Free or subsidised psychotherapy in Slovenia: who is eligible and how to get it

“I know it would help, but I simply can’t afford sixty euros a week. Is there anything that’s free, or at least cheaper?”

A lot of people ask themselves this question, often with a little embarrassment. As if it were awkward to ask. It isn’t. It is one of the most practical questions you can ask before deciding to get help — and the answer is not simple, because in Slovenia there is no single route, but a whole mosaic of options that depend on who you are, how old you are, what is troubling you and where you live.

In this post I have tried to put that mosaic together in one place: what health insurance covers today, what will change with the new Act on Psychotherapeutic Activity, where the free counselling services are, and what applies to students, employees, couples, parents, teenagers, people without an income and those who have experienced violence. I describe the situation as it stood in November 2026. Conditions change, so check with each organisation what applies today before you rely on it.

First: concession, subsidy, free — what do they actually mean

People often mix these words up, so here is a short distinction.

• On referral (covered by health insurance) means the service is paid for by ZZZS, the Health Insurance Institute of Slovenia. It is provided by a public institution or by a private practitioner with a concession — permission to work in the public network and be paid by the insurer. You pay nothing, but you may have to wait.
• Free without a referral means the service is funded by the state, a municipality or a grant scheme, and you go directly. Some public centres, counselling services and non-governmental programmes work like this.
• Subsidised or at a lower price means you pay something, but less than with a private practitioner, because part of the cost is covered by a grant or an institution, or because the therapy is led by a therapist in training.
• Self-funded means you pay the full price. I wrote about what that price includes in What psychotherapy costs in Slovenia and what you are actually paying for.

There is one more important thing to know: psychotherapy as a stand-alone service is not yet part of the regular entitlements of health insurance in Slovenia. On referral it can only be provided by psychiatrists, child and adolescent psychiatrists and clinical psychologists who have psychotherapeutic training — and only to the extent their time allows. Most psychotherapists work on a self-funded basis.

What health insurance covers today

The public route starts with your GP. Your GP can refer you to a psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist. A psychiatrist assesses your condition, makes a diagnosis, prescribes medication if needed and follows your progress. A clinical psychologist carries out a psychological assessment and in some cases leads psychotherapeutic treatment. I described in more detail how this works in practice and what you can expect from each route in Referral, waiting list or self-funded: how you actually get help here, and who does what in Psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist: who does what and where to go.

The upside of this route: you pay nothing, the treatment is professionally led, and if you need medication or sick leave, this is the right door. The downside: waiting times are long in many regions, and the number of psychotherapeutic sessions is limited. The public network is geared towards people who are struggling most — and that is right, but for those who are “only” finding life hard, there is often no room left.

Worth knowing: you can check waiting times yourself on the zVEM portal or the national waiting-times website, and a referral does not tie you to a provider in your own town — you can choose another one where the wait is shorter.

Mental health centres: no referral needed

In recent years, adult mental health centres (CDZO) and child and adolescent mental health centres (CDZOM) have been set up across Slovenia. They operate within health centres and have multidisciplinary teams: a psychiatrist, a clinical psychologist, nurses, social workers and occupational therapists. The Ministry of Health has stated that no referral is needed to start treatment at the adult centres — you can call, write or simply turn up.

The centres are not evenly spread. In some regions they work well and with almost no waiting; elsewhere there are none, or they are overloaded. In Ljubljana, city councillors warned in 2025 that the network of these centres was not yet sufficiently developed. If you live in a smaller town, your local centre may be a faster route than a private practitioner in the city.

What you can expect: an assessment, short-term treatment, help finding the next step and, for more serious difficulties, treatment at home too. Long-term psychotherapy in the classic sense is generally not available there today — but a centre is an excellent first place to go when you don’t know where to start.

What will change in 2027

The Act on Psychotherapeutic Activity (ZPtD) was published in the Official Gazette in December 2025 and entered into force on 19 December 2025. It only starts to apply sixteen months after entering into force, that is, in April 2027. The Act states that health services in psychotherapeutic activity are covered by compulsory health insurance, with the details set out in health insurance legislation. Licensed psychotherapists will also be able to work in the public network — including in mental health centres and health promotion centres.

What this means for you is not yet entirely clear. How quickly new posts will be created, how many sessions anyone will be entitled to and by what route — this will only become clear in practice. Don’t expect private psychotherapy to become free overnight in April 2027. Do expect the public route to widen gradually. If you need help now, don’t wait for the Act.

Students

Compared with other groups, students in Slovenia are fairly well provided for, but many don’t know about these options.

• Faculty counselling services. The University of Ljubljana collects sources of help on its student mental health page. Some faculties have their own free psychological counselling service — the Faculty of Arts for its students, and the Faculty of Education with a psychosocial counselling service that also takes students from some other faculties. Other universities have similar services.
• Zavod Študentska svetovalnica in Ljubljana offers students free individual psychosocial counselling.
• Posvet, a centre for psychological counselling, offers free psychological counselling at several locations across Slovenia — not only to students.
• Student residences sometimes have their own counselling service, or at least a list of where to turn.

These services usually offer a few sessions, not long-term therapy. For study stress, a first serious crisis, a break-up or exam anxiety, they are often exactly right. If it turns out you need more, they will help you find the next step.

Employees

If you are employed, the public route is open to you like everyone else — your GP, a referral, a mental health centre. Beyond that, it is worth checking three things people often overlook.

• Your employer. More and more companies have an employee assistance programme or a contract with a provider of psychological support, under which a few sessions are free and confidential. As a rule, the employer does not find out who used the programme. Ask HR or look in internal documents on health promotion.
• Voluntary health insurance. Some additional or voluntary health insurance policies for specialist services include a certain number of psychological or psychotherapy sessions. Conditions vary a great deal between insurers and packages — read your policy or call the insurer before you start, otherwise the cost may not be reimbursed.
• Sick leave. If distress is already affecting your work, your GP is the right place to go partly because they can grant sick leave. A self-funded therapist cannot.

I wrote about how work and distress affect each other, for example, in Depression and work: how to work when you can’t — and when not to.

Couples and families

For couples the route is hardest, because couples therapy practically does not exist in the public health network. ZZZS covers the treatment of an individual with a health problem, not a relationship. Even so, you are not without options.

• Social work centres (CSD) provide a social welfare service called family help at home, which includes professional counselling and help with relationships between family members, as well as a service called personal help. This is social counselling rather than psychotherapy in the narrow sense, but for many families it is a good first step. Ask at your local CSD how to join and whether the service is free for you.
• Programmes run by non-governmental organisations and co-funded by the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs. Some institutes and associations offer counselling for couples and families at a lower price, or with a contribution based on what you can afford. The ministry publishes the list of co-funded programmes each year.
• Therapists in training. Institutes that train marriage and family therapists often offer therapy with therapists working under supervision, at a lower price or even free. I am also a therapist in training in marriage and family therapy under supervision, training in relational family therapy at the Franciscan Family Institute — you will find how to arrange a session with me on the Contact page. I also work with English-speaking clients, in person in Ljubljana.

I described when couples therapy makes sense in When to start couples therapy: signs you need help before it is too late.

Children and teenagers

There are more free options for children and adolescents than for adults.

• The school counselling service is the first and most accessible point. The school psychologist, educator or social worker can help directly or refer onwards.
• Your child’s paediatrician can refer them to a child and adolescent psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist.
• Child and adolescent mental health centres operate within health centres; check with your health centre how to access them.
• The Counselling Centre for Children, Adolescents and Parents in Ljubljana is a public institution founded by the City of Ljubljana that offers psychological help to children, adolescents and parents. Similar counselling centres operate in other towns too; ask them directly how to get involved and whether there are any costs.
• TOM telefon (116 111 in Slovenia) is a free and anonymous line for children and young people.

When you have no income, or not enough

If you are unemployed, retired on a small pension or supporting a family on one modest income, the public route — GP, referral, mental health centre — is the most logical one for you, because it requires no payment. In addition:

• The social work centre is the place to go not only for financial help, but also for counselling and connection to other programmes.
• Free counselling services such as Posvet are not tied to your status.
• Contribution according to means. Some therapists and institutes keep a few lower-priced slots for people in financial hardship. There is no shame in asking — the worst that can happen is that they say no.

Special situations: violence, addiction, grief

For some kinds of distress there are specialised programmes that are free for users.

• Violence. The SOS helpline for women and children victims of violence (080 11 55 in Slovenia), non-governmental organisations, safe houses and maternity homes. Help is free. More in Where to get help with abuse in Slovenia.
• Addiction. Centres for the prevention and treatment of drug addiction operate in the public network, and many non-governmental organisations run programmes for people with addiction and their families.
• Grief and terminal illness. The Slovenian Hospice Association offers support to the dying, their families and the bereaved.
• Acute distress. Klic v duševni stiski (01 520 99 00 in Slovenia, daily from 7 pm to 7 am), the Samarijan helpline (116 123 in Slovenia, 24 hours), and in immediate danger 112.

(A composite conversation, not a real person.)
“I’d like to go to therapy, but everything I find starts at 50 euros. And on referral you wait half a year.”
“What is weighing on you most right now?”
“I can’t sleep, I barely get through work, and at home I’m impossible with the kids.”
“Then I would start with two things at once. Your GP, because sleep and work belong there. And a mental health centre or a free counselling service, so you’re not waiting alone. And ask your employer whether they have an assistance programme. One of those doors will open faster than you think.”

How to find your route — a five-step exercise

If you don’t know where to start, take ten minutes and answer these five questions on a sheet of paper.

1. How urgent is it? If you are thinking about suicide or someone is in danger, don’t wait: 112, Klic v duševni stiski or Samarijan. Everything else comes after.
2. What is troubling you — your body, a relationship, a particular distress, or a crisis? For insomnia, severe depression or a need for medication, your GP is the first address. For relationship difficulties, it is couples therapy or the CSD.
3. Who are you right now? A student, employed, unemployed, the parent of a teenager? Write down two options from this post that apply to you.
4. How much can you pay per month without it adding to your burden? Nothing, a little, or the full price? That alone narrows the choice.
5. What will you do in the next seven days? One concrete step: a call, an email, a visit. Not searching for the “perfect” help, but a first contact.

It often turns out that the best route is not one but a combination: a doctor for the body and medication, a counselling service or therapist for talking.

Where free help is not enough

I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t say this too: free and subsidised options have limits. Counselling services usually offer a limited number of sessions. In the public network you rarely choose your therapist yourself. For deeper, long-term work — on patterns from your family of origin, on recurring difficulties in relationships, on old wounds — longer therapy is often needed, and today it is mostly self-funded.

This does not mean free help is worse. It means it serves a different purpose: first aid, assessment, crisis, a short period. And it means that sometimes the best decision is to combine — to start on the public or free route and later, once it is clear what you need, decide on a longer process.

The reverse is also true: not every kind of distress is for psychotherapy. Sometimes you need a psychiatrist first, sometimes social support, sometimes a lawyer. I wrote about when therapy is the first step and when it isn’t in When you need a psychiatrist first.

What to watch out for with cheaper providers

Until April 2027 the title “psychotherapist” is not protected in Slovenia. So with any provider offering cheaper or free help, ask:

• what training they have, and in which psychotherapeutic approach;
• whether they work under supervision if they are still in training;
• which professional association they belong to;
• how confidentiality is handled.

A good therapist will answer these questions without embarrassment. The questions for choosing a therapist from the knowledge base and the explanation of what psychotherapy actually is can also help.

What to remember

• Psychotherapy is not yet a regular health insurance entitlement in Slovenia; on referral it is provided only by psychiatrists and clinical psychologists.
• The Act on Psychotherapeutic Activity starts to apply in April 2027; the public route will widen gradually, and the details are not yet known.
• Without a referral you can go to a mental health centre, a social work centre and free counselling services.
• Students, children and teenagers have the most free options; couples the fewest — for them there are social work centres, NGO programmes and therapists in training.
• Check with your employer and insurer whether you are entitled to a few free sessions — many people are and don’t know it.