How to find an English-speaking therapist in Switzerland
Where to search by language, how to read a therapist’s title, what basic insurance pays since July 2022, and who answers in English in a crisis, with a primary source for every rule and number.
In short
To find an English-speaking therapist in Switzerland, search by city and language, for example in our directory or the FSP’s Psyfinder, then check the federal title in the PsyReg register. Basic insurance pays for a psychologist’s psychotherapy only on a doctor’s prescription, so ask whether the therapist bills it. In a crisis, call 144 or 143.
How do I find an English-speaking therapist or psychologist in Switzerland?
Search by city and language: our directory lists therapists and psychologists who work in English, and the FSP’s Psyfinder lets you choose English as the language of support. Then contact two or three practices and ask whether they have space, which federal title they hold and whether they bill basic insurance on a doctor’s prescription.
PsyReg, the federal register of psychology professions, filters by language only in German, French, Italian and Romansh (PsyReg, checked ), so English has to be checked another way. A cantonal licence to practise psychotherapy also requires an official language of the canton (PsyG, checked ), so a therapist who works in English normally works in the local language too.
Where to look
- Our directory: therapists and psychologists who work in English, by city, each listing checked by hand.
- FSP Psyfinder: the Federation of Swiss Psychologists’ search asks who the support is for (yourself, a couple, parents, or children) and in which language, English included (FSP, checked ). It lists FSP members only.
- Your GP or paediatrician: they can prescribe psychological psychotherapy under basic insurance (KLV Art. 2, 3, 3b, 11b, checked ), so ask them for names too.
Then ask the practice about space, English, the therapist’s federal title and licence (checkable in PsyReg (FOPH, checked )) and whether they are admitted to bill basic insurance; cantonal admission is not automatic (FOPH, checked ).
Before you book a first session
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English-speaking therapists and psychologists
Ana Hermann, Psychoanalytische Praxis
Therapists & psychologists · ZürichSolo psychoanalytic psychotherapy practice in Zurich-Hottingen for adolescents and adults, with an English version of the website and therapy offered in German, Portuguese and English.
Checked by our editors · not yet confirmed by the business.
Is this your business?Andrea Gallasch-Stebler
Therapists & psychologists · BaselPsychotherapy practice for adults in the Punkthaus at Bärenfelserstrasse in Basel, run by a federally recognised psychotherapist who lists French, Italian and English as foreign languages.
Checked by our editors · not yet confirmed by the business.
Is this your business?Binia Roth Psychotherapie
Therapists & psychologists · BaselPsychotherapy practice for children, adolescents and parents in the Praxisgemeinschaft Schlüsselberg in Basel's old town, with an English version of its website.
Checked by our editors · not yet confirmed by the business.
Is this your business?What is the difference between a psychologist, a psychotherapist and a psychiatrist?
A psychologist holds a recognised degree in psychology. A psychotherapist also holds a federal postgraduate title in psychotherapy and needs a cantonal licence to treat patients on their own responsibility. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor whose psychotherapy basic insurance pays without a separate prescription. Counsellor and coach are not titles under the law.
The Psychology Professions Act (PsyG) protects the title: only someone with a recognised master’s, licentiate or diploma in psychology may call themselves a psychologist, and misuse is punishable by a fine. There are five federal postgraduate titles: psychotherapy, child and adolescent psychology, clinical psychology, neuropsychology and health psychology (PsyG, checked ). A holder of the first may use eidgenössisch anerkannte Psychotherapeutin or eidgenössisch anerkannter Psychotherapeut, federally recognised psychotherapist (PsyV Art. 6, checked ).
To practise psychotherapy on their own professional responsibility, a psychotherapist needs a licence from the canton where they work, granted to holders of a federal or recognised foreign title in psychotherapy (PsyG, checked ).
Psychiatrists are doctors. Basic insurance pays for a doctor’s psychotherapy; after 40 sessions the doctor reports to the insurer’s medical adviser (KLV Art. 2, 3, 3b, 11b, checked ). Check psychiatrists in MedReg, as our guide to English-speaking doctors explains.
Check a title in PsyReg
PsyReg has been public since 1 August 2017. It lists everyone with a federal or recognised foreign postgraduate title in psychology, shows whether a psychotherapist holds a cantonal licence, and records restrictions and disciplinary measures (FOPH, checked ). Search it at healthreg-public.admin.ch (opens in a new tab) (PsyReg, checked ).
Titles and what basic insurance pays
| Professional | Qualification | Basic insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Psychologist | Degree in psychology | Not for the degree alone |
| Psychotherapist | Federal title in psychotherapy, cantonal licence | On a doctor’s prescription, if admitted |
| Child and adolescent psychologist | Federal title in that field | Only with the psychotherapy title and licence too |
| Psychiatrist | Doctor, specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy | Yes, without a separate prescription |
| Counsellor or coach | No title under the PsyG | No |
Sources: PsyG, PsyV, KVV Art. 50c, KLV Art. 2–11b.
Does Swiss health insurance pay for therapy with a psychologist?
Yes, since 1 July 2022, if a doctor prescribes it and the psychotherapist is admitted to bill basic insurance. One prescription covers up to 15 sessions, and a second covers 15 more. After 30 sessions the insurer must approve further therapy. Your deductible and the 10% co-payment apply as for any other treatment.
Since 1 July 2022, psychological psychotherapists can bill basic insurance when a doctor prescribes the therapy, the prescription model (Anordnungsmodell); delegated psychotherapy under a doctor’s supervision ended on 1 January 2023 (FOPH, checked ).
Who can prescribe, and for how long
Doctors with a specialist title in general internal medicine (most GPs), paediatrics, psychiatry and psychotherapy, or child and adolescent psychiatry, and doctors with the focus in psychosomatic and psychosocial medicine. One prescription covers up to 15 sessions, and the therapist reports to the doctor before they run out. After 30 sessions the doctor sends a report to the insurer’s medical adviser, with a psychiatrist’s case assessment if a GP or paediatrician prescribed; the insurer answers within 15 working days (KLV Art. 2, 3, 3b, 11b, checked ). Sessions 16 to 30 need a further prescription (FOPH, checked ). For crisis intervention after a serious new diagnosis, or in a life-threatening situation, any specialist doctor can prescribe up to 10 sessions (KLV Art. 2, 3, 3b, 11b, checked ).
Which therapists can bill it
Only those the canton has admitted: they need a cantonal licence, three years of clinical experience including 12 months in a recognised psychiatric institution, and must work independently on their own account (KVV Art. 50c, 103, checked ).
What you still pay
Therapy counts towards your deductible, CHF 300 to 2,500 for adults (ch.ch, checked ). Above it you pay 10%, up to CHF 700 a year for adults and CHF 350 for children; children have no ordinary deductible (KVG Art. 64, checked ) (KVV Art. 50c, 103, checked ). If your insurance model makes your GP the first point of contact, follow its rules before you book a psychiatrist; see Swiss health insurance for expats.
From prescription to session 31
-
Step 1
See a doctor who can prescribe
Your GP, a paediatrician or a psychiatrist.
-
Sessions 1–15
First prescription
The therapist reports to your doctor.
-
Sessions 16–30
Second prescription
After doctor and therapist confer.
-
After 30
Insurer’s approval
Answer within 15 working days of the report.
-
Per prescription
15 sessions
per prescription by an eligible doctor.
-
Your co-payment
10%
above your deductible, at most CHF 700 a year.
Source ch.ch (opens in a new tab) ↗
What happens if insurance does not pay for therapy?
You pay the therapist yourself, or through a supplementary policy if its terms cover it. That applies without a doctor’s prescription, with a therapist not admitted to bill basic insurance, and for counselling or coaching that does not treat an illness. The canton of Basel-Stadt puts a psychotherapy session at CHF 170 to 200 an hour.
Basic insurance covers psychotherapy that treats mental and psychosomatic illness, with a defined goal and planned sessions (KLV Art. 2, 3, 3b, 11b, checked ). Outside that, the bill is yours; Basel-Stadt puts a session at CHF 170 to 200 an hour (Basel-Stadt, checked ).
Supplementary insurance is a private contract: when you apply, the insurer may ask about your health, attach conditions or refuse you (FOPH, checked ). What it pays towards therapy depends on its terms. See how to choose Swiss health insurance.
A therapist abroad, by video: basic insurance pays only psychotherapists admitted in Switzerland, which requires a Swiss cantonal licence (KVV Art. 50c, 103, checked ).
Who pays for which kind of help
| Situation | Who pays |
|---|---|
| Admitted psychotherapist, with a prescription | Basic insurance, minus deductible and co-payment |
| Psychiatrist | Basic insurance, no separate prescription |
| No prescription, or therapist not admitted | You, or a supplementary policy |
| Coaching or relationship counselling | You, or a supplementary policy |
| Therapist abroad, by video | You, or a supplementary or international policy |
How do I find an English-speaking child psychologist in Zurich?
Start with your child’s paediatrician, who can prescribe psychotherapy under basic insurance, or with the school psychology service, which is free for parents in the canton of Zurich. Then look for a therapist who works in English and holds the right federal title, in our Zurich listings or in the FSP’s Psyfinder.
The canton of Zurich’s school psychology services (Schulpsychologischer Dienst), organised by municipality, advise pupils, parents and teachers, carry out assessments and refer on to specialists, free of charge for parents (Canton of Zurich, checked ).
A paediatrician or child psychiatrist can prescribe psychological psychotherapy under the same 15-session rules as for adults (KLV Art. 2, 3, 3b, 11b, checked ). Children pay no ordinary deductible, and their co-payment is capped at CHF 350 a year (KVG Art. 64, checked ) (KVV Art. 50c, 103, checked ). Billing basic insurance requires the psychotherapy title and a cantonal licence (PsyG, checked ) (KVV Art. 50c, 103, checked ). In the FSP’s Psyfinder, choose ‘Young people and children’ or ‘Parents’, then English (FSP, checked ).
If it cannot wait: the Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich (PUK) answers 24 hours a day for children and young people on 058 384 66 66 (PUK Zurich, checked ), and 147 is free and around the clock (147.ch, checked ). If a life is at risk, call 144 (ch.ch, checked ).
Browse English-speaking therapists in Zurich, paediatricians in Zurich and our Zurich city page.
For parents in Zurich
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English-speaking therapists in Zurich
Ana Hermann, Psychoanalytische Praxis
Therapists & psychologists · ZürichSolo psychoanalytic psychotherapy practice in Zurich-Hottingen for adolescents and adults, with an English version of the website and therapy offered in German, Portuguese and English.
Checked by our editors · not yet confirmed by the business.
Is this your business?Carmen Alexe, Psychotherapy in Zürich
Therapists & psychologists · ZürichSolo psychotherapy and psychoanalysis practice in Zurich-Hottingen (Kreis 7) for adults, run by a federally recognised psychotherapist and offered in English, Spanish and Romanian.
Checked by our editors · not yet confirmed by the business.
Is this your business?Catherine Wüthrich, Psychotherapy in Zürich
Therapists & psychologists · ZürichSolo psychotherapy and counselling practice in Zurich-Wiedikon (Praxis Z) for individuals and couples, with an English version of the website and German and English spoken bilingually.
Checked by our editors · not yet confirmed by the business.
Is this your business?Where can couples get counselling in English in Geneva or Lausanne?
Look for a psychologist or psychotherapist who works with couples and in English, in our Geneva and Lausanne listings or the FSP’s Psyfinder. There are public options too: the Geneva University Hospitals offer couple consultations, and Vaud’s couples programme charges by income and works in several languages. Relationship counselling alone is usually paid privately.
The ordinance counts couple therapy as a form of psychotherapy for mental and psychosomatic illness (KLV Art. 2, 3, 3b, 11b, checked ). Couple sessions can therefore be covered when they treat an illness and the prescription rules are met; relationship counselling alone is usually paid privately.
Geneva
The Geneva University Hospitals’ (HUG) sexual health and family planning unit offers couple consultations by appointment for couples in a crisis, whatever their orientation (HUG, checked ). Find therapists in Geneva and our Geneva city page.
Lausanne and Vaud
PROFA’s couple and sexology consultation in Lausanne belongs to Vaud’s cantonal couples programme. Its staff speak several languages, interpreters can be arranged, and fees are set by income, CHF 20 to 160 a consultation (City of Lausanne, checked ). Find English-speaking therapists across Switzerland and our Lausanne city page.
Public couples counselling in Geneva and Vaud
| What | Geneva | Vaud (Lausanne) |
|---|---|---|
| Service | HUG sexual health and family planning unit | PROFA, cantonal couples programme |
| How to start | Appointment on 022 372 55 00 | Info Couples line 0840 860 860 |
| Languages | Ask when you book | Several; interpreters possible |
| Cost | Ask when you book | CHF 20 to 160, by income |
Checked on 20 October 2026 on the HUG and City of Lausanne websites.
English-speaking therapists in Geneva
Cabinet Delos
Therapists & psychologists · GenèvePsychiatry and psychotherapy practice in Geneva's Champel district where a psychiatrist and a federally recognised psychotherapist list English among their working languages.
Checked by our editors · not yet confirmed by the business.
Is this your business?Cabinet Dr Alessandro Massa
Therapists & psychologists · GenèveSolo psychiatry and psychotherapy practice in Geneva's Champel district with a full English version of its website, offering in-person and video consultations by appointment.
Checked by our editors · not yet confirmed by the business.
Is this your business?Cabinet Médico-Psychologique du Léman
Therapists & psychologists · GenèveInterdisciplinary psychology and psychiatry practice with two Geneva sites, in Florissant and Seujet, where a federally recognised psychotherapist lists English among the team's languages.
Checked by our editors · not yet confirmed by the business.
Is this your business?Who can I call in a mental health crisis, in English?
If a life is at risk, call 144. Adults can call 143, Die Dargebotene Hand, around the clock in German, French or Italian, or its English line Heart2Heart on 0800 143 000 from 6 to 11 pm. Children and young people can call 147. Cantons also run psychiatric emergency services.
- 144 for an ambulance when a life is at risk; 112 connects you to the police (ch.ch, checked ).
- 143 (Die Dargebotene Hand) answers by phone around the clock, 365 days a year, with chat and email too (143.ch, checked ).
- 0800 143 000 (Heart2Heart) is 143’s English line, 6 to 11 pm, free and by phone only (143.ch, checked ).
- 147 (Pro Juventute) helps children and young people, free and around the clock, by phone, WhatsApp or email (147.ch, checked ).
For an urgent psychiatric problem that is not life-threatening, call your doctor or psychiatrist first, or your canton’s service: Zurich (PUK Zurich, checked ), Geneva (Canton of Geneva, checked ), Vaud, which names psychological distress explicitly (Canton of Vaud, checked ), and Basel-Stadt (Basel-Stadt, checked ). For other cantons, check the canton’s health pages.
-
Ambulance
144
when a life is at risk.
Source ch.ch (opens in a new tab) ↗
-
Die Dargebotene Hand
143
around the clock, in German, French and Italian.
-
143 in English
0800 143 000
English line, 6 to 11 pm, free.
-
Children and young people
147
Pro Juventute, free, around the clock.
Psychiatric emergency lines by canton
| Canton | Service | Number | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zurich | PUK, adults | 058 384 20 00 | 24 hours |
| Zurich | PUK, children and young people | 058 384 66 66 | 24 hours |
| Geneva | HUG psychiatric emergencies | 022 372 38 62 | Listed by the canton for psychiatric care |
| Vaud | On-call doctors’ line | 0848 133 133 | Also for psychological distress; local rate |
| Basel-Stadt | UPK admission and emergency psychiatry | 061 325 51 00 | 24 hours |
Checked on 20 October 2026 on the PUK and cantonal websites. If a life is at risk, call 144.
Where can I find English-speaking therapists in Zurich, Geneva, Lausanne and Basel?
Our directory lists English-speaking therapists and psychologists by city, Zurich, Geneva, Lausanne and Basel among them. Each listing is checked by hand, but confirm with the practice that it has space, works in English and bills the way you expect. Cantonal pages add public services, such as Basel’s walk-in psychiatric clinic.
- Therapists in Zurich, Geneva and Basel
- GPs and family doctors who can prescribe therapy, and all doctors and dentists
Basel: the canton points residents to the University Psychiatric Clinics (UPK), with a walk-in clinic at Kornhausgasse 7, Monday to Friday 8 am to 4 pm (061 325 81 81), and emergency psychiatry around the clock (061 325 51 00) (Basel-Stadt, checked ). More: Basel.
English-speaking therapists in Basel
Andrea Gallasch-Stebler
Therapists & psychologists · BaselPsychotherapy practice for adults in the Punkthaus at Bärenfelserstrasse in Basel, run by a federally recognised psychotherapist who lists French, Italian and English as foreign languages.
Checked by our editors · not yet confirmed by the business.
Is this your business?Binia Roth Psychotherapie
Therapists & psychologists · BaselPsychotherapy practice for children, adolescents and parents in the Praxisgemeinschaft Schlüsselberg in Basel's old town, with an English version of its website.
Checked by our editors · not yet confirmed by the business.
Is this your business?Dr. med. Peter Schindler
Therapists & psychologists · BaselPsychiatry and psychotherapy practice at Eulerstrasse in Basel, with a full English website describing his work as a psychiatrist and body-oriented psychotherapist in practice there since 2001.
Checked by our editors · not yet confirmed by the business.
Is this your business?What else do people ask about English-speaking therapists in Switzerland?
How do I find an English-speaking psychologist near me?
Search our directory by city, or the FSP’s Psyfinder with English as the language. Check the federal title in PsyReg, and ask whether the practice has space and bills basic insurance.
Do I need a referral to see a psychologist in Switzerland?
Not to book one, but basic insurance pays a psychologist’s psychotherapy only on a doctor’s prescription, usually from your GP, a paediatrician or a psychiatrist. A psychiatrist’s therapy needs no separate prescription, within your insurance model’s rules.
How many therapy sessions does basic insurance cover?
Up to 15 per prescription, and 30 in total before the insurer must approve more. In a crisis after a serious new diagnosis, any specialist doctor can prescribe up to 10 sessions.
Is couples therapy covered by Swiss health insurance?
Only when it treats a mental illness, on prescription, with an admitted psychotherapist or a psychiatrist. Relationship counselling alone is usually paid privately or, if its terms allow, by a supplementary policy.
Can I see a therapist online from abroad and claim it on Swiss insurance?
Not from basic insurance, which pays only psychotherapists with a Swiss cantonal licence who are admitted to bill it. Check your supplementary or international policy.
Does my deductible apply to therapy?
Yes. You pay up to your deductible, then 10% of the costs, at most CHF 700 a year for adults and CHF 350 for children.
Is there a mental health helpline in English in Switzerland?
Yes: Heart2Heart, 143’s English line, on 0800 143 000 from 6 to 11 pm, free. 143 answers around the clock in German, French and Italian. If a life is at risk, call 144.
Sources
Last checked by the expat-services.ch editorial team
- Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH/BAG) New rules for psychological psychotherapy from 1 July 2022 (prescription model, 15 sessions, approval after 30, admission not automatic, end of delegated psychotherapy; in German) (opens in a new tab)
- Fedlex, SR 832.112.31 Health Care Benefits Ordinance (KLV), Art. 2–3b (psychotherapy by doctors, 40 sessions, report to the medical adviser, answer within 15 working days) and Art. 11b (psychological psychotherapy on prescription, prescribing doctors, 15 sessions, 30-session rule, 10 crisis sessions); version of 1 August 2026 (in German) (opens in a new tab)
- Fedlex, SR 832.102 Health Insurance Ordinance (KVV), Art. 50c (admission of psychological psychotherapists) and Art. 103 (deductible CHF 300, co-payment cap CHF 700 / CHF 350); version of 1 August 2026 (in German) (opens in a new tab)
- Fedlex, SR 832.10 Federal Health Insurance Act (KVG/LAMal), Art. 64: deductible and 10% co-payment; no deductible for children (in German) (opens in a new tab)
- Fedlex, SR 935.81 Psychology Professions Act (PsyG), Art. 2 and 4 (title of psychologist), Art. 8 (federal postgraduate titles), Art. 22 and 24 (cantonal licence, official language of the canton), Art. 38 (register), Art. 45 (misuse of titles); version of 1 July 2025 (in German) (opens in a new tab)
- Fedlex, SR 935.811 Psychology Professions Ordinance (PsyV), Art. 6: using the federal title in the job title, such as ‘eidgenössisch anerkannte Psychotherapeutin’ (in German) (opens in a new tab)
- Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH/BAG) Psychology professions register (PsyReg): who is listed, licences, restrictions and disciplinary measures, public since 1 August 2017 (in German) (opens in a new tab)
- Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH/BAG), Health Professions platform PsyReg public search: filters for postgraduate title, language skills (German, French, Italian, Romansh), licence, canton and postcode (opens in a new tab)
- Federation of Swiss Psychologists (FSP) Psyfinder: search for a psychologist by who the support is for and by language, including English (opens in a new tab)
- ch.ch Health insurance costs: deductible CHF 300–2,500 for adults and CHF 0–600 for children, 10% retention fee capped at CHF 700 (CHF 350 for children) (opens in a new tab)
- Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH/BAG) Requirement to take out insurance: FAQ (supplementary insurance: the insurer may ask about your health, attach conditions or reject the application) (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
- ch.ch Emergencies and danger: emergency numbers in Switzerland (112, 144, 143, 147) (opens in a new tab)
- Die Dargebotene Hand (143.ch) Contact options: 143 by phone around the clock, 365 days a year; chat and email (in German) (opens in a new tab)
- Die Dargebotene Hand (143.ch) FAQ: Heart2Heart, the English line 0800 143 000, 6 pm to 11 pm, free conversation, phone only in English; volunteers do not give advice (opens in a new tab)
- Pro Juventute (147.ch) 147: help for children and young people, around the clock, free and confidential, by phone, WhatsApp or email (in German) (opens in a new tab)
- Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich (PUK) Emergency: 24 hours, children and young people +41 58 384 66 66, adults +41 58 384 20 00 (in German) (opens in a new tab)
- Canton of Zurich, Volksschulamt School psychology: advice for pupils, parents and teachers, assessments, free for parents (in German) (opens in a new tab)
- Canton of Geneva Before going to the emergency department: HUG psychiatric emergencies 022 372 38 62 (in French) (opens in a new tab)
- Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) Couple consultation of the sexual health and family planning unit, by appointment, 022 372 55 00 (in French) (opens in a new tab)
- Canton of Vaud Emergencies: psychological distress without danger to life, call your doctor or psychiatrist, otherwise the on-call doctors’ line 0848 133 133 at the local rate (in French) (opens in a new tab)
- City of Lausanne PROFA couple and sexology consultation: languages, fees CHF 20–160 by income, cantonal couples programme, Info Couples line 0840 860 860 (in French) (opens in a new tab)
- Canton of Basel-Stadt Finding help for mental health: UPK walk-in clinic and 24-hour emergency psychiatry, psychotherapy CHF 170–200 an hour, psychotherapy directory (in German) (opens in a new tab)