How do I get a therapy place?

116117, consultation hour & therapy place

In short

What this page is about

Steps that can help when looking for therapy and what to do if you do not get a place immediately.

This may fit if

you are looking for psychotherapy and need the next realistic step.

Looking for something else?

If you do not yet know which help path fits, start with the help-path overview.

If you do just one thing

Look for a consultation hour.

First contact and consultation hour

Many paths begin with a psychotherapeutic consultation (A first assessment appointment in a psychotherapeutic practice in Germany. It does not automatically mean a therapy place is available.) hour. There, someone can assess which treatment or support fits.

Use several paths in parallel

You can contact practices, use 116117 (Germany’s medical on-call and appointment service. It is not an emergency number; call 112 in immediate danger.), ask your health insurance, involve counseling centers, and document rejections.

When it becomes urgent

If you do not feel safe right now, looking for a regular therapy place is not the emergency path. Then 112, crisis services, TelefonSeelsorge, or a nearby person matter.

Sources and notes

• 116117: psychotherapy and psychotherapeutic consultation
• Federal Ministry of Health: psychotherapeutic consultation
• Wege zur Psychotherapie: information from German psychotherapist chambers
• 116117: medical on-call service and appointment service

If you only wanted information

This guide may fit as a next step: What if I cannot get an appointment?

If you want to try first contact

Use the sentence helper or copy one short sentence. First contact does not have to be perfect.

If it has become urgent

Then reading more is not the priority. Open urgent help or call 112 in Germany if there is immediate danger.