Published August 2026
Denmark's public system is excellent at many things. Talk therapy for adults is where it gets thin. The state subsidises a psykolog only for certain problems. Only with certain psychologists. And only after a wait. Most expats hear the words free healthcare and are surprised by the bill. This post explains the real rules as they stand in 2026.
I will cover the referral route and what the region pays. The free scheme for young adults, and how it changes in October 2026. The psychiatrist route, and private practice. Then where I fit, and where I do not.
The referral route: 60 percent paid, if you qualify
The route starts with your egen læge. Your GP can refer you to a psykolog under the public scheme. The condition is that you fall into one of eleven referral categories. They include mild to moderate depression and anxiety, grief, a serious illness and an accident. They also include being the victim of violence, robbery or rape. Ordinary stress, a hard job or a marriage in trouble are not on the list. With a referral, your region pays 60 percent of the fee. You pay the other 40 percent directly to the psychologist. In 2026 that is roughly 450 to 480 kroner for the first session. The rest cost 375 to 390. A referral covers up to twelve sessions.
The psychologist must hold a ydernummer, an agreement with the region. That is the second gate. Ydernummer psychologists are limited in number. The ones in Copenhagen who work in English are fewer still.
Free for 18 to 24s, and what changes in October 2026
People aged 18 to 24 who are referred for anxiety or depression currently pay nothing. Demand has swamped it. The psychologists' association measured the average wait for that group at 26 weeks in 2023. Many practices use up their yearly quota by spring. From 1 October 2026 the regions take over this scheme, under a law passed in December 2025. Young adults get a right to start treatment within 30 days of referral. If the region cannot deliver, it must pay for a private psychologist at no cost to you. Treatment may then be individual, in a group or digital. The region arranges it, rather than you choosing it. Victims of violence, robbery or rape are free at any age.
How long the wait is
For adults on the ordinary referral, the wait for a ydernummer psychologist is often months. Up to six months is common in and around Copenhagen. The same goes for a practicing psychiatrist, who is free with a referral. Children and young people got a new right in January 2026. Assessment within 30 days and treatment within 60. Adults did not.
Not sure whether the referral route or private therapy fits?
A 15-minute call costs nothing. I will tell you plainly which route makes sense, including when the subsidised one is the better answer.
A brief conversation to see if this feels like the right fit for you. Not therapy.
Private practice: what a psykolog charges
Outside the scheme, psychologists set their own fees. In 2026 a private session typically costs 1,000 to 1,400 kroner. Members of Sygeforsikringen danmark get around 300 kroner back per session with an authorized psychologist. It is the one subsidy that follows you into private practice. Some employer health insurance policies cover a fixed number of sessions. No referral is needed, and nothing goes into your health record.
When you should stay in the system
If you need medication, go through your læge to a psychiatrist. If you need a diagnosis for a sygemelding, for the kommune or for anything official, the Danish system has to issue it. If you are in crisis, the psychiatric emergency service is the right door. And if you fit a referral category and can wait, ask for the referral now. It is a real subsidy, and the list only moves for people who are on it.
How I fit, and where I do not
I am a US-trained therapist working online in English with people across Denmark and beyond. I am a private option. I hold no Danish ydernummer or autorisation, so the region's subsidy and the danmark refund do not apply to my sessions. I do not prescribe or diagnose. What I offer is a start within days and sessions in English. And open-ended depth work rather than a twelve-session cap. Fees are on the fees page. If the subsidy matters and you fit a category, an English-speaking ydernummer psychologist is the better answer. I will say so on the call.
There is more on the Denmark page and the Copenhagen page, and on how online therapy compares to meeting in person.
Common questions about therapy in Denmark
I work online, in English, with clients across Denmark and beyond. I offer individual therapy and couples therapy via secure video call, with no referral and no waiting list. I built the practice as an expat therapist, for people in exactly this position. Before your first session, we have a free 15-minute call to see if this feels like the right fit. If you are weighing this in more than one country, I keep a country-by-country reference on how expat mental healthcare works.
What Clients Say
“I came in thinking I knew what my issues were. I’d been over them a hundred times. But those were just the things I could already see. Aaron helped me notice what I couldn’t, and that’s where everything actually started to change.”
- M.J.
“I’d been in and out of therapy for years. Different therapists, different approaches, none of it really stuck. Aaron helped me understand more in a few months than all of them combined. And he talked to me like a normal person, not like all this weird therapy-speak.”
- S.A.
“A few years ago I suddenly developed prolonged panic attacks but couldn’t begin to understand what had caused them. Having been in therapy in the past, and being a counseling intern student, I felt I had exhausted my resources trying to figure out “What is wrong with me?” I can honestly say Aaron provides a form of counseling that is difficult to find anywhere else regarding efficacy. Not only has his approach been effective, but he also has provided me a safe space to explore aspects about myself I may not otherwise have felt able to. I cannot recommend him enough as he has helped me feel more myself than ever before.”
- K.R.