Find therapy place: Get on the couch faster

Find therapy place
Psychotherapy: Get on the couch faster

Better than just waiting

Until therapy begins, exchanging ideas with other affected people can help (addresses of self-help groups at nakos.de). Local counseling centers, such as Diakonie or the Social Psychiatric Service, also offer low-threshold services. The umbrella organization for community psychiatry (obeon.de) provides digital advice nationwide for mental illnesses or stressful situations. Many health insurance companies also pay for online programs.

It’s a bit like applying for coveted jobs: it’s not uncommon for you to receive dozens of rejections and wait in vain for calls back. That alone would be frustrating enough, but anyone looking for therapy is already in a psychological crisis, which additional emotional stress can exacerbate.

The current average is five months waiting period, but it can also be significantly longer – depending on the region and illness. Many of those affected then think that it is their fault that they cannot find a place for therapy. It is anything but straightforward, especially for statutory health insurance patients, until they get the help they need. And so, unfortunately, there is no secret recipe that will get you to therapy straight away – but there are some tips that will speed up or make the search easier.

Don’t wait too long yourself

Those affected by minor psychological problems often do not dare to seek help. Perhaps also out of concern about “taking” a therapy place away from others. It would be best to intervene as early as possible, before a serious or chronic mental illness develops, which then requires significantly longer treatment. Unfortunately, people often only start looking for a therapist when literally nothing is working anymore, so that it becomes a mammoth task.

Important: Outpatient treatment is not always enough. In acute crises, especially suicidal tendencies, you should act immediately: Referral to a clinic can be arranged via the emergency services or emergency room.

Find a therapist

Even without a prescription or a diagnosis, you can contact psychotherapists in the area directly. Many municipalities offer databases that can also be sorted by focus and therapy method. Address lists are also available on the websites of the Federal Chamber of Therapists (bptk.de), the German Psychotherapists Association (dptv.de) and the Psychotherapy Information Service (psychotherapiesuche.de) and, upon request, also from the health insurance company.

It is helpful to ask yourself the following questions beforehand: What are my requirements for psychotherapy? Would I rather see a therapist? Should he or she have a focus on a particular area? Psychotherapists also differ in the procedures they use. It’s best to create a longer list of possible addresses, because it’s not uncommon for ten or more practices to have to be contacted to get an appointment.

make an appointment

Calling someone stranger and telling them about your psychological problems takes effort. Support from friends or family helps to get through the list more quickly. Important: Exact notes about when and which addresses were contacted can later help with the reimbursement process. An appointment is always made first for the so-called consultation hours. It serves to clarify whether and what therapy is needed.

In addition to practicing therapists, it is also worthwhile Outpatient clinics of training institutes to contact. Here, so-called PIAs, psychotherapists in training, treat a certain number of patients as part of their training. The waiting time at ambulances is usually particularly short.

You can also get a consultation appointment within one week via the appointment service of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (116117.de) and then you do not have to wait longer than four weeks for the appointment. However, you cannot freely choose the therapist, date and time and may have to accept longer journeys.

Use alternatives

The consultation is a prerequisite for the treatment, but is no guarantee that it can begin straight away. This is followed by trial sessions, possibly with several therapists, and then there is usually a waiting period until the actual therapy.

One can often be done quicker than an individual treatment Group therapy find that is similarly effective for many diseases. You can find addresses with corresponding offers on gruppenplatz.de.

If you can’t find a “cash” therapy offer, the so-called is available Cost reimbursement procedure in question. Upon request, the health insurance fund will also pay for treatment with therapists without a health insurance fund. You can find out from the health insurance company who offers this type of billing and what requirements there are for the costs to be covered. The private therapists are usually happy to help with the bureaucratic hurdles. If you have private insurance, it is usually easier to find a therapist because you are not tied to health insurance approval.

Bridget