Fast, no waiting
No months-long wait for a therapy place.
- Start within days
- Free initial consultation
- Online by video, wherever you live
Therapy by video
Online psychotherapy with licensed therapists
Real psychotherapy by video, not a self-help app or an AI chatbot. Start without a long wait, choose your own therapist, and know the costs up front.
Find the right therapist for you
A selection of our licensed therapists at Therapy Lift.
-
Inga Sophia Nau-Messelis
Psychologische Psychotherapeutin
-
Nadja Aulinger
Kinder- und Jugendlichenpsychotherapeutin
- Licensed therapists only
- Real therapy, no chatbot
- Start within days
- Free initial consultation
What is online psychotherapy?
Online psychotherapy, also called online therapy, is real therapy with a real person: a licensed psychotherapist, by video, 50 minutes per session. The method is one of the four approaches recognised for insurance-covered therapy in Germany (cognitive behavioural therapy, psychodynamic therapy, psychoanalytic therapy or systemic therapy). In content and quality nothing changes compared with treatment in a practice. Only the medium is different.
Online psychotherapy has been officially recognised in Germany since 2017, including by the Federal Chamber of Psychotherapists (BPtK) and the German professional associations. It is considered equivalent to treatment in a practice.
Benefits
Your benefits with online psychotherapy
Why online psychotherapy at Therapy Lift gets you into treatment faster, more genuinely and with more freedom than app-based offers or the long search for a place in a practice.
Real therapy, real people
A real, licensed person, not a chatbot.
- Licensed psychotherapists
- One of the four recognised therapy approaches
- No self-help app, no AI
Free choice and quality
You choose who suits you.
- Choose your own therapist
- Switch at any time
- End-to-end encrypted, hosted in Germany
Online appointments without the long wait
In Germany, a therapy place covered by statutory insurance often means waiting for months. Online therapy is the fastest way into treatment: the search is not limited to where you live, and you usually start within a few days. If you are privately insured, entitled to Beihilfe (the civil-servant health allowance) or paying yourself, no application and no approval are needed.
For more on how to find a place faster, see our overview of waiting times in psychotherapy (in German).
Costs
Costs and reimbursement
Reimbursable by all private health insurers
At Therapy Lift, all services are billed privately according to the German medical fee schedule (GOÄ).
Your private health insurer may reimburse the costs within the terms of your tariff.
An application may be required.
This billing method is the same as in private practices and clinics and does not involve higher costs.
Single session
1 session
€170 per session
- A single concern
Short
4 sessions
€170 per session
- Short-term changes
- Stress
- Relationships
- Strain at work
- Self-esteem
Medium
9 sessions
€170 per session
- Medium-term changes
- Mild depression
- Anxiety
- Overload
Long
20 sessions
€170 per session
- Long-term changes
- Depression
- Anxiety disorders
- Deeper changes
Example for privately insured clients
For short-term therapy, codes 812 analog and 801 analog are generally billed per session. This results in a cost of €167.58 per session. Additional costs may arise for diagnostics and testing.
Example for self-paying clients
A 50-minute session costs €170.
Your therapist will explain the expected costs to you individually. For privately insured clients, the amount depends on the services provided per session and the selected billing factor; self-payers pay €170 per session. Costs are charged only after the appointment. Your therapist issues an invoice that can be submitted to private health insurance or Beihilfe.
Please ask your insurer about the tariff conditions for psychotherapy reimbursement.
-
Licensed therapists
Qualifications are verified before admission.
-
Meet for free
A no-obligation video call of up to 15 minutes.
-
Protected therapy data
Encrypted and covered by medical confidentiality.
Who pays for online psychotherapy: private insurance, Beihilfe or you?
That depends on how you are insured. Therapy Lift serves the privately insured, people entitled to Beihilfe, and self-payers.
Private health insurance (PKV)
All private health insurers in Germany reimburse online psychotherapy according to the German fee schedules for medical and psychotherapeutic services (GOÄ/GOP). How much is reimbursed depends on your plan; the reimbursement rate is stated in your insurance contract. Many plans reimburse most of the cost, some the full amount.
How it works: you pay for the sessions first and then submit the invoice to your insurer, which reimburses you according to your plan. Therapy Lift bills you, not your insurer. Our invoices comply with the GOÄ so that submitting them is straightforward.
Details for the privately insuredEntitled to Beihilfe
Civil servants entitled to Beihilfe are reimbursed according to their Beihilfe regulations. Here too you pay first and submit the invoice to your Beihilfe office and, where applicable, to your supplementary insurer. GOÄ-compliant invoices are generally accepted.
Self-payers
If you have statutory insurance and do not want to wait for a place to become available, you can start online therapy as a self-payer. You cover the costs yourself. In return you get an appointment within a few days and your free choice of therapist.
More details and sample calculations are on our page about therapy costs and fees .
Who is online psychotherapy suitable for?
Its effectiveness is well documented for a range of conditions:
Works well for
- Depression; mild and moderate episodes respond particularly well
- Anxiety disorders: panic disorder, social anxiety, generalised anxiety, specific phobias
- Burnout and chronic stress
- Sleep disorders
- Adjustment disorders after stressful life events
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) of mild to moderate severity
- Relationship issues, low self-esteem, career crises
What many people underestimate: with agoraphobia, social anxiety and severe depressive episodes with loss of drive, getting to the practice is often the real obstacle. A session from your living room is doable where a trip into town would not be.
Online therapy is not the right choice for:
- acute suicidal thoughts; you need immediate help (emergency number 112, or the German crisis line Telefonseelsorge on 0800 111 0 111)
- severe psychosis
- acute substance withdrawal or untreated severe addiction
- complex eating disorders with physical complications that require day-clinic treatment
If you are unsure whether the format suits you: in the free initial consultation, your therapist assesses with you whether online therapy is an option.
How to start your online psychotherapy
- 1
Matching
Answer ten short questions and receive suggestions for licensed therapists who suit you professionally and personally.
- 2
Free initial consultation
Get to know your preferred therapist in a no-obligation video call of up to 15 minutes.
- 3
Start online therapy
If it is a fit, you usually start within a few days, by video, wherever you are.
A detailed explanation of the process is under How it works , and a step-by-step path to your first appointment in our guide to online psychotherapy (in German).
Which therapy approaches are offered?
Therapy Lift offers all four approaches recognised for insurance-covered therapy in Germany. Which one suits you depends on your diagnosis and your preferences. You decide this together in the initial consultation.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
The best-researched approach for depression, anxiety disorders and OCD. Structured, focused on the here and now, with concrete exercises and homework.
Psychodynamic psychotherapy
Focuses on biographical conflicts and relationship patterns. Helpful for recurring patterns and personality-related issues.
Psychoanalytic psychotherapy
The most intensive form, longer in duration, working more deeply on unconscious conflicts.
Systemic therapy
Looks at psychological strain in the context of relationships and systems (family, work, partnership). Often shorter and solution-focused.
All approaches are delivered by licensed psychotherapists. A detailed overview of CBT methods is on our page about cognitive behavioural therapy (in German).
How effective is online psychotherapy?
Short answer: yes, it works as well as therapy in a practice. Studies from the past ten years find results for depression and anxiety disorders comparable to in-person therapy. Two conditions must hold: the therapist is qualified, and the relationship between you carries the work.
The numbers:
- For most anxiety disorders, 60 to 80 percent of patients respond to cognitive behavioural therapy, online or in a practice.
- For depression, about half of patients reach remission under behavioural therapy. The effects are comparable to antidepressants and often more stable after therapy ends.
- For panic disorder and OCD, the effects in many studies even outperform medication.
Source: several meta-analyses and the German S3 clinical guidelines. The National Care Guideline for Depression and the S3 guideline on anxiety disorders recommend psychotherapy as first-line treatment, including in the online format.
Where the format reaches its limits: for severe depression with loss of drive or acute suicidal thoughts, online therapy is not the right choice. That calls for closer contact, often including day-clinic care. For mild and moderate episodes, though, little speaks against it.
Online or a practice nearby: which fits when?
Both formats have their place. Which suits you better depends less on how severe your symptoms are and more on your circumstances.
Online therapy fits if …
- … you need to fit appointments flexibly around work
- … you cannot find a suitable practice in your region or the wait is too long
- … getting to the practice is itself part of the problem (agoraphobia, social anxiety, loss of drive)
- … you want free choice as a privately insured patient or self-payer
- … you have a quiet place at home where you can talk undisturbed
In-person therapy fits better if …
- … you are in a severe episode, with suicidal thoughts or hardly any drive
- … day-clinic or inpatient care makes sense
- … you have a severe psychosis or need acute substance withdrawal
- … a physical space matters to you and helps you feel stable
- … you have no quiet place at home for it
If you are unsure: this is exactly the question you can settle in the free initial consultation.
Online psychotherapy vs. therapy apps (DiGA) and AI chatbots: the difference
Many digital products carry the word therapy in their name but mean very different things by it. Online psychotherapy is real treatment by a licensed psychotherapist over video. Therapy apps and self-help programmes are something else; AI chatbots are something else again. All three have their place, they just serve different needs. Here are the factual differences at a glance.
Who treats you
- Online psychotherapy (Therapy Lift)
- A real, licensed psychotherapist with clinical responsibility for your progress
- Therapy app / DiGA
- A mostly self-guided digital programme with little or no therapeutic support
- AI chatbot
- A piece of software, with no licensed person behind it
Diagnosis and indication
- Online psychotherapy (Therapy Lift)
- Individual assessment that classifies your condition, across a broad range of complaints
- Therapy app / DiGA
- No assessment of its own; each app is limited to specific, narrowly approved indications
- AI chatbot
- No diagnosis and no responsibility for one
Therapeutic relationship
- Online psychotherapy (Therapy Lift)
- The relationship between you is shaped continuously; it is a key factor in why therapy works
- Therapy app / DiGA
- A programme you work through on your own, without an ongoing relationship
- AI chatbot
- No genuine therapeutic relationship
Support and safety
- Online psychotherapy (Therapy Lift)
- A licensed person monitors your progress and can respond to crises and setbacks
- Therapy app / DiGA
- Little monitoring; fluctuations tend to go unnoticed
- AI chatbot
- Safety limits are not reliably upheld, especially in a crisis
Confidentiality
- Online psychotherapy (Therapy Lift)
- Treatment under statutory professional confidentiality, end-to-end encrypted and hosted in Germany
- Therapy app / DiGA
- A certified medical device with data-protection and security requirements
- AI chatbot
- No therapeutic confidentiality in the clinical sense
Costs and access
- Online psychotherapy (Therapy Lift)
- Treatment via your insurance status: for the privately insured, those entitled to Beihilfe, and self-payers
- Therapy app / DiGA
- Reimbursable on prescription or on application to the insurer, if listed in the DiGA directory
- AI chatbot
- Usually a general-purpose or entertainment product; not covered by health insurance
What are therapy apps and DiGA?
DiGA, digital health applications, are certified medical devices. The German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) reviews them and lists them in the DiGA directory; statutory health insurers can cover the cost, often on prescription. In mental health they are usually built on cognitive behavioural methods and are evidence-based for their approved indication, such as depression or anxiety disorders. They are mostly self-guided, with little or no therapeutic support. The professional consensus: such applications do not replace personal contact with a therapist, they support it. They make sense, for example, to bridge a waiting period or to accompany ongoing treatment.
And AI chatbots?
AI chatbots, whether general assistants or companion apps, are not psychotherapy and are as a rule not certified medical devices. There is no licensed person and no clinical responsibility behind them. The Federal Chamber of Psychotherapists currently classes generic AI applications as unsuitable for treating mental illness on their own, not least for patient safety. In addition, the content is not covered by therapeutic confidentiality, answers follow a probability-based selection rather than an assessment of your individual case, and safety limits fail precisely in a crisis. As a supplement in everyday life, AI can be useful; accountable treatment it is not.
The bottom line: these are different tools for different needs. If you want real, supported treatment with assessment, a relationship and a person who takes responsibility, the way leads through a licensed psychotherapist. That is exactly what Therapy Lift offers, online by video. In the free initial consultation, your therapist works out with you what suits your situation.
Data security
Data security: no compromises.
Therapy Lift is built on a comprehensive security architecture that goes far beyond legal data protection standards. By encrypting all data, we meet the high requirements of professional confidentiality and offer you a secure way to use Therapy Lift.
Our server provider is certified according to:
Going the Extra Mile
Therapy Lift significantly exceeds the minimum requirements of legal data protection standards.
Servers in Germany
Our servers are located exclusively in Germany, in an ISO/IEC 27001 certified data centre. Processing complies with the GDPR.
Strong Encryption
End-to-end encryption protects your data from unauthorized access.
Privacy by Design
Data minimization is a core principle of Therapy Lift. Only essential data is collected.
Licensed therapists you can trust
Every treatment at Therapy Lift is with a licensed psychotherapist, professionally vetted and bound to the recognised therapy approaches.
Therapy Lift therapist
The best possible conditions
“The therapeutic relationship is the most important effective factor in psychotherapy. Matching in advance and free initial consultations create the best possible conditions for the therapy that follows.”
Dipl. Psych. Jan-Matthis Wasserfuhr (Psychotherapist)
Therapy Lift therapist
You choose who treats you
With us, you decide who treats you. After ten questions you receive suggestions that suit you professionally and personally. With the therapists who appeal to you, you have a free initial consultation of up to 15 minutes, with no obligation.
It only becomes binding once you actively decide on treatment. And if it does not feel right after three sessions, you can switch. The system explicitly allows for that.
You can also browse our therapist directory directly to get a sense of who might be right for you.
Yes. Studies from the past ten years find comparable results for depression and anxiety disorders, online and in a practice alike. For anxiety disorders, 60 to 80 percent respond to cognitive behavioural therapy; for depression, about half reach remission. Two conditions must hold: the therapist is qualified, and the relationship between you carries the work.
Licensed psychotherapists, that is, state-licensed psychological or medical psychotherapists. The same qualifications, the same confidentiality and professional standards as in a traditional practice.
Usually within a few days, often in the same week. For comparison: in many regions, a therapy place in a practice means waiting six months or longer.
€170 per 50-minute session for self-payers, billed under the German fee schedule for psychotherapists (GOP). Privately insured clients submit the invoice to their insurer. No hidden surcharges. The initial consultation is free.
Yes. All private health insurers reimburse online psychotherapy according to the GOÄ. How it works: you pay first and then submit the invoice to your insurer. Your reimbursement rate is in your insurance contract.
Yes. With a Beihilfe entitlement, the costs are reimbursed according to your Beihilfe regulations. You pay first and then submit the GOÄ-compliant invoice to your Beihilfe office and, where applicable, to your supplementary insurer.
You can switch at any time. Decades of research show that the relationship between patient and therapist is the most important factor in whether therapy works. If it does not feel right, switching is part of the system. We help you find another therapist who suits you.
All four approaches recognised for insurance-covered therapy in Germany: cognitive behavioural therapy, psychodynamic therapy, psychoanalytic therapy and systemic therapy. Which suits you is settled in the initial consultation.
All data is end-to-end encrypted. Our server provider is ISO 27001 certified and data is stored exclusively in Germany. We do not sell data to third parties.
A device with a camera and microphone (laptop, tablet or smartphone) and a stable internet connection. It runs directly in the browser or in the mobile app; no extra software needed. Ideally, find a quiet place where you can talk undisturbed.
Its effectiveness is well documented for depression, anxiety disorders (panic, social anxiety, generalised anxiety), burnout, sleep disorders and adjustment disorders. Online therapy is not suitable for acute suicidal thoughts, severe psychosis or acute substance withdrawal; those call for in-person care.
If you want to stay flexible, avoid long waits or live in a region with little choice, it is a good fit. The same goes if getting to a practice is itself hard, for instance with agoraphobia or severe depression with loss of drive. If you are unsure: in the free initial consultation, your therapist assesses with you whether online therapy is an option.
If you have acute suicidal thoughts: please contact the German crisis line Telefonseelsorge (0800 111 0 111, free, 24/7) or the nearest psychiatric hospital directly. Therapy Lift is designed for planned, longer-term psychotherapy, not for acute crisis intervention.