Persian-speaking Mental health

Persian-speaking mental health professionals and doctors in Germany. Psychotherapy is made of words: you have to be able to describe shame, grief, anger and a childhood memory, and very few people can describe those in a language they started learning at thirty. The German you use at the office and at work is enough to fill in a form, and not enough to say exactly how you are. In this field, more than in any other, a shared language is part of the treatment itself.

In an emergency, or if there is a risk to life, call 112. For a medical problem outside surgery hours, and for help finding an appointment, 116 117 is available. Telefonseelsorge answers free of charge around the clock, in German, on 0800 1110111 and 0800 1110222. This page is only a directory and is not an emergency service.

Who does what

There are three groups on this list, and they do different work:

• Psychotherapists (the full list): their work is talking therapy. In Germany "Psychotherapeut" is a protected title that requires a state licence (Approbation), and where the therapist holds a contract with the statutory insurers (Kassenzulassung) the insurer pays for the treatment. They do not prescribe medication.
• Psychiatrists (the full list): they are medical specialists. They diagnose, prescribe medication, write sick notes and refer you on where that is needed.
• Neurology and psychiatry (the full list): in Germany this is a combined specialty, and it matters where a neurological question and a psychiatric one are tangled together, such as sleep problems, headaches, seizures or memory trouble alongside psychological symptoms.

If you are looking for talking therapy, start with the first group. If your question is about medication, a certificate or an acute situation, start with the second. The two do not contradict each other and many people have both at once. One thing many people do not know: in Germany you usually do not need a referral for psychotherapy or for a psychiatrist, and can book directly. If you have no idea where to begin, a doctor can also point you in the right direction and refer you.

Why a Persian-speaking therapist

You learned the words for feelings in your mother tongue, not in a language class. A therapist who speaks Persian does not need you to explain first what taarof is, or why one plain sentence from your mother carried so much weight. The context matters too: an asylum process, war, distance from family, family expectations, conflict with a child who grew up in Germany, and the particular pressure on the person who "made it" and feels they have no right to be unwell.

An interpreter is not a full substitute. Insurance in Germany generally does not cover an interpreter for psychotherapy, and quite apart from the cost, a third person in the room changes what gets said and what does not.

How insured psychotherapy actually works in Germany

Knowing the order of these steps can save you months:

1. The first consultation (Psychotherapeutische Sprechstunde), where your situation is assessed and it is established whether treatment is needed. You can use 116 117 to help find a slot for it.
2. Trial sessions (Probatorik), a handful of sessions to see whether you and that therapist fit. It is fine if you do not, and you can try someone else.
3. An application to the insurer for short-term or long-term therapy, which the therapist prepares.
4. Waiting lists. Waiting times in Germany are long, so contact several practices at once, ask to be put on the waiting list, and write down the date of every call and the answer you got.
5. Reimbursement for a private therapist (Kostenerstattungsverfahren). If you cannot find a covered place within a reasonable time, you can apply to your insurer to pay for a licensed private therapist, and that record of unsuccessful calls is the evidence for the application.

The precise conditions, and what your own insurer will accept, are not identical everywhere, so ask them directly before you decide. Two further distinctions matter: "counselling" and "coaching" are not psychotherapy and are not covered by insurance, and a title such as Heilpraktiker für Psychotherapie is not the same as a psychotherapist holding an Approbation.

Online or in person

Video sessions are permitted in Germany and are covered by insurance within limits, so the therapist does not have to be in your city. For some people that is a serious advantage in itself: in a small Persian-speaking community in one city, the worry about being recognised is real, and a therapist somewhere else reduces it. Use the Online filter to see who works remotely, and if you want to sit in the same room, start from the city list below.

What to ask before the first contact

• The title and the licence: whether they hold an Approbation, and whether they work with the statutory insurers or privately.
• The method: behavioural therapy (Verhaltenstherapie), depth psychology (tiefenpsychologisch), psychoanalysis, systemic therapy, and for trauma approaches such as EMDR.
• The language of the session, if you want to be sure the whole hour is in Persian.
• Free slots, how long the wait is, and whether they keep a waiting list.
• The cost per session, and which part your insurance covers.
• Confidentiality: therapists in Germany are bound by professional secrecy (Schweigepflicht). If you have questions about what gets reported to the insurer, ask in the first session.
• Their experience with your particular concern, if there is a specific one such as grief, trauma, anxiety or a relationship problem.
• Check the licence yourself: with your state's Psychotherapeutenkammer, or with your own insurer.

Choosing from this list

Read what other people wrote, but with more caution here than elsewhere: the experience of therapy is deeply personal, and what worked for one person may not work for you. Instead of an overall score, look for the descriptions of how someone listens, whether they keep to time, and whether the financial arrangements were made clear. Verified says one thing only: a real person stands behind this profile and manages it themselves. YabInfy does not check anyone's certificates, licences, experience or competence, and the badge is not for sale. The contact route on each profile sits behind "Show contact details" and reaches the practice itself.

Your own privacy matters on this list too: YabInfy does not show who viewed a page or who got in touch. The only thing that becomes public is a review you write yourself, under a name you choose, so if you would rather not be recognised, pick a name that does not point back to you.

There is more about how this site works in the FAQ, and if you work in this field yourself, add your business.