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Yes – we’re talking about psychologists. Why? Because mental health is so important and we want to make sure you have the right resources.

Growing up in North America often meant that illnesses such as anxiety or depression were fairly open subjects for discussion. While living in Germany, I’ve often noticed that it’s a much more taboo subject that is often only to be discussed in the comfort of your home. This shouldn’t be the case, and you shouldn’t let this taboo hinder you from getting the proper resources that you need.

So, let this post serve as a safe haven for you to access all the information you need to find the right help. We asked Aspasia Zontanou, a family therapist, and a psychologist from AWO Düsseldorf, to give us some more information on how to find the right psychotherapists and psychologists for your needs.

How do you find a psychologist or psychotherapist?

There are many ways to find a psychotherapist or psychologist/counselor in Düsseldorf once you have a health insurance card (Krankenkassekarte). You can start by asking your insurance provider (AOK, Techniker Krankenkasse, Barmer, or any other public or private insurer) if there are some English speaking therapists in Düsseldorf.

Don’t have health insurance yet? We have many healthcare posts to help guide you in the right direction. First and foremost, you’ll need to choose between public or private healthcare. Once you know which type of healthcare you’d like, you can then pick your provider. We have a list of the top 5 expat health insurance providers in Germany, that should give you a good start.

If you have German health insurance, here are a few good examples to start with:

If you don’t have German health insurance yet, you can pay cash and receive online therapy in English at Psyshrink.com.

If you are in need of immediate help and/or do not have German insurance yet and you have a family or are classified as youth, you can receive help at a Beratungsstellen (psychosocial counseling center). These centers are run by the German welfare systems and are usually free and available to offer immediate support.

The services are free for families and paid for by the City of Düsseldorf. Patients seeking support will need to give some information including their name, address, and birth date of the child/children in treatment.

The treatment/counseling is confidential and the data remains in the office until the treatment is finished. Once the treatment is complete, all data will be deleted from the system.

Psychosocial Counseling Centers in Düsseldorf:

Erziehungs- und Familienberatungsstelle	Caritas	0211 - 16022112
Die Jugendberatung	SKFM Düsseldorf e.V.	0211 - 4696200
Ev. Beratungsstelle für Erziehungs-, Ehe- und Lebensfragen	Diakonie Düsseldorf e.V.	0211 - 866040
Katholische Ehe -, Familien- und Lebensberatung	Katholischer Gemeindeverband der Stadt Düsseldorf	0211 - 1793370
Beratungsstelle Derendorf für Kinder, Jugendliche, Erwachsene und Familien	AWO	0211 - 60025189
Evangelische Beratungsstelle für Erziehungs-, Ehe- und Lebensfragen	Diakonie Düsseldorf e.V.	0211 - 91318840
AWO Jugendberatung	AWO	0211 - 60025222
Fachberatungsstelle für Familien mit Gewalterfahrung	Diakonie Düsseldorf e.V.	0211 - 913543600
Beratungsstelle Eller für Kinder, Jugendliche, Erwachsene und Familien	AWO	0211 - 60025363
Etc.

For more information, check out the complete list on the Düsseldorf city webpage (in German).

While each one specializes in something different, you can contact these registered counseling centers to ask if they speak your language or if they accept patients with/without children, with/without insurance, etc.

For example:

English-speaking families or couples (with children) can come to the AWO Counseling Center in Garath
Frankfurter str.99 40215
Tel. 0211-60025235
French-speaking families or couples (with children) can come to the AWO Counseling Center in Derendorf
Listsstr.2, 40470 Düsseldorf

You will need to call in advance to figure out which counseling centers you are able to go to free of charge and without insurance. If the receptionist does not speak English, ask someone who speaks German to call for you.

If we haven’t answered your questions in this post and you’re still interested in learning more, please take a look at the following English website: The Bundesgesundheitsministerium Health shares more information about hospital structures, hospice care, drinking water, e-health cards, etc.

If you have more tips to add for those looking for support, please send us an email or let us know in the comments section below.