English-speaking therapists in Berlin: cost and how to find one
Among the 28 private English-speaking therapists in Berlin we checked, fees ranged from €75 to €180 a session, and the middle price was €97.50. Statutory health insurance pays for therapy with a licensed psychotherapist who has an insurance licence[3], but in 2019 data the national chamber analysed, starting treatment that way took about 140 days on average, a figure the insurers dispute[7][8]. Bliss Therapy offers online sessions in English from €30.
By the Bliss Therapy editorial team · Facts checked on
What do English-speaking therapists in Berlin charge?
We read the fees published by 28 practitioners in Berlin who offer sessions in English, on It’s Complicated profiles and practice websites, on 13 October 2026.
| 28 English-speaking practitioners in Berlin | |
|---|---|
| Lowest fee | €75 |
| Middle fee | €97.50 |
| Highest fee | €180 |
| €80 or less | 7 of 28 |
| €100 or less | 20 of 28 |
| Over €120 | 6 of 28 |
| For comparison: Bliss Therapy, not counted above | |
| Bliss Therapy (online, 50 min) | From €30; middle price €50 |
Most sessions were 45 to 60 minutes. Most of these practitioners work privately, outside statutory insurance, so you pay the fee yourself. The Bliss Therapy row is our own directory, read when this page loads, and is not one of the 28.
Does statutory health insurance pay for therapy?
Yes, with a psychotherapist who has a statutory insurance licence (Kassenzulassung)[3]. The steps:
- Consultation. Adults can have up to six consultation sessions (psychotherapeutische Sprechstunde) of 25 minutes each[1][2]. At least 50 minutes is required before further treatment[2].
- Trial sessions. Two to four probatory sessions follow[2].
- Application. You, the patient, apply to your insurer, with the therapist’s help[2]. Before therapy starts, a doctor also has to write a short report (Konsiliarbericht), at the latest after the trial sessions[2]. Short-term therapy counts as approved if the insurer has not answered within three weeks[2].
- Therapy. Short-term therapy is up to 12 sessions, extendable by 12 more; long-term therapy for adults is up to 36, 60 or 160 sessions depending on the method[2].
Getting the first appointment. The national booking service 116117 must arrange a consultation appointment within a week of your call, for a date no more than four weeks away[4]. You can also search for practices at psychotherapiesuche.116117.de[4].
Therapy in English. The official sources we checked say nothing about therapy in English within statutory insurance; it depends on finding an insured therapist who works in English. Freie Universität Berlin’s counselling service points to the KV Berlin search (in German) and notes that searches can be filtered by language[12].
How long is the wait?
The German chamber of psychotherapists found an average of 142.4 days from the first consultation to the start of therapy, in data for people who had their first consultation in early 2019[7]. The substitute insurers’ association measured shorter gaps between individual steps in 2019–2021 and notes that the chamber counts the whole period[8]. We found no newer official figure. Paying privately avoids the insurance process, whether with a Berlin practice or online, for example with an English-speaking therapist on Bliss Therapy.
Can insurance pay for a private therapist?
Sometimes, but only with a licensed psychotherapist (with Approbation) in private practice, not with a Heilpraktiker or other practitioner. If your insurer cannot provide urgent treatment in time, the law requires it to reimburse the cost you incur, and for psychotherapy only when the therapist is licensed[5]. This is called the cost-reimbursement procedure (Kostenerstattungsverfahren). The chamber describes it as a last option after the booking service could not find you a place; you apply to your insurer with the booking service’s letter and a certificate from the therapist you saw for the consultation[6].
With private health insurance, cover depends on your policy; the private insurers’ association says it typically includes about 50 psychotherapy sessions a year[9].
Psychotherapist, Heilpraktiker or counsellor?
| Title | What it means | Statutory insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Psychotherapeut(in) | Protected title; requires a state licence (Approbation)[10] | Yes, with an insurance licence[3] |
| Heilpraktiker für Psychotherapie | May offer psychotherapy with an official permit[9], but may not use the title psychotherapist; qualification is not assured[11] | No[11] |
| Psychologist | A psychology degree, without psychotherapy training[11] | Not for psychotherapy on its own |
Is online therapy in English an option?
Yes, if you pay privately. On Bliss Therapy, a 50-minute online session with an English-speaking therapist costs from €30, and the middle price is €50, as of 28 October 2026; 26 of 57 offer a free first session. Bliss Therapy sessions are private and are not paid by German statutory insurance. Ask any therapist, on Bliss Therapy or elsewhere, about their qualification and licence in the country where they practise.
See English-speaking therapists
Questions people ask
Is there a crisis line in English in Germany?
We found no 24-hour crisis line in English. TelefonSeelsorge speaks German only and lists helplines in other countries[13]. The Berliner Krisendienst has a free phone line for each Berlin district, listed on its website; it usually talks in German and can arrange help in other languages with some preparation time[14]. In an emergency, call 112.
Do I need a GP referral for psychotherapy in Germany?
No. You can go straight to a psychotherapist’s consultation hour, and 116117 must help you find one[4].
Related pages
- English-speaking therapists in Amsterdam
- BetterHelp: cost, how it works and alternatives
- How much does online therapy cost?
How we checked
Berlin fees are those published by 28 English-speaking practitioners on It’s Complicated and on practice websites on 13 October 2026; we took the first results shown, so this is a snapshot, not a random sample. Rules on insurance, titles and waiting times are from the federal ministry, the national association of insurance doctors, the psychotherapists’ chamber, the insurers’ associations and the law, opened on 14 October 2026. Bliss Therapy figures are read from therapist profiles when this page loads.
Sources
- Federal Ministry of Health, “Psychotherapeutische Sprechstunde” (as of 8 January 2026)
- Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung, FAQ on psychotherapy (opened 14 October 2026)
- gesund.bund.de, “Psychotherapeutische Versorgung” (as of 23 April 2026)
- 116117, psychotherapy appointments (opened 14 October 2026)
- Social Code Book V, § 13 (opened 14 October 2026)
- BPtK, “Paths to psychotherapy” (English brochure), cost reimbursement (September 2019, page 65)
- BPtK press release on waiting times (9 December 2022)
- vdek, analysis of waiting times for psychotherapy (10 August 2023)
- PKV association, psychotherapy for privately insured patients (opened 14 October 2026)
- Psychotherapeutengesetz, § 1 (opened 14 October 2026)
- BPtK, “Wen kann ich um Rat fragen?” (12 August 2021)
- Freie Universität Berlin, finding a therapy place (opened 14 October 2026)
- TelefonSeelsorge, international help (opened 14 October 2026)
- Berliner Krisendienst (English) (opened 14 October 2026)