Mental Health Licensing & Regulation in Germany: 2025 Guide

In Germany the title to look for is Psychotherapeut. By law, only a state-licensed person may use that title¹. That licence is the Approbation, granted under the Psychotherapeutengesetz (PsychThG). It is the state's permission to treat you as a psychotherapist.

A provider who lawfully calls themselves Psychotherapeut is state-licensed. Someone called only Psychologe holds a psychology degree, not a treatment licence.

Two further titles appear in the same law. A doctor who also practises psychotherapy is an ärztlicher Psychotherapeut, and can prescribe medication too. For children and young people, one licensed title is Kinder- und Jugendlichenpsychotherapeut.

A Heilpraktiker für Psychotherapie holds a limited permit only. They may not use the Psychotherapeut title, and are usually private-pay.

The table below compares each route at a glance. It shows how each one qualified, what they may do, and what it means for you.

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Which titles are licensed, side by side

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What Approbation means for you

Approbation is the state licence to work as a psychotherapist¹. Without it, a person may not use the title Psychotherapeut or treat you under it¹.

The licence is granted as Psychotherapeut, after a person completes the required study. They must also pass the state psychotherapy examination². They must be judged fit and reliable for the work².

German law defines psychotherapy narrowly. It means using recognised methods to detect, ease, or treat mental health conditions¹. Work that only sorts out everyday social problems does not count¹.

The law requires a physical check to be arranged as part of treatment. This helps rule out a bodily cause for your symptoms¹.

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The licensed routes, one by one

Psychologischer Psychotherapeut: talking therapy without medicines

This is the psychology-trained, licensed psychotherapist. They hold the Approbation and use the protected title lawfully¹. Their work is psychotherapy, the talking treatment, not medication.

They can assess mental health conditions and provide therapy. For medicines, they would refer you to a doctor.

Ärztlicher Psychotherapeut: a doctor who also does therapy

This is the doctor who also practises psychotherapy. German law lets a doctor add ärztliche to the title¹. Because they are a doctor, they can also prescribe medication.

This is the route to look for when medication may be part of your care.

Kinder- und Jugendlichenpsychotherapeut: therapy for young people

A separate licensed title covers therapy for children and young people. It is the Kinder- und Jugendlichenpsychotherapeut, named in the same law¹. The same rule applies, only licensed holders may use it. The Approbation is granted as Psychotherapeut², so a therapist working with children and young people may hold that title instead.

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The Heilpraktiker für Psychotherapie route, and its limits

Not everyone offering therapy holds the Approbation. Another route comes from an older law, the Heilpraktikergesetz, first passed in 1939³.

Under it, a person may treat illness without being a doctor³. They still need an official permit³. A Heilpraktiker für Psychotherapie holds a version limited to psychotherapy.

The route has limits. The person may not call themselves Psychotherapeut¹. They also cannot prescribe medication.

Their care is normally paid privately, not by statutory insurance. This route is not the same as a licensed psychotherapist.

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Which therapists your public insurance will pay for

What your insurance covers limits which therapists are affordable. Germany's public system is the gesetzliche Krankenversicherung, or statutory health insurance. It pays for certain therapies, but not all.

The Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss, or G-BA, decides which methods statutory insurance recognises. The rules are set out in the Psychotherapie-Richtlinie⁴.

Statutory insurance recognises three kinds of psychotherapy⁴:

• Behavioural therapy (Verhaltenstherapie)⁴
• Systemic therapy (Systemische Therapie)⁴
• Psychoanalytically-based therapy, which means psychodynamic therapy (tiefenpsychologisch fundierte Psychotherapie) and analytic therapy⁴

Not every licensed psychotherapist can bill statutory insurance, so ask before you book. A Heilpraktiker für Psychotherapie normally cannot. If you are paying privately, check the cost before you start.

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How to tell whether your therapist is licensed

You can check a provider before you book.

1. Ask directly whether they hold the Approbation. A licensed psychotherapist should confirm it.
2. Check whether the title they advertise is Psychotherapeut. Only a licensed person may use it¹.
3. For insurance-paid therapy, ask whether they can bill statutory insurance.
4. Search the official practice finder at psychotherapiesuche.116117.de, run by the Kassenärztliche Vereinigungen. The 116117 appointment service also helps by phone, and no referral is needed for psychotherapy.⁵ Not every licensed psychotherapist appears there, so use it to find a therapist rather than to rule one out.
5. If unsure, ask which recognised method they work in⁴.

These are reasonable questions to ask before you book. If a provider will not answer them, weigh that before deciding.

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If you have a concern about a therapist

If a therapist behaves towards you in a way that feels wrong, if the fees are not what you agreed, or if a practitioner cannot show you a licence, there are places to turn.

If your therapist is a Psychologischer Psychotherapeut or a Kinder- und Jugendlichenpsychotherapeut, the body to contact is your regional psychotherapists' chamber, the Landespsychotherapeutenkammer. The chamber is the supervisory authority for the profession and handles professional-conduct complaints, and you can approach it anonymously if you prefer.⁶ The federal chamber lists every regional chamber's contact details on its complaints page.

For an ärztlicher Psychotherapeut, the medical chamber of your state, the Landesärztekammer, is the responsible body.⁶ Where conduct may be criminal, such as sexual contact or assault, you can also lay a criminal complaint with the police.⁶

A Heilpraktiker works on an official permit³. Concerns then go to the authority that issued it.

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Trained abroad, or looking for therapy in English

This section covers two situations: a clinician who trained outside Germany, and therapy in English.

A clinician trained abroad must meet the same licence requirements. They must also show enough German for the work².

If you want therapy in English, licensed therapists who offer it do exist. You can search our directory of therapists in Germany and filter by language.

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Finding a qualified therapist in Germany

Once you know what to look for, the last step is choosing. Our own listings are checked by clinicians, and you can search the therapists listed in Germany yourself.

When you are ready, our guide walks you through it: how to find the right therapist.

Safety comes first. If anyone is in danger, call 112 for emergency services. Telefonseelsorge is free and available around the clock on 0800 111 0 111 or 0800 111 0 222.

Take your time with the choice. A good fit with the person matters, not only the title.

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References

1. [1] Bundesministerium der Justiz. Psychotherapeutengesetz (PsychThG), § 1 Berufsbezeichnung, Berufsausübung. gesetze-im-internet.de/psychthg_2020/__1.html
2. [2] Bundesministerium der Justiz. Psychotherapeutengesetz (PsychThG), § 2 Erteilung der Approbation. gesetze-im-internet.de/psychthg_2020/__2.html
3. [3] Heilpraktikergesetz (HeilprG), § 1. Ausfertigungsdatum 17 February 1939. Bundesministerium der Justiz. gesetze-im-internet.de/heilprg/__1.html
4. [4] Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss (2026). Psychotherapie-Richtlinie, § 15 Behandlungsformen. g-ba.de
5. [5] Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung, 116117.de — Psychotherapie: Praxissuche unter psychotherapiesuche.116117.de; Terminservice 116117; keine Überweisung erforderlich. 116117.de
6. [6] Bundespsychotherapeutenkammer — Beschwerden und Schutz vor Missbrauch: Beschwerdeweg über die zuständige Landespsychotherapeutenkammer (auch anonym); Landesärztekammer für ärztliche Psychotherapeuten; Strafanzeige bei strafrechtlich relevanten Fällen. bptk.de

This guide is general information, not legal or medical advice. Rules can change, so confirm current details with the relevant German authority.

By Team TherapyRoute