Probatory sessions (German: probatorische Sitzungen) are the trial phase of psychotherapy, in which you and your therapist work together before a longer treatment is decided. The term sounds technical, but the idea is simple: it is a trial. This guide explains how many of these sessions are planned, how they run in individual and group settings, and what they mean for your decision.
Short answer: Probatory sessions test the method and check whether you and the therapist fit together. According to the German Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV), adults are planned for at least two and up to four sessions, and children and adolescents for up to six. Since 1 January 2025 they may also take place by video, but at least 50 minutes should be in person. Last updated: November 2026.
The most important points at a glance
- Probatory sessions are a trial phase in which the method and the fit are checked. They do not commit you to a full treatment yet.
- For adults, the KBV plans at least two and up to four sessions. For children, adolescents and people with a diagnosed intellectual disability, the limit is up to six.
- In a group setting, one therapy unit of a probatory session corresponds to 100 minutes.
- A psychotherapy consultation usually comes first. An exception applies after an inpatient or rehabilitation stay.
- Since 2025, probatory sessions can also take place by video, but only in justified exceptional cases.
What exactly is a probatory session?
The word probatory comes from the Latin for testing or trying out. A probatory session is therefore a conversation in which you check whether the way of working suits you. The KBV describes the purpose as trying out the procedure and the method together with the patient and checking personal fit.
This also means that you do not have to decide during this phase whether to continue. Because the trial phase is open-ended, it can give you a reliable basis before you commit to a longer process. Whether a treatment starts afterwards depends on the course, the diagnosis and the rules of the healthcare system.
How many probatory sessions are planned?
The number is set in the psychotherapy agreement and depends on the age group and the setting. The table below summarises the KBV information.
| Question | Rule under section 12 of the Psychotherapy Guideline (also presented by the KBV) |
|---|---|
| Adults | At least two and up to four probatory sessions |
| Children, adolescents, people with a diagnosed intellectual disability | Up to six probatory sessions |
| Individual setting after a consultation with the same person | At least one probatory session in the individual setting |
| Individual setting if there was no consultation of at least 50 minutes with the same person | At least two probatory sessions in the individual setting |
| Group setting | One therapy unit of a probatory session equals 100 minutes |
The figures correspond to section 12 of the Psychotherapy Guideline (Psychotherapie-Richtlinie) of the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) in the version of 21 August 2025, in force since 11 November 2025. The consultation hour is regulated in section 11 of the same guideline, including the exceptions after a change of therapist or after inpatient or rehabilitative treatment. If you contact a practice, the practice will confirm the procedure in your case.
How does the probatory phase run?
The typical path has three steps. Each builds on the previous one, and you can ask questions at any point.
- You attend a psychotherapy consultation, in which your situation is clarified and classified.
- Then the probatory sessions begin, in which you jointly check whether the method and the way of working fit.
- At the end, you decide together whether further treatment makes sense. As a rule, a corresponding application is then submitted.
The consultation matters for the start, because it lays the groundwork for the later steps. More on this first appointment is in Psychotherapy consultation: what it is and how to book it.
Do you need a consultation beforehand?
As a rule, yes. According to the KBV, at least 50 minutes of consultation are mandatory before any further treatment. The consultations must have taken place within the last four quarters before the application. An exception applies if an inpatient or rehabilitation treatment with an outpatient-treatable diagnosis came before. In that case, acute treatment or probatory sessions can begin without a prior consultation.
According to the same source, no new consultation is needed when you change therapist during ongoing therapy. This matters if you want to change practice without starting again from the beginning.
Can probatory sessions take place by video?
Yes, with conditions. In December 2024 the KBV announced that psychotherapy consultations and probatory sessions may expressly also take place by video from 1 January 2025. Until then this applied only to acute treatment and to individual and group therapy. The announcement also stresses that at least 50 minutes of the consultations and at least 50 minutes of the probatory sessions should continue to take place in direct personal contact.
A purely virtual probatory phase is therefore permitted only in justified exceptional cases, for example when the practice cannot be visited for health reasons or when you expressly wish it. The first consultation and the first probatory session should preferably take place in the practice. Coverage in private health insurance is explained in PKV and psychotherapy: what is covered? (in German).
How can you get probatory sessions quickly?
If you need a place soon, the 116117 service can help. According to the Verbraucherzentrale, a probatory session needed promptly requires the PTV-11 form with an urgency code. After an inpatient psychotherapy stay, this form is not needed for acute treatment. The same source gives a maximum waiting time of four weeks between the call and the appointment for the consultation.
Background on the referral is in Arranging psychotherapy through the 116117 service, and the process of acute treatment is described in Applying for acute psychotherapy.
What happens after the probatory sessions?
After the trial phase, the decision on whether treatment follows is central. What counts is whether you experience the method as suitable and whether the collaboration works. If it does not fit, that is not a failure. A change to another practice can then make sense. You do not necessarily have to repeat a consultation if you were already in ongoing therapy, as described above.
Whether and how a treatment is then applied for and approved depends on the rules of your health insurance and the psychotherapy agreement. The practice explains the steps in your individual case.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to use up all the probatory sessions?
The rule for adults is at least two and up to four sessions. How many actually take place depends on the course and the fit. Discuss with the practice what makes sense in your case.
Can I say no after the trial phase?
Yes. The trial phase exists so that both sides can check whether the collaboration fits. You do not have to commit simply because the sessions have started.
What if I do not feel comfortable with the method?
That is valid feedback that you can raise openly. A conversation with the practice clarifies whether there are alternatives in the process or whether a change makes more sense. This guide does not recommend any specific procedure.
Do the same rules apply to children?
For children, adolescents and people with a diagnosed intellectual disability, the KBV plans up to six probatory sessions. The practice that carries out the treatment agrees the details in each individual case.
What to do now
- Clarify with your GP practice or the 116117 service which consultation is accessible to you.
- Ask the practice specifically about the number of probatory sessions, the form (individual or group) and whether a video session is planned.
- Note before the first conversation what matters to you, so you can decide well after the trial phase.
Related guides
- Psychotherapy consultation: what it is and how to book it
- Applying for acute psychotherapy
- Private Health Insurance and Psychotherapy: Costs
- Depression at university: signs and ways to get help
Sources:
Federal Joint Committee (G-BA): Psychotherapy Guideline, version of 21.08.2025, in force since 11.11.2025 (retrieved 2 November 2026, German)
Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung: Psychotherapy, questions and answers (German)
Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung: Press note of 19.12.2024 on video consultations in psychotherapy (German)
Verbraucherzentrale: Appointment with a specialist within 4 weeks, status 01.10.2024 (German)
Last updated: November 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
