Procedure and costs
On this page, you will find all the information you need about how to start psychotherapy, coverage of costs and special features of our University Outpatient Clinic.
The initial consultation
Feel free to call or email us to make an appointment for a psychotherapy consultation. If you have statutory health insurance, please take your insurance card with you. Consultation is an opportunity to get to know each other. Together, we will assess your situation and discuss suitable treatment or counselling options. If necessary, we will recommend a medical examination.
As a University Outpatient Clinic, we fulfil specific tasks in research and teaching. Therefore, we cannot offer therapy places to everyone who is interested.
Diagnosis and treatment planning
The consultation is followed by up to four trial sessions – known as probationary therapy. During these sessions, we carry out a detailed diagnosis, clarify your therapy goals and develop a treatment plan.
A trusting therapeutic relationship is essential for the success of therapy. The probatory sessions give you the opportunity to assess whether the collaboration suits you.
If you decide to undergo treatment, we will draw up a treatment agreement. This agreement explains your rights as a patient. All provided information is subject to confidentiality and will not be disclosed to third parties without your consent.
Application and coverage of costs
Once all questions have been clarified, we will submit the application for cost coverage to your health insurance company. Health insurance companies usually approve the therapy without any problems. Privately insured people should check the terms and conditions of their contract in advance. We are happy to assist you with all formalities related to your cost bearers.
Self-paying patients will be billed according to the fee schedule for psychotherapists (GOP).
The therapy begins
Once the probationary period is over, the actual therapy phase begins. You will usually attend a 50-minute session once a week. Longer or more frequent appointments are also possible if required. We tailor the therapeutic framework to your individual needs, goals and time resources.
Our University Outpatient Clinic offers acute treatment for up to 12 sessions, short-term therapy for up to 24 sessions and, if necessary, long-term therapy. The duration of psychotherapy varies from person to person: it depends on the severity and complexity of your symptoms. Behavioral therapy usually lasts several months.
The sessions themselves usually take place on site. Depending on the intervention, individual appointments may also take place outside the therapy rooms. Video sessions are occasionally possible.
Scientific and ethical principles
Our University Outpatient Clinic exclusively utilizes evidence-based methods. The therapeutic techniques are scientifically proven and have demonstrated their effectiveness in numerous studies. As part of our quality management system, we regularly evaluate our work scientifically. The entire psychotherapy team works in accordance with the
professional code of conduct of the North Rhine-Westphalia State Chamber of Psychotherapists
and the current
guidelines of the Association of Scientific Medical Societies (AWMF).
Research
Our therapeutic work is based on the latest scientific findings. In addition, we conduct our own research on mechanisms of psychotherapy and develop improved therapy concepts.
Your treatment and research data are subject to the strictest data protection guidelines and are treated confidentially.
As part of the diagnostic process, we record your symptoms several times in order to evaluate the treatment. Filling out various questionnaires requires a little extra effort on your part. In return, you will receive comprehensive feedback on your therapy progress. This allows us to reliably verify that your treatment is heading in the desired direction and that you are benefiting from the interventions.
As a university institution we can offer patients the opportunity to participate in selected research projects that investigate aspects of the development of disorders and psychotherapeutic treatment. Participation is voluntary.
We use our research findings to continuously improve our diagnostic and psychotherapeutic services. This ensures a treatment that is based on the latest scientific findings and meets the highest quality standards.