Professional indemnity
Required by professional rules and, with a Kassensitz, by law; pays for injury and financial loss arising from treatment and fends off unjustified allegations.
Insurance broker / Business types / Health and care
Insurance for psychotherapists in Germany
Psychotherapy involves no scalpels, yet treatment can still cause harm: through a missed suicide risk, a boundary violation, a breach of confidentiality or records that end up online after an attack. For practices with a statutory health insurance licence (Kassensitz), professional liability is required by law. This page shows what you need and what it costs.
The question almost everyone asks first
What sum insured do I need with a Kassensitz?
§ 95e SGB V requires psychotherapists with a statutory health insurance licence to have at least €3 million for injury and property damage per claim and at least double that per year. If you employ psychotherapists or work in a group practice with employees, it is €5 million per claim. The Kassenärztliche Vereinigung, the regional association of statutory health insurance physicians and psychotherapists, checks the proof. For financial loss, for example from flawed expert reports or data breaches, a separate sum should also be agreed.
What goes wrong in this trade
- 01
Suicide and crisis
After a suicide attempt, relatives examine whether the danger was recognisable and handled correctly. These cases are rare but very serious.
- 02
Confidentiality
A report sent to the wrong address, a conversation overheard in the waiting room, an unencrypted email: breaches of confidentiality lead to damages and complaints to the chamber.
- 03
Expert reports and statements
Reports for courts, the pension insurer or insurance companies can cause financial loss if they are flawed.
- 04
Data and video therapy
Clinical findings, session notes and video consultations are highly sensitive. An attack can expose everything.
- 05
Boundary violations
Allegations of inappropriate closeness or dependency occupy chambers and courts and have to be defended.
- 06
You are out of action
Psychotherapy depends on you as a person. If you fall ill, income stops while rent and practice costs keep running.
Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.
The insurance you need
Essential
Strongly advised
Cyber insurance
Pays for IT forensics, notifying patients and recovery when findings and session notes are attacked.
Business interruption
As practice downtime cover it keeps paying fixed costs if you are ill or the practice is closed after damage.
Occupational disability
Complements your professional pension scheme (Versorgungswerk) and pays if you can no longer practise for good, including after burnout.
Depends on the business
Business contents
Replaces furniture, test materials and equipment after fire, burst pipes and burglary.
Business legal expenses
For disputes with the Kassenärztliche Vereinigung, chamber proceedings or fee disputes with private patients, provided criminal and professional law are included.
What it costs: example prices
Professional liability for psychotherapists is among the cheapest in healthcare. It costs more with employees, expert witness work and higher sums for financial loss.
| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Professional indemnity | Single handed practice, around €35,000 turnover, €5 million cover | about €90 to €150 a year |
| Professional indemnity | Practice with Kassensitz, around €70,000 turnover, financial loss included | about €150 to €350 a year |
| Cyber insurance | Single handed practice with practice software and video consultations | about €250 to €600 a year |
| Business interruption | Practice downtime with a €150 daily rate, including your own illness | about €300 to €800 a year |
| Business legal expenses | Self employed, with criminal and professional law cover | about €250 to €550 a year |
For comparison: Professional liability for a single handed practice costs about as much a year as one or two therapy sessions.
Guide prices as of September 2026, based on published tariff examples and on our own quoting practice. Many professional associations offer group tariffs that can be cheaper; we obtain the exact quote for you.
Sources of the price examples
Our suggestions: three packages
01
Starter
For: single handed practice without staff, private practice or reimbursement of costs
- Professional indemnity
- Cyber insurance
Together about €350 to €750 a year
Request this package02
Kassensitz
For: practice with a statutory health insurance licence, video consultations and rented rooms
- Professional indemnity
- Cyber insurance
- Business interruption
- Business contents
Together about €800 to €1,800 a year
Request this package03
All round
For: practice with employees or job sharing, expert reports and supervision
- Professional indemnity
- Cyber insurance
- Business interruption
- Business contents
- Business legal expenses
- Occupational disability
Together about €2,000 to €4,500 a year
Request this packageThe worst day in the psychotherapy practice
Six things that really happen in psychotherapy practices, all on a single Monday. Click through the day and see who pays.
Damage so far€84,500
-
The practice software is encrypted and the attackers threaten to publish session notes.
-
A therapy report was faxed to the wrong employer. The patient claims damages.
-
After a suicide attempt, a patient's relatives accuse you of failing to recognise the danger.
-
Following a complaint, the chamber opens professional disciplinary proceedings and you need a lawyer.
-
Water from the flat above runs into the therapy room; furniture and laptop are ruined.
-
You are out of action for eight weeks after an operation; rent and costs keep running.
Which package would you have had?
Illustrative amounts before any excess. Whether and how much is paid depends on the policy terms.
Practical tips from your broker
- Check your sum insured against § 95e SGB V as soon as you take over a Kassensitz or employ someone.
- Have financial loss included expressly, for example from data breaches, breaches of confidentiality and expert reports.
- Name every activity in the policy: group therapy, video therapy, supervision, teaching and expert reports.
- With legal expenses cover, look for criminal and professional law, because chamber proceedings are often not part of basic cover.
- Encrypt clinical records and use certified video services; cyber insurers ask about them.
- Take out disability income cover before any treatment of your own, otherwise the health questions become difficult.
Why NAMMERT for your business
We keep an eye on the compulsory sum
As a broker we compare several insurers and adjust your cover when a private practice becomes a Kassensitz or a practice with employees.
We know how claims are examined
In boat insurance we settle claims ourselves. We know the process when a claim is made and support you calmly and confidentially.
Practice and private cover in one place
Professional liability, data protection, practice downtime and your private cover sit with one contact.
Family business since 1989
Advice is free for you, as the insurer pays our commission. With us, confidentiality is not an optional extra.
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Is professional liability compulsory for psychotherapists in Germany?
Yes. The professional codes of the chambers of psychotherapists require it, and with a Kassensitz § 95e SGB V has set the minimum sums since 2021.
How much does professional liability cost for psychotherapists?
For a single handed practice about €90 to €150 a year; with a Kassensitz and financial loss included, usually €150 to €350.
Am I insured during training or further training?
Often through the institute or clinic, but not always fully. Many insurers offer low cost tariffs for the training period, which is worth a look.
Does professional liability cover data protection breaches?
Damages paid to patients usually yes, if financial loss is included. The costs of IT forensics, recovery and notification are paid by cyber insurance.
Does this also apply to a Heilpraktiker for psychotherapy?
There is no legal obligation and no chamber for them, but professional liability is still strongly recommended. The tariffs differ from those for licensed psychotherapists.
Are my employees insured?
At work through the BGW, the statutory accident insurer for health and welfare services. You can insure yourself there voluntarily.
NAMMERT insurance broker
Request quotes for Psychotherapy
The recommended covers are already ticked. Change what does not fit; we obtain quotes and come back with a comparison. You can write in English.
Thank you, we have your request.
We will be in touch within one working day. If it is urgent: +49 3375 29 12 77.
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Official classification
This page covers the following classes of the German WZ 2025 (identical to NACE at four digits):
- 86.93 Erbringung von Dienstleistungen von Psychotherapeutinnen und -therapeuten, klinischen und Gesundheitspsychologinnen und -psychologen, ohne ärztliche Therapien
Source: Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis), WZ 2025. All business types
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