Psychological Treatment

• Complaints related to traumatic experiences, e.g. accidents, experiences of violence, war experiences, natural disasters, unexpected deaths of loved ones or life-threatening illnesses. These include symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance of certain trauma-related situations, changes in behaviour, inner restlessness, irritability, increased alertness, sleep disorders, hopelessness, persistent negative thoughts about oneself, other people or the world in general (e.g. regarding guilt, danger, trust).
• Anxiety in social situations, which usually involves fear of negative evaluation of oneself and can lead to avoidance of such situations (e.g. presentations, phone calls or social occasions).
• Recurring and persistent thoughts, impulses or ideas that are perceived as intrusive and unpleasant (e.g. harming someone, infecting oneself or others with a serious illness, leaving the stove on)
• Actions that are performed repeatedly and according to strict rules in order to prevent or reduce anxiety or discomfort (e.g. washing hands, checking, praying, counting).
• Repeated panic attacks
• Fear of situations from which escape might be difficult or in which, in the event of panic or other debilitating symptoms, help might not be available (e.g. travelling on the underground, open spaces, enclosed public spaces, crowds)
• Fear of certain objects or situations (e.g. fear of spiders, fear of heights, fear of blood and needles)
• Depressed mood or anxiety as a result of (or in connection with) the birth of one's own child, accompanied by loss of interest, loss of appetite, sleep disturbances and increased fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, feelings of guilt, reduced concentration, suicidal thoughts and actions, fears, compulsive symptoms

We offer cognitive behavioural therapy. This mainly takes place in individual therapy sessions, but also in group therapy sessions (psychoeducation group for PTSD, skills group or groups as part of studies). Depending on individual needs, couple or family counselling sessions are also offered.

The overarching goal of treatment is to reduce distressing symptoms. The therapies we offer are based on the latest research. The specific form of therapy is tailored to each individual patient and discussed with you in detail in advance.

In our Basic Knowledge of PTSD group, patients can gain a solid understanding of trauma and trauma-related issues. The group program consists of 4 sessions, each lasting 100 minutes, which take place once a week in the afternoon.

Patients who need support in coping with difficult emotional states can participate in a Skills Group, which we offer at irregular intervals. The goal is to build an individual “toolkit” for dealing with stressful situations.

All groups are conducted in German. Whether the group is suitable for a patient is clarified during a preliminary session. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us during our telephone consultation hours.

Every semester, we offer therapeutic treatments with the participation of students from the Master's programme in Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy. These students take on parts of the diagnosis and treatment. Our psychotherapists, who are responsible and always present, guide the students. The advantages of this type of therapy are shorter waiting times than usual and comprehensive diagnostics and treatment, with several practitioners contributing their knowledge and perspectives. In individual cases, further treatment without students may follow. If you are interested in treatment as part of a teaching therapy, please feel free to call our telephone consultation hours.

During an initial consultation, we will gain an overview of the symptoms and provide information about treatment options and goals. If we are able to offer you suitable treatment, further appointments will be arranged for detailed diagnostics so that we can provide targeted therapy. As we are a university outpatient clinic and belong to Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, diagnostics for research purposes will also be carried out as part of the therapy.

For those with statutory health insurance, the application to the health insurance company is usually made after the first four appointments. Most private insurance companies require a similar procedure. Depending on your needs, we can apply for short-term therapy with up to 24 sessions or long-term therapy with 60 sessions. Appointments are usually held on a weekly basis.

We offer the following options for covering costs:

• Statutory health insurance (GKV): Statutory health insurance providers cover the costs of psychotherapeutic treatment if it is indicated. Following the first four probationary sessions, an application is submitted to the respective insurance provider. Persons with statutory insurance must present their chip card at the outpatient clinic every quarter.

• Private health insurance: If you have private insurance, we ask you to contact your insurance company to find out about the respective modalities for billing psychotherapeutic services. These can vary depending on the contract and may include psychotherapeutic services to varying degrees. Patients who are eligible for subsidies should also obtain information from their subsidy office. With this information, an application for psychotherapy can then be submitted to the private health insurance company.

• Psychotherapy at your own expense: Of course, patients also have the option of covering their treatment costs themselves. In this case, the costs are based on the fee schedule for psychotherapists (GOP).

• Psychotherapy following accidents at work or in the line of duty: Those affected by accidents at work or in the line of duty should contact their respective professional association (BG) or accident insurance fund to find out whether our outpatient clinic is recognised as a therapeutic facility. If a treatment order is issued by the respective BG, those affected can be treated at our facility. The first point of contact in this case is usually the individual case manager at the BG.

• Victim Compensation (Opferentschädigungsgesetz): Our facility is approved as a trauma outpatient clinic in accordance with Section 37 of SGB XIV. Victims of violent crimes can therefore receive short-term psychotherapeutic support from us as part of the so-called ‘rapid assistance’ programme. The costs are covered by the benefits provided under SGB XIV.