Mental health and consulting a psy

Mental health services typically involve a visit to a psychiatre (psychiatrist) or psychologue (clinical psychologist), both commonly referred to as un psy.

Only a psychiatre is a doctor. While psychiatrists’ fees are state-reimbursed, a psychologue’s fees were typically not reimbursed in the past, but there have been changes since 2022.

A psychiatrist’s fees, if you go via your médecin traitant, are €55 if they have a set tariff (of which you are state reimbursed €36.50). Some are honoraires libres. If you have a mutuelle, check to see what cover, if any, it gives for this.

It is always advisable to go via your médecin traitant first, though there is no reimbursement penalty for not doing so if you are aged 16–25.

The state rate will rise to €57 as of July 2025, or €75 for consultations for young people under 25.

While a psychiatrist is trained in therapeutic techniques, including both talking therapies and prescribing medicines, a clinical psychologist does not prescribe.

As of 2022, access to reimbursed sessions with an ordinary private practice psychologist is now generally much better. You can either be referred by your GP or can contact a psychologist directly.

You can be reimbursed for up to 12 consultations a year, with the first being for the psychologist to evaluate your situation. Sessions are €50 (€60 for the first one), reimbursable at 60%, with the rest via top-up policies.

This website has a list of participating psychologists. Note that this scheme is not aimed at people with very serious mental illness but rather issues such as moderate depression or anxiety.

Another way to get free mental healthcare from a psychologue is to go to a Centre Médico-Psychologique (CMP) attached to a hospital, directly or via your doctor or a school nurse. They cover people living in a geographical area but often have waiting lists, except for emergencies. They exist both for adults and children.

You will come across other psy- words, such as psychanalyste, psychothérapeute, or even psycho-somatothérapeute or psychorelaxologue. Minimum training standards are required for anyone calling themselves a psychothérapeute (psychotherapist). Unfortunately, many professionals said the criteria were poorly chosen, leading the largest professional body, Fédération Française de Psychothérapie et Psychanalyse (FF2P), to come up with a new word – psychopraticien.

Do not hesitate to ask what qualifications the therapist you are considering using has. If they are a psychiatre or psychologist, you can also check with the DDASS (Direction Départementale des Affaires Sanitaires et Sociales) or ask them for their ADELI number (issued by the DDASS).

A psychiatrist specialising in children is a pédopsychiatre. There are Centres Médico-Psycho-Pédagogiques (CMPP), run by associations and offering free care for children experiencing difficulties affecting their schoolwork, such as developmental problems or dyslexia. Your child’s teacher or médecin traitant should know local children’s services.

Whether for an adult or child, your mairie should also have details of mental health services in your area.

Some charitable associations have funding to help certain sectors of the population, sometimes free of charge.

The equivalent of what English-speakers may refer to as seeing a counsellor is typically sessions with a psychologist.

You can also find English-speaking counsellors at counsellinginfrance.com (in some cases their qualifications are British: in the UK, the job of counsellor is regulated differently, and British counsellors are not necessarily psychologists).

ff2p.fr also has a directory of therapists, and it is possible to narrow your search by criteria including languages spoken.

If you need to talk about a problem urgently, you can call SOS Help, a French partner of the UK’s Samaritans, on 01 46 21 46 46. It operates in English.