# 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.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-psychotherapy.php  
Updated: 2026-09-18

## 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.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** Professional liability under the code of your chamber of psychotherapists; with a Kassensitz, § 95e SGB V (Social Code Book V) requires at least €3 million per claim, €5 million with employees
- **Biggest risk:** Allegations of faulty treatment after a suicide attempt or deterioration
- **Basic cover from:** about €90 a year for the professional liability policy of a single handed practice
- **Statutory accident insurer:** BGW, the Berufsgenossenschaft for health and welfare services, for employees; as a psychotherapist you are covered only voluntarily
- **Often forgotten:** Data breaches and confidentiality: financial loss must be included expressly
- **WZ 2025 / NACE:** 86.93 Erbringung von Dienstleistungen von Psychotherapeutinnen und -therapeuten, klinischen und Gesundheitspsychologinnen und -psychologen, ohne ärztliche Therapien

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Suicide and crisis:** After a suicide attempt, relatives examine whether the danger was recognisable and handled correctly. These cases are rare but very serious.
- **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.
- **Expert reports and statements:** Reports for courts, the pension insurer or insurance companies can cause financial loss if they are flawed.
- **Data and video therapy:** Clinical findings, session notes and video consultations are highly sensitive. An attack can expose everything.
- **Boundary violations:** Allegations of inappropriate closeness or dependency occupy chambers and courts and have to be defended.
- **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.

**Risk radar** (Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.): Liability 3, Fire and water 2, Theft 2, Cyber 4, Downtime 4, Health 3

## The insurance you need

- **Professional indemnity** (Essential): Required by professional rules and, with a Kassensitz, by law; pays for injury and financial loss arising from treatment and fends off unjustified allegations. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-professional-indemnity.php
- **Cyber insurance** (Strongly advised): Pays for IT forensics, notifying patients and recovery when findings and session notes are attacked. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cyber-insurance.php
- **Business interruption** (Strongly advised): As practice downtime cover it keeps paying fixed costs if you are ill or the practice is closed after damage. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-interruption.php
- **Occupational disability** (Strongly advised): Complements your professional pension scheme (Versorgungswerk) and pays if you can no longer practise for good, including after burnout. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-occupational-disability.php
- **Business contents** (Depends on the business): Replaces furniture, test materials and equipment after fire, burst pipes and burglary. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-contents.php
- **Business legal expenses** (Depends on the business): For disputes with the Kassenärztliche Vereinigung, chamber proceedings or fee disputes with private patients, provided criminal and professional law are included. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-legal-expenses.php

## 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._

- [transparent-beraten.de: Berufshaftpflicht für Psychotherapeuten](https://www.transparent-beraten.de/berufshaftpflichtversicherung/berufsgruppen/psychotherapeuten/)
- [Gesetze im Internet: § 95e SGB V](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_5/__95e.html)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Starter** (single handed practice without staff, private practice or reimbursement of costs): Professional indemnity, Cyber insurance. Together: about €350 to €750 a year
- **Kassensitz** (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
- **All round** (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

## The 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.

- 08:10: The practice software is encrypted and the attackers threaten to publish session notes. (€18,000, Paid by: Cyber insurance)
- 10:00: A therapy report was faxed to the wrong employer. The patient claims damages. (€6,000, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 12:30: After a suicide attempt, a patient's relatives accuse you of failing to recognise the danger. (€40,000, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 14:45: Following a complaint, the chamber opens professional disciplinary proceedings and you need a lawyer. (€4,500, Paid by: Business legal expenses)
- 16:20: Water from the flat above runs into the therapy room; furniture and laptop are ruined. (€7,000, Paid by: Business contents)
- 18:00: You are out of action for eight weeks after an operation; rent and costs keep running. (€9,000, Paid by: Business interruption)

**Damage so far:** €84,500

## 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.

## FAQ

### 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.

## Request quotes

We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison. Free of charge and without obligation: the insurer pays our commission. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-psychotherapy.php#anfrage

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NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act, broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. For boat and yacht insurance we act as underwriting agency, not as broker.

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