COSTS & FINANCING
COSTS
In Germany health insurances cover the costs for psychotherapy with psychotherapists, who are licensed in one of the four recognized psychotherapeutic approaches (cognitive behavioural psychotherapy CBT, psychodynamic psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, systemic psychotherapy).
​
Costs are regulated by the schedule of fees for psychotherapists, GOP and in the EBM.
Costs for psychotherapeutic sessions:
50 minutes psychotherapy (CBT), single setting: 100.55 - 153 euros
100 minutes psychotherapy (CBT), group setting: 59,18 - 101,90 euros (9 - 3 participants)
​
Please be aware that you are liable for all costs resulting from your treatment and it is your responsibility to clarify your financing options. Please find more information on financing options below. It is best to do this beforehand, as not to risk problems with reimbursement. Public health insurances do not cover costs retrospectively.
FINANCING
In case of a private health insurance:
Private insurances often reimburse the whole or a large portion of the costs for psychotherapy. However, you need to check with your insurance what is covered by the contract that you signed with them. Often private insurances want certain documents to be filled out by the therapist to start the treatment. Contact your insurance to find out about these conditions.
In case of a public health insurance:
I am a licensed psychotherapist, but I do not have a contract with the public health insurances, therefore I cannot bill public health insurances directly. However, it is possible to apply for reimbursement of the costs in case you urgently need a treatment and cannot find a psychotherapist with such a contract.
​
Steps towards a treatment in case of a public health insurance:
-
Contact the Kassenärztliche Vereinigung (KV) here as they give support in finding psychotherapists. Ask for a first consultation (Sprechstunde). The evaluation will be given to you in written form called PTV11.
- Try to find a psychotherapist and make a list of your search (name, address, when and how you tried to contact, response). You can try to find a psychotherapist by asking the KV Berlin and through various websites (e.g. www.therapie.de).
- Reimbursement with a public health insurance: According to the German social law (§ 13 SGB V Kostenerstattung) you can apply for reimbursement if you urgently need a treatment while the health services have failed to provide a treatment in time. The following documents need to be handed in to your insurance together with an informal letter applying for reimbursement:
- PTV11 form you received from a first consultation
- list of your therapy search
- the therapist adds an application and gives proof of her/his qualification
- statement from a doctor ("Konsiliarbericht")
Please note that public insurances do not cover costs retrospectively.
​
Self-payer option:
Of course you can cover the costs yourself if you prefer.
POCEDURE
Initial consultation and probatory phase
The first consultation is an opportunity to meet in person, talk about the situation you are in and get advice on treatment options. Psychotherapy is started after a probatory phase (first 4 sessions), which consist of detailed diagnostics and anamnesis, including analysis of your symptoms, your present situation, your past, your motivation, your previous therapeutic experience. In case the therapist and client decide to start a psychotherapy afterwards, the therapist creates an individual treatment plan and writes an application to the insurance explaining the case and suggesting a certain treatment (e.g. single/ group/ combination; short-term/ long-term treatment).
​
Short-term psychotherapy
A short-term treatment is between 12-24 sessions of 50 minutes. Sessions are usually done once per week.
​
Long-term psychotherapy
A long-term treatment is between 60-80 sessions of 50 minutes. Sessions are usually done once per week. For some interventions it is necessary to have longer sessions.
​
Group psychotherapy
The number of sessions depend on the type of group. There are groups that start together and end together. Other groups are more open to be entered during the group process. Group sessions are usually 100 minutes long plus a break. Sessions are usually done 2-4 times per month. Groups can be more or less structured as well as more or less open about the topic of each session. If you are interested in group therapy, please contact me to learn more about current availability and types of group offerings.
​
Combined single and group psychotherapy
It is also possible to combine the single and group setting, for example splitting 60 sessions into 30 single and 30 group sessions.