Finding a Therapy Slot as a Student: What You Can Do While You Wait
The fastest way to a therapy slot (Therapieplatz) starts with a psychotherapeutic consultation (psychotherapeutische Sprechstunde), which the Terminservicestelle (appointment service) at 116 117 can arrange for you. At the same time, it's worth getting on waiting lists, contacting a university outpatient clinic, and, if needed, using the Kostenerstattungsverfahren (reimbursement procedure). In the meantime, you can use free counseling.
Why the wait in Germany is so long is something we described in detail in a post on Psychofit. This post is about the practical steps for students.
How long does it take to get a therapy slot?
It varies a lot. Many people get an appointment within a few weeks, and some wait much longer.
There is no current nationwide figure for the whole path from the first consultation to the start of therapy. In 2026, the substitute health insurance funds (Ersatzkassen) analyzed their billing data through 2024. According to that data, 80% of adults waited less than four weeks after the first consultation for the first of their probatorische Sitzungen (preliminary trial sessions) before therapy formally begins. Acute treatment is supposed to start within two weeks at the latest; 61% waited longer than that. These figures only include people who actually received treatment. A survey of 132 practices in Berlin came to a similar picture in 2026: usually about two weeks pass between the request and the first consultation, but the average is 4.5 weeks because of some long waits. In October 2026, the BPtK warned (Bundespsychotherapeutenkammer, the German Federal Chamber of Psychotherapists) of longer wait times for adults after a change in the law.
That's why it pays to start early and search on several paths at once.
Your health insurance as a student
Psychotherapy is covered by statutory health insurance, for students too.
Up to age 25, many students are covered through their parents' family insurance (Section 10 SGB V). After that, mandatory student health insurance applies, usually until your 30th birthday (Section 5(1) No. 9 SGB V). In both cases, you're entitled to a consultation, acute treatment, and psychotherapy. From age 30, you're usually voluntarily insured in the statutory system, and the entitlement remains. If you have private insurance, the following paths only partly apply; check coverage with your insurer in that case. For the following steps, all you need is your health insurance card.
The steps at a glance
| Step | What it's about | Deadline or scope | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Consultation | Initial assessment, recommendation | Arranged within one week, appointment no more than four weeks later | 116 117 or directly at a practice |
| 2. Acute treatment | Quick relief when the need is urgent | Up to 12 sessions of 50 minutes | After a recommendation from the consultation |
| 3. Waiting lists | A slot for standard outpatient therapy | Varies in length | Several practices at once |
| 4. University clinic | Therapy at a university | Separate waiting list | Psychology departments of many universities |
| 5. Reimbursement | Therapy at a private practice paid by your insurer | Insurer decides within 3 to 5 weeks | Application to your health insurer |
Step 1: the psychotherapeutic consultation
The consultation is the entry point. You're entitled to it.
According to the Psychotherapie-Richtlinie (Psychotherapy Guideline, Section 11), it serves as "zeitnaher niedrigschwelliger Zugang" (timely, low-threshold access). For adults, up to 150 minutes per case of illness are provided. There, someone assesses whether treatment is needed. You'll also learn which other kinds of help might be an option.
You can get an appointment directly at a practice or through the Terminservicestelle at 116 117 or at 116117.de. You don't need a referral. Under Section 75(1a) SGB V, the wait for the arranged appointment may not exceed four weeks. The Terminservicestelle has one week to arrange it.
Step 2: acute treatment
If you need help quickly, the consultation can recommend acute treatment (Akutbehandlung).
According to 116117.de, acute treatment includes up to 12 sessions of 50 minutes each, with no application to your health insurer. At the consultation, you receive form PTV 11 marked "zeitnah erforderlich" (needed promptly) along with a referral code. With this code, 116 117 arranges an appointment. By law, the wait for it may be no more than two weeks.
Step 3: waiting lists at several practices
Contact several practices at the same time and write down every request.
Note the name of the practice, the date and time of your request, and the wait time you were given. That helps you keep track. It's also the basis for Step 5.
Step 4: the university outpatient clinic
Many universities with a psychology program have an outpatient clinic (Hochschulambulanz) that bills your health insurance.
Under Section 117(2) SGB V, university outpatient clinics at psychology departments are authorized to treat people with statutory health insurance, to the extent required for research and teaching. Treatment takes place under the responsibility of licensed psychotherapists. There are waiting lists there too. The Hochschulambulanz of the University of Oldenburg says openly that its list is long.
Check whether your own university or one nearby has an outpatient clinic. You don't have to study there to be treated.
Step 5: the reimbursement procedure
If your insurer can't find a slot within a reasonable time, it may have to pay for treatment at a private practice.
The legal basis is Section 13(3) SGB V. This entitlement still applies after the consultation was introduced. According to the BPtK patient information, the process looks like this:
- You attended a consultation that recommends treatment.
- You contacted at least three to five practices licensed to bill statutory insurance and kept a record of your requests.
- A private practice with licensed psychotherapists, qualified in a recognized therapy method, confirms that it can treat you soon.
- You apply to your health insurer for reimbursement before treatment begins. Include the certificate from the consultation, your search record, and the confirmation from the private practice.
The insurer has to decide within three weeks, or within five weeks if an expert opinion is obtained. Settle everything before the first session, or you may be left with the costs.
What you can do while you wait
The wait doesn't have to be a time without support. Several services are free.
- Studierendenwerk (the student services organization at your university): psychological counseling is usually free for students and also helps with the search for therapy. More in the post Psychosocial counseling at the Studierendenwerk.
- TelefonSeelsorge (free crisis line, 24/7, in German): 0800 111 0 111, and after registration also as a chat.
- People around you: Tell someone you trust that you're looking for a therapy slot right now. It takes off some of the pressure.
If you'd also like to talk to someone regularly, psychological counseling can support you through the wait. At Studifit, psychologists with a bachelor's degree counsel you under the supervision of licensed psychotherapists, by video and with appointments within a few days. Studifit is not psychotherapy, not covered by health insurance, and makes no diagnoses. So please keep looking for a therapist at the same time. The costs are on the pricing page.
In an acute crisis
If you're thinking about suicide, don't wait for an appointment. Call the TelefonSeelsorge at 0800 111 0 111 or dial the emergency number 112. Outside office hours, you can reach the on-call medical service (ärztlicher Bereitschaftsdienst) at 116 117. More numbers are on the page Help in a crisis.
Sources
- Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss: Psychotherapie-Richtlinie, Fassung in Kraft seit 17.06.2026 (Psychotherapy Guideline, version in force since June 17, 2026) (in German)
- Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung: 116117.de, Psychotherapie (in German)
- Section 5, Section 10, Section 13, Section 75, and Section 117 SGB V (Book V of the German Social Code) (in German)
- Verband der Ersatzkassen (2026): Wartezeiten in der ambulanten Psychotherapie 2022 bis 2024 (Wait times in outpatient psychotherapy, 2022 to 2024) (in German)
- Hansen, D. and Jacobi, M. (2026): Wartezeiten auf Psychotherapie: eine differenzierte Analyse der einzelnen Behandlungsphasen (Wait times for psychotherapy: a differentiated analysis of the individual treatment phases). Psychotherapie, Psychosomatik, Medizinische Psychologie, 76(7) (in German)
- Bundespsychotherapeutenkammer (2026): Bundestag korrigiert teilweise Einschnitte in die Psychotherapie (Bundestag partially reverses cuts to psychotherapy) (in German)
- Bundespsychotherapeutenkammer (2017): Patienteninformation Kostenerstattung (Patient information on reimbursement) (in German)
All information in this article was carefully researched, but we cannot guarantee that it is complete or up to date. Services, waiting times and legal rules can change. As of October 2026.
