It’s quite common for one partner to be hesitant about attending couples counseling. It’s important to understand that you cannot force them to come. Sometimes, a promising approach is to suggest just one session, which can often pave the way for further counseling. Alternatively, you can consider attending sessions on your own. Individual changes and personal growth can positively impact your relationship, and when one person makes changes, it can influence the other person’s perspective too.

The number of sessions required varies depending on your unique situation. My approach to systemic psychotherapy is a short-term counseling method, and on average, individuals and couples have about 8-12 sessions. These sessions are typically spaced out over 3-5 months. However, some clients find resolution after just 3 sessions, while others may continue for more than a year. Many people initially opt for more frequent sessions, such as weekly or biweekly, and then gradually space them out as they progress beyond the initial crisis stage. Ultimately, the decision is yours, and I’ll discuss your preferences after each session.

In general, couples and family counseling is not covered by Krankenkassen in Germany. Individual therapy can be covered, but it requires a “psychologischer Psychotherapeut” license, which I do not hold since my training was not in Germany. My license is “Heilpraktiker für Psychotherapie.” Individual sessions may be covered partially (up to about 40%) if you have German private insurance or fully (up to 100%) if you have international health insurance.

Krankenkassen coverage is only available to psychologists and psychotherapists with an “Approbation,” which is granted to those who complete their training in Germany.

Finding an English-speaking psychiatrist can be a bit challenging, but persistence pays off. You can start by calling as many as you can until you find one accepting new patients. To find an English-speaking psychiatrist, you can visit: [link to the website]. On the website, under “Erweiterte Suche” (Advanced Search), select “Fachgebiete” (Specialty) as “Psychiatrie” and choose “Englisch” under “Sprache” (Language). You’ll find a list of psychiatrists, and you can narrow down your search by selecting your local area under “Berliner Stadtteile” (Berlin Districts). If this process takes too long, consider contacting the “psychiatrische Institutsambulanz” at your local clinic, which often has shorter waiting times, especially for urgent cases.

As a psychologist, I specialize in understanding human behavior, emotions, and relationships, offering “talking therapy.” Psychiatrists are medical doctors with expertise in mental illness who can prescribe medication. Some psychiatrists have additional training in psychotherapy and can provide both medication and talk therapy.

Yes, I am fluent in German and can use both English and German during sessions, if and when desired.