🧠 Psychotherapy and outpatient treatment
In brief
If the exhaustion is caused by a mental illness requiring treatment – such as a depressive episode or an adjustment disorder – statutory health insurance covers the costs of outpatient psychotherapy. Access is via a psychotherapeutic consultation (Sprechstunde), which you can use directly at a licensed practice without a referral.
This module is limited to the aspects specific to burnout/exhaustion. Detailed information on finding a therapy place, methods, waiting times and cost coverage – which apply equally to all mental illnesses – can be found in the module Depression: cost coverage for psychotherapy and Depression: finding a therapy place.
Step by step
- Go to a psychotherapeutic consultationThis is required by law and serves as a first assessment of whether and which treatment makes sense.
- Have the diagnosis clarifiedAs explained on the overview page, cost coverage requires a separate diagnosis (e.g. F32, F43.2), not Z73.0 alone.
- Attend the trial sessionsBefore guideline therapy begins, you get to know the practice in several trial sessions.
- Have the application for cost coverage submittedThe practice helps you with the formal application to your health insurer.
- Raise the link to the workplaceTell the therapist if work-related stress plays a central role – this influences the focus of treatment.
Deadlines
- Even if your complaints clearly stem from work overload: the health insurer only covers therapy for a separate diagnosis recognised in the guideline procedure – not on the basis of "burnout" alone.
- Waiting times for a therapy place can be considerable depending on the region; specific, nationally reliable waiting time figures could not be verified in the course of this research as a reliable, current statement and are therefore deliberately not stated here.
- In an acute crisis or if you have thoughts of suicide, do not wait for a regular therapy place, but contact the TelefonSeelsorge, the medical on-call service (116117) or the emergency number 112 immediately – see also the Depression module.
In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals
Access via the psychotherapeutic consultation
Since the reform of the Psychotherapy Guideline in 2017, the psychotherapeutic consultation (Sprechstunde) has been the regular first route of access to outpatient psychotherapy in statutory health insurance. It can be used directly without a referral. If treatment is needed as a result, trial sessions follow and then, where applicable, short-term or long-term therapy under the recognised guideline procedures (including behavioural therapy, psychodynamic psychotherapy, analytic psychotherapy, systemic therapy).
Link to a diagnosis in exhaustion-related disorders
As set out on the overview page, cost coverage requires a diagnosis recognised in the guideline procedure. For exhaustion after work overload, therapists often work with the concept of adjustment disorder (F43.2) or depressive episode (F32.-); the specific classification is made by the psychotherapist during the consultation and trial sessions.
Workplace-related approaches
Within the recognised therapy procedures there is no separate health insurance benefit specifically "against burnout"; workplace-related topics (setting boundaries, managing stress, returning to the workplace) are treated as part of regular guideline therapy. In addition, some companies offer their own services such as external staff counselling (Employee Assistance Program, EAP); whether and to what extent your own employer provides such a service depends on the company and cannot be stated here as a flat figure.
A question about your situation that this page does not answer? Write to us or use the contact form – we will tell you which office is responsible and what to bring. Free of charge, without individual legal advice.