Where can I find psychological help in Berlin?

Pursuing a PhD comes with many great challenges. Most people don’t know that being a PhD student comes with a large risk for mental health problems. PhD students are six times more likely to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety, or even suffer from moderate-to-severe depression (Evans et al., 2018). We want to encourage you to find support, if needed!

Do you seek a place for psychotherapy or social counseling? Then you are right here. We have collected a list of contacts in the Berlin area for everyone who seeks help. 

If you need urgent medical help, please call 112 or visit the closest emergency department.

 

In case of a crisis

 

  • The social psychiatric service of Berlin (Sozialpsychiatrische Dienste) offers support in all districts of Berlin from Monday to Friday, 08:00 – 16:00. Find the closest center to you here!
  • Berlin Krisendienst offers phone support 24/7. You can also visit their centers without an appointment on weekdays from 16:00 – 24:00 and during weekends and holidays from 08:00 – 16:00. Find the closest center to you here!

For non-acute cases

There are multiple places where students can seek psychotherapy or social counseling. Here is a list of services that you can approach, based on your affiliations:

If you are looking for a psychotherapist, you might look at our guide for psychotherapy through public health insurance below.

 

Ways to psychotherapy

The following overview aims to give an idea of how to find a psychotherapist via public health insurance. The system for private health insurance might differ depending on the provider of health insurance and should be clarified with them.

Besides, you can use the therapist directory from the Association of Counselors & Therapists (ACT Berlin), which provides the contact information of many therapists in Berlin.

First step: Office hours

The first step is always to consult a psychotherapist during their office hours. During a session of max. 150 minutes the psychotherapist will try to determine the need for psychotherapy and give you an initial diagnosis. They can also directly refer you to a hospital or day clinic if there is a need for acute treatment.

Importantly, you can get this initial appointment by either calling psychotherapists yourself or using a newly established website by the German health insurances. This website guarantees that you will get an appointment within the next four weeks.

When searching for a psychotherapist, consider to search for someone who speaks a language you feel comfortable with. Health insurance only pays for a translator in few cases (e.g. hospitalization).

Second step: Trial sessions

Once your psychotherapist determined the need for psychotherapy, you can get 2-4 hours of trial sessions. This does not necessarily take place with the same therapist as they might have limited capacities. During these trial sessions, you have the chance to find out if you get along with the therapist and their therapy style. This time is also used to determine a full diagnosis, which is then needed to apply for financial coverage of the therapy by your health insurance.

It is absolutely normal to find it smoother to work with one therapist than another. If you feel like the first therapist and you are not a good match, do not give up and try to contact another one. How much you are willing to work with your therapist, trust them, and believe they may help you are the best predictors of the therapy’s success.

Third step: Therapy

Your therapist can either apply for short- or long-term therapy for you. Short-term therapy is covered for 12 sessions, 50 minutes each, with a possible extension up to 24 sessions. The duration of long-term therapy depends on the type of therapy chosen. There are different types of therapy, which are covered by public health insurance:

 

  • Cognitive behavioral therapy is covered for 60 sessions with a possible extension of up to 80 sessions.
  • Depth psychotherapy is also covered for 60 sessions with a possible extension of up to 100 sessions.
  • Analytical psychotherapy is covered for 160 sessions with a possible extension of up to 300 sessions.