Therapist in Berlin

Psychologist in Berlin: when to go, how to access care through insurance, and what it costs

Relocation is almost always harder than it looks from the outside. A new language, paperwork, a new job, children in a new school, family far away — and suddenly you find you have no energy left, your sleep is off, and there’s no one to talk to about it. That’s not weakness, and it’s not a matter of ’just getting used to it’: most people go through this, especially in the first months and years. Below is how mental health care works in Berlin, what it costs, and how to find a therapist you can speak to in your own language.

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When it makes sense to see a therapist

• Anxiety that won’t let up for weeks: about your status, finances, or the future — and it’s affecting your sleep or work.
• Loneliness: people are all around, yet there’s no one to really talk to.
• The relationship is under strain: relocation makes couples argue more — each person carries their own exhaustion.
• Your child is struggling: withdrawing, acting out, refusing to go to school, or falling ill frequently.
• Grief from a distance: losing or facing the serious illness of a loved one back home, when travelling there is not possible.
• Thoughts about whether to go back or stay keep going in circles and stop you from living in the present.

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How it works in Berlin

Psychotherapy in Germany is covered by statutory health insurance (gesetzliche Krankenkasse); no doctor’s referral is required. The first step is a psychotherapeutische Sprechstunde: appointments can be booked through the 116117 service, which is required to find you a slot within four weeks. After that come trial sessions and, once approved by the insurer, a full course of treatment. The real challenge is the wait for the course itself: finding an available therapist with a statutory licence can take months. If several practices turn you away, the insurer can in some cases cover a private therapist (Kostenerstattung) — it is worth keeping a record of every refusal.

Prices. Paying out of pocket (Selbstzahler), you are billed at the GOP rate: approximately 90–130 € per session, or 70–150 € according to professional association estimates.

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Russian-speaking psychologist

Even with solid local English or German, the things that matter most are often easier to say in your native language. SVOY has therapists who live abroad themselves and have been through the experience of emigration; we have verified every diploma. Sessions are online, from anywhere, at a time you choose — in your own time zone. The therapist sets their own rate, which is visible on their profile before you book. You can reschedule or cancel up to 24 hours before a session. Everything you share in a session is seen only by your therapist.

Find a psychologist → svoy.io/psiholog

Not sure who to choose — message us on WhatsApp at +34 653 88 19 96, briefly describe what’s on your mind, and we’ll point you to the right fit.

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If things are very hard right now

Telefonseelsorge — 0800 111 0 111 and 0800 111 0 222, 24/7 and free of charge; emergencies — 112.

Crisis helpline numbers for all countries are at svoy.io/sos.

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