

My advice: Trust your own perception. When you’re feeling down and your self-esteem is shaky, it’s easy to forget to step back and take a look at the other person. But that’s important when choosing a therapist.

If you want to find out how to find a psychotherapist online who’s right for you as quickly as possible, you can keep reading here.

To wrap up, here are a few helpful questions and comments about pricing: What exactly is included? How long are the sessions, and how quickly can you schedule an appointment? Are there any hidden additional costs, minimum contract terms, or pressure to purchase additional modules? In my experience, with unusually low-priced offers, you sometimes end up paying more in other ways: through strange terms and conditions, subtle pressure, or behaviors that are hard to pinpoint. A low price isn’t proof of poor quality. But it is a reason to ask more detailed questions.

I myself offer online psychological counseling, oriented toward depth psychology and on a self-pay basis. This is not psychotherapy and is not intended to diagnose or treat an illness. I am a trained psychological psychotherapist.