Easy language
German Sign languageHave you completed your training as a psychological psychotherapist or child and adolescent psychotherapist abroad in a so-called third country ##icon:pdf## outside the European Union (EU) and intend to carry out this profession in Berlin in the future?
In order to practice a health care profession, including psychotherapy, you need a state licence, either
- the licence to practice/professional permit as a psychological psychotherapist (for children and adolescents up to the age of 21 as a child and adolescent psychotherapist)
(The licence to practice authorises the holder to practise independently for an unlimited period in the Federal Republic of Germany. The professional permit is only valid for the state of Berlin and only for three years) or - the non-medical practitioner licence, limited to the field of psychotherapy, which is granted for an unlimited period of time.
In addition to a degree in psychology (for child and adolescent psychotherapists, a degree in pedagogy or social pedagogy is also permissible), further postgraduate training in a scientifically recognised psychotherapy procedure is required for the licence to practice as a psychotherapy and for the professional licence. These procedures include analytical psychotherapy, psychotherapy based on depth psychology, behavioural therapy, conversational psychotherapy and systemic psychotherapy.
You can download the application for a licence to practice/professional permit as a psychological psychotherapist or as a child and adolescent psychotherapist from the following link Application for a licence to practice/professional permit (Training outside the European Union). The list of documents to be submitted can be found under the link Checklist for persons with third-country training. Documents that you do not have at the time of application can be submitted later but if possible they should all be submitted together.
If you have not completed postgraduate training in a scientific psychotherapy procedure, you can apply to the District Office Lichtenberg or to the District Office Tempelhof-Schöneberg for a non-medical practitioner’s licence. Further information can be found here:
Non-medical practitioner section of the District Office Tempelhof-Schöneberg, Berlin
Non-medical practitioner section of the District Office Lichtenberg, Berlin
Psychological psychotherapists and child and adolescent psychotherapists are recommended to make a personal appointment because of the special features of German training requirements. For an appointment please contact bqfg@lageso.berlin.de.
The license to practice/professional permit can only be granted if you have the necessary knowledge of the German language to carry out the profession. This must be proven in a specialist language test (C 2) before the psychotherapist chamber.
You will find further information on the specialist language test here:
for child and adolescent psychotherapists. ##icon:pdf##
for psychological psychotherapists. ##icon:pdf##
