Paths to  
           Psychotherapy
                                                              Bundes Psychotherapeuten Kammer
                 Paths to 
                 Psychotherapy
        1        Am I mentally ill?
        2        Psychotherapeutic consultations
        3        Acute care – Responding rapidly to crises 
        4        The trial sessions
        5        Outpatient psychotherapy 
        6        Treatment in hospital 
        7        Medical rehabilitation 
        8        Who pays? – Applications & costs 
        9        Your rights as a patient
              2                                                   Bundes Psychotherapeuten Kammer
                                                             Paths to Psychotherapy
                     
                    Prologue
                    Dear Reader,
                    In the course of any one year, one in three adults will suffer from a mental illness.  
                    Anyone – young or old, male or female, born in Germany or abroad – can be affected.
                    Yet, only one in five eole suffering from a mental illness sees rofessional hel. ome shy 
                    away from seaing to a sychotheraist because they don’t lie to tal about themselves or 
                    their feelings, and articularly not with a stranger. thers are unable to imagine what sycho
                    theray entails. till others wonder whether sychotheray even wors.
                    ur aim here is to encourage you to see rofessional advice if you are ever faced with mental 
                    suffering. It is still the case that many mentally ill eole wait too long before consulting a 
                    sychotheraist, their family doctor or a secialised hysician.  hose who don’t wait to see 
                    advice are able to save themselves a lot of unnecessary suffering. ­ental illnesses are, for the 
                    most art, €uite treatable. In fact, sychotheray is a demonstrably effective and recommen
                    ded treatment otion for nearly every tye of mental illness. o, whenever you find yourself 
                    coing with mental difficulties and conflicts, don’t delay about getting rofessional hel.
                     o give you a better idea of when and how sychotheray can hel you, we have written this 
                    brochure titled ƒaths to ƒsychotheray. „hile it is therefore rimarily intended for eole who 
                    have never been treated by a sychotheraist, the brochure can also enable those who have 
                    reviously had sychotheray to find out about the range of sychotheraeutic care and assis
                    tance that is currently available. Regardless of your revious e…erience with sychotheray, 
                    this brochure offers you clear information about what a mental illness is, whether scheduling 
                    an initial aointment is advisable, and the circumstances in which sychotheraeutic treat
                    ment is necessary.
                    incerely,
                    Dietrich Munz
                    President, Bundespsychotherapeutenkammer  
                    (BPtK – Federal Chamber of Psychotherapists in Germany)
         Bundes Psychotherapeuten Kammer                                  3 
                Table of Contents
        1       Am I mentally ill? 
                Initial questions to ask yourself  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
                Who can I turn to for advice if I am having psychological difficulties?  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
        2       Psychotherapeutic consultations 
                o do I find a psychotherapist?  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
                What ill e discussed?  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
                o many appointments might e involved?  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
                 consultation efore any treatment  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
                When treatment is necessary  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
                 he diagnosis  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
                 reatment guidelines  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
        3       Acute care – Responding rapidly to crises 
        4       Trial sessions
                re the patient and the psychotherapist mutually compatile? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
                 reatment protocol and consent  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
                pplying to your health insurer for coverage  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3­
             4                                                  Bundes Psychotherapeuten Kammer