Consultation with a psychologist or psychiatrist: what care?
Verified 03 July 2026 - Public Service / (Prime Minister)
October 1, 2026: third-party payment for consultations with licensed psychologists
The Law of 30 December 2025 on the financing of Social Security for 2026 generalizes the third-party payer for consultations with psychologists as part of My Psych Support.
This generalization is planned for the 1er October 2026. Enforcement measures will be specified by an Order in Council.
An update of this page will be made when this decree is published.
Consultations with a psychologist or psychiatrist are not reimbursed in the same way. This difference is due to the fact that one is a doctor and the other not.
It exists 2 main types of "shrink" : psychiatrist (or child psychiatrist) and psychologist.
The psychiatrist is a medical specialist. He is therefore specially trained to make a diagnosis and prescribing medications including psychotropic drugs (antidepressants, anxiolytics, neuroleptics, sleeping pills, etc.) Care can also involve talking and listening.
The psychologist is a university graduate, but not a doctor. He cannot so not prescribe medicines. There are many specializations in psychology according to age groups (child psychologist, specialist in aging disorders...), of a field of activity (occupational psychologist, school psychologist...), etc.
Psychoanalysts and psychotherapists may be psychiatrists or psychologists, but not necessarily.
Psychiatrist
Out coordinated care pathways, only insured persons between the ages of 16 and 25 can consult a psychiatrist without going through the attending physician and normally be reimbursed by the health insurance.
If you are over 25 years of age and do not follow the coordinated care pathway (i.e. without being referred by the attending physician) you can still consult a psychiatrist, the reimbursement of the Health Insurance will then be less important.
Psychologist
You can consult a psychologist without the consent of your doctor.
These rates may depend on the place where the treatment is carried out:
Please note
Consultation with a psychiatrist in a medical-psychological center (CMP) is covered by the Health Insurance.
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In metropolitan France
Rates vary depending on your age:
Over 25 years
Situation | Psychiatrist | Price list | Basis of reimbursement | Amount refunded (less lump sum contribution of €2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Direct access to patients over 25 years of age (patients without attending physician or not available within the time period compatible with their state of health, emergency situation, Ehpad: titleContent, medical-social institutions or prisons) | Sector 1 | €55 | €55 | €36.50 |
Sector 1 (very complex consultation) | €60 | €60 | €40 | |
Adhering to the controlled pricing option (OPTAM) Sector 2 | Fees with controlled overruns | €55 | €36.50 | |
Sector 2 | Free Fees | €42.50 | €27.75 | |
As part of the care pathway | Sector 1 | €55 | €55 | €36.50 |
Sector 1 (complex consultation) | €60 | €60 | €40 | |
Adhering to the controlled pricing option (OPTAM) Sector 2 | Fees with controlled overrun | €55 | €36.50 | |
Sector 2 | Free Fees | €42.50 | €27.75 | |
Corresponding doctor (for one-off follow-up) | Sector 1 | €67.50 | €67.50 | €45.25 |
Adhering to the controlled pricing option (OPTAM) Sector 2 | Fees with controlled overruns | €67.50 | €45.25 | |
Sector 2 | Free Fees | €67.50 | €45.25 | |
Out care pathway | Sector 1 | €61 maximum | €50 | €13 |
Adhering to the controlled pricing option (OPTAM) Sector 2 | Fees with controlled overruns | €50 | €13 | |
Sector 2 | Free Fees | €42.50 | €10.75 |
Under 25
Doctor consulted | Price list | Basis of reimbursement | Amount refunded |
|---|---|---|---|
Psychiatrist or child psychiatrist, sector 1 | €67 | €67 | Under 18 years: €46.90 18 years and older: €44.90 |
Psychiatrist or child psychiatrist, adhering to the contract of access to care | Fees with controlled overruns | €67 | Under 18 years: €46.90 18 years and older: €44.90 |
Psychiatrist or child psychiatrist, sector 2 | Free Fees | €42.50 | Under 18 years: €29.75 18 years and older: €27.75 |
In the Dom
French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Reunion
The website of theDetailed health insurance reimbursements for consultations in French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion.
Mayotte
The website of theDetailed health insurance reimbursements for consultations in Mayotte.
Psychologists concerned
The psychologist must:
- Sign an agreement with the local health insurance body of its place of practice
- Practice as a private individual or be an employee of a coordinated practice structure (multiprofessional health center or health center)
- Fulfill experience requirements (at least 3 years of clinical experience) and training to attest to a consolidated background in clinical psychology or psychopathology.
The list of contracted psychologists meeting these conditions is available online:
FYI
The insured choose freely the contracted psychologist.
Support for this consultation
You pay directly the psychologist after each session or at the end of several sessions (depending on the psychologist's choice):
- €50 for the 1er session (evaluation interview)
- €50 for each follow-up session (maximum 11).
Health insurance covers 60% the cost of the sessions, that is to say €30.
Your mutual or your supplementary insurance, as part of the responsible supplementary health insurance contracts, finances up to 40% the cost of the sessions.
You benefit from the third-party payer mandatory and you so you don't have to advance the costs (and sessions are supported at 100% by the Health Insurance), if you are in one of the following situations :
- Beneficiary of the complementary health solidarity
- Beneficiary of State medical aid (AME)
- Care in connection with a long-term condition (ALD) for a reason other than psychiatric and psychological support is part of the care protocol as part of your care under the ALD
- Maternity-related care (from 6e month of pregnancy)
- Accident at work and Occupational Illness Care (AT-MP).
Please note
Social Security also supports sessions with the psychologist insured by the medical-psychological center (CMP).
Conditions for benefiting from these consultations
The situation varies depending on the situation: adult, student, 3-17 years old.
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Major (18 years and over)
You must be psychically suffering, especially if you suffer from:
- Mild to moderate anxiety disorder
- Mild to moderate depression
- Misuse of tobacco, alcohol and/or cannabis (not dependent)
- Eating disorder without criteria of severity.
If you are a patient on psychotropic treatment or a bipolar or borderline patient on antiepileptics, you can benefit from psychological support to reassess the relevance of prescribed treatments. In this case, a psychiatrist's opinion is required.
Please note
The advice of a psychiatrist is not necessary for patients who have been taking antidepressants for less than 6 months or hypnotics or benzodiazepines for less than 1 month.
You can not benefit of this care if your situation requires immediately or in the process of being taken care of a specialized opinion by a psychiatrist.
Examples:
- Suicidal risks
- Severe forms of depressive or anxiety disorders
- Eating disorders with signs of severity
- Severe neurodevelopmental disorders
- Severe psychiatric history within 3 years
- Any situation of dependence on psychoactive substances.
In addition, you cannot benefit from this support if you are in one of the following situations:
- Recognized with a long-term condition or with a psychiatric disability
- On sick leave of more than 6 months for psychiatric reasons
- Having been in one of these situations for less than 2 years.
Student
If you are a student, you can benefit from a specific scheme including free sessions and no advance charge.
Child and adolescent
The minor must answer to the 2 conditions following:
- Be between 3 and 17 years of age
- Present a situation of unease or psychological suffering that causes concern in his entourage.
The minor - even meeting the eligibility criteria - cannot benefit of this care if his situation requires from the outset or in the course of care a specialized opinion by a psychiatrist.
Examples:
- Suicidal risks
- Severe forms of anxiety or depressive disorders
- Eating disorders with signs of severity
- Major withdrawal and inhibition situations
- Severe outsourced disorders
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
- Any situation of dependence on psychoactive substances.
A minor cannot benefit this support if he is in one of the following situations:
- Treatment in child psychiatry or psychiatry
- Management of ALD for psychiatric reasons
- Has been in one of these situations for less than 2 years.
Number of sessions
This support is limited to 12 sessions per calendar year. However, there is no limit for a child in ALD.
FYI
Only one session per day can be performed for the same patient.
Course of the sessions
The 1era of these sessions is devoted to an evaluation interview.
During this interview, the psychologist performs a 1era assessment of patient needs.
The psychologist presents the patient with the framework of psychological support and offers him a number of sessions, according to his needs, within the limit of 12 sessions taken care of during a calendar year.
The assessment interview and the last follow-up session shall, after the patient's agreement, involve a written exchange between:
- The psychologist
- And the patient's attending physician (or, possibly, a physician involved in the patient's care).
The psychologist who, at the end of the assessment interview or at any time during the treatment, considers that the patient is subject to psychiatric follow-up shall inform the physician of this fact after the patient has given his consent.
The psychologist can perform sessions by video transmission except during the assessment interview.
The consultation can be done directly without going through a doctor.
Unconventional liberal psychologists practice free rates not reimbursed by the Health Insurance. You can inquire at your mutual to know the possible support.
Please note
Consultation with a psychologist in a medical-psychological center (CMP) is covered by the Health Insurance.
You can also consult a psychoanalyst or psychotherapist directly.
When these professionals are neither doctors nor psychologists, they practice free rates that are not covered by the Health Insurance.
Management of counseling sessions by a psychologist
Amount of the insured person's participation for psychological counseling sessions
Psychological support: conditions for receiving care (article R162-64), 12 sessions (article R162-65), assessment interview (articles R162-66 et seq.)
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