DPH psychoterapie: Co to je a jak se liší od terapie ve zdravotnictví

When you look for help with trauma, anxiety, or relationship issues in the Czech Republic, you’ll often come across two options: DPH psychoterapie, psychoterapie poskytovaná soukromými terapeuty, které nejsou financovány z veřejných zdrojů. Also known as soukromá psychoterapie, it is the most common way people access therapy today — especially when waiting lists in public healthcare are long or when you need specialized help like EMDR or somatic therapy. This isn’t just a different price tag — it’s a different system, different rules, and sometimes, a different level of safety.

DPH stands for daňově uznávaná hmotná podpora, but in practice, it’s just a fancy way of saying you pay out of pocket. The therapist doesn’t work under the public health system, so they aren’t bound by the same funding limits, paperwork, or waiting times. But here’s the catch: before 2025, anyone with a psychology degree could call themselves a psychotherapist. Now, new laws require them to have specialized certification, formální vzdělání v psychoterapii, ověřené Ministerstvem zdravotnictví — otherwise, they can’t legally advertise as a psychotherapist. That’s why you should always ask: „Máte potvrzení o specializaci v psychoterapii?“ If they don’t, you’re not getting therapy — you’re getting advice from someone with good intentions but no legal authority to treat mental disorders.

Compare that to psychoterapie ve zdravotnictví, terapie poskytovaná v rámci veřejného zdravotnictví, často s částečným nebo plným financováním z pojistného. Here, therapists are employed by hospitals or clinics, follow strict protocols, and are monitored by health authorities. But you might wait six months for your first appointment, and you can’t choose your method — if your clinic doesn’t offer EMDR, you won’t get it. DPH therapy gives you freedom: you pick the method, the therapist, the pace. But with freedom comes responsibility. You need to know what to look for.

The posts below cover exactly this: how to spot a qualified DPH therapist, what the 2025 changes mean for you, why prices vary between Prague and small towns, and how to avoid scams disguised as therapy. You’ll find real stories about people who paid hundreds of thousands for years of therapy that didn’t work — and others who found relief in just a few sessions with the right person. We also explain what’s actually covered under public healthcare, and when it’s smarter to go private. This isn’t about choosing between cheap and expensive. It’s about choosing between safe and risky. And that’s the only decision that matters.