How to find a psychologist or psychiatrist in Portugal
This guide will help you choose the right specialist, get help through the public health system or find private and online support. Psychologists and psychiatrists do different jobs, and the cost and waiting time depend heavily on how you seek help. This is not diagnosis or treatment over the internet.
If there is immediate danger, get urgent help
If someone intends to harm themselves or others, has already made an attempt or has lost touch with reality, call 112 or go to the nearest Serviço de Urgência (accident and emergency department). Do not leave the person alone if it is safe for you to stay with them.
For a medical assessment and help choosing the right service, you can call Linha SNS 24 (the National Health Service helpline) on 808 24 24 24. The national suicide prevention line, 1411, is free and open 24 hours a day. In this situation there is no need to wait for a regular appointment with a psychologist.
Work out whether you need a psychologist or a psychiatrist
A psicólogo (psychologist) carries out psychological assessment and therapy but does not prescribe medication. A psiquiatra (psychiatrist) is a doctor: they can make a medical diagnosis, prescribe medication and write the prescription. People often see a psychiatrist and have psychotherapy with a psychologist at the same time.
If the symptoms appeared after giving birth, during pregnancy or alongside other treatment, tell your family doctor, gynaecologist or other treating doctor about them as well. With severe depression, mania, psychosis, self-harm, serious addiction or an unusual reaction to medication, it is better to start with a medical assessment.
“By the end of the first month I realised the baby blues weren't letting go and actually it all looked like depression, I did a depression test, told my gynaecologist at the appointment that my mental health was really not great and started taking an antidepressant. The gynaecologist prescribed it, but made me promise that if I didn't feel better after 3 months on it I'd go and see a proper specialist.”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkpequenos_PT09.03.2026
Seek help through the SNS public health system
Book an appointment with a Médico de Família (family doctor) at your Centro de Saúde (health centre). If you do not have a family doctor, contact your Unidade de Saúde Familiar (family health unit) or Unidade de Cuidados de Saúde Personalizados (personalised primary care unit) and ask how to get an available doctor's appointment.
Describe your symptoms, how long you have had them and how they affect your sleep, work and everyday life. The doctor may start treating a common anxiety or depressive disorder themselves, refer you to a primary care psychologist or refer you to public psychiatric services. Routine appointments in the Serviço Nacional de Saúde (National Health Service, SNS) are usually free for the patient, but the availability of specialists and the waiting list depend on the region and how urgent your case is.
If your condition gets worse while you wait, go back to the doctor or contact SNS 24: the referral can be reassessed for urgency. In practice, the wait for a public psychiatrist sometimes lasts many months.
“We spend about €600 a month on extra sessions with a psychologist, an online neuropsychologist, a speech therapist, sensory integration + medication and visits to a private psychiatrist. We never did get a free psychiatrist. The Saúde sent the request back in March(!) for a first appointment and si-lence. So it's all out of our own pocket🥲 But there is a point to all of it.”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkpequenos_PT19.09.2025
Check the free programme for people aged 12 to 35
As of August 2026, the Cuida-te programme (a youth health support programme) offers people aged 12 to 35 free sessions with a psychologist, in person or online. A minor needs the consent of a legal guardian.
Applications are made on Gov.pt through the Cheque Cuida-te – Psicologia service (a Cuida-te voucher for a psychologist). To log in, you need a Chave Móvel Digital (digital mobile key, CMD). The programme's conditions may change, so before applying, check the age limits, the available specialists and the current rules on the service page.
Find a private specialist in Portugal
Look for a psychologist in the register of the Ordem dos Psicólogos Portugueses (Order of Portuguese Psychologists), and for a psychiatrist through the Ordem dos Médicos (Portuguese Medical Association). Private hospitals and clinics let you filter doctors by language and book without a referral from a family doctor. Before booking, check the language of the consultation, the format, the price of the first and follow-up appointments and the cancellation policy.
At a private clinic the wait is usually shorter, but it depends on the city and the particular doctor. In one case, a patient got an appointment with an English-speaking psychiatrist at the private Hospital da Luz in Porto within a week: the doctor read the psychologist's report and prescribed medication.
“in Porto there's the Luz clinic and they have private English-speaking psychiatrists. Don't know how good they are or what that even means, but at the appointment they listened to me properly, read the document from my psychologist, prescribed medication. I waited a week for the appointment, it was all accessible and no hassle. But I don't have any complicated diagnoses. Later I was even able to buy the antidepressant again without renewing the prescription. I just went to the same pharmacy and they looked up on my card that I'd already bought this medicine from them on prescription.”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkchatporto03.07.2025
If you look for therapy in Russian online, check the specialist's qualifications
Online it is easier to find a specialist who speaks Russian, but first ask them about their main degree, further training, professional registration and the methods they use. Ask which country they are allowed to practise in, how they store notes and personal data, what they do in a crisis and whether they can refer you to a doctor in Portugal.
An online psychologist from another country is no substitute for a Portuguese psychiatrist and usually cannot issue a prescription that is valid in Portugal. Promises of a guaranteed cure for depression, addiction or another disorder in a fixed course are a reason to look for another specialist. A trial session does not commit you to continuing therapy.
Check your insurance cover before booking
Call your insurer or check your online account, and ask specifically about consulta de psicologia (a psychologist's consultation), psicoterapia (psychotherapy), consulta de psiquiatria (a psychiatrist's consultation) and teleconsulta (remote consultation). Psychiatry may be covered like any other medical speciality, while psychotherapy may not be covered at all or may have a separate limit.
Check both options: atendimento na rede (treatment within the network with a co-payment) and reembolso fora da rede (reimbursement of costs outside the network). Find out the co-payment, the percentage and upper limit of reimbursement, the annual limit on sessions, whether you need a referral or prior authorisation, the waiting period and the rules for online appointments. Do not rely on the phrase ‘psychology is included’ alone: ask for written confirmation for the specialist you have chosen.
Prepare for your first appointment and agree on a plan for what comes next
Write down when the symptoms started, what makes them worse, what medicines and supplements you take, and whether you have had similar episodes and treatment before. Bring reports from previous specialists and test results, if you have them. At the appointment, ask about the working hypothesis, the goals, how often you will meet, roughly how long the work will take and when to assess the results.
If you are prescribed medication, check the dose, possible side effects, how the dose will be changed and the date of your follow-up. Do not start, stop or buy more antidepressants or other prescription medicines on your own without a current prescription; a pharmacy happening to sell them to you without a new prescription does not mean you can keep doing so.
What it costs, according to community conversations
| support package for a child | about €600 a month in September 2025: psychologist, online neuropsychologist, speech therapist, sensory integration, medication and a private psychiatrist | source |
| Cuida-te, ages 12–35 | €0 for the user; the programme's voucher was worth €40 in August 2026 | source |
| family, mental health support and medication per month | about €600 | source |
What to bring
- identity card or passport
- Número de Utente (SNS patient number)
- insurance card and policy number
- a doctor's referral, if the SNS or your insurance requires one
- a list of medicines, supplements and doses
- previous reports from a psychologist or psychiatrist
- hospital discharge summaries and test results
- Chave Móvel Digital (digital mobile key) for Cuida-te
- consent of a legal guardian for a minor
Where people most often trip up
- Do not confuse a psychologist with a psychiatrist: a psychologist does not prescribe medication.
- The wait for public psychiatric care can last many months.
- Not having a family doctor does not mean you cannot go to a health centre.
- Insurance may cover a psychiatrist but not psychotherapy.
- Insurers may have session limits, co-payments and compulsory prior authorisation.
- Check the registration and training of a private or online specialist.
- Guaranteed results and promises to cure everything in one course are a warning sign.
- Do not stop psychiatric medication or change the dose on your own.
- If someone's life is at risk, do not wait for a routine appointment: call 112.
How it went for people
Depression, emigration and free online consultations
This person went through treatment-resistant depression, left a long relationship that wasn't working and emigrated. Throughout those years they studied cognitive psychology and self-help techniques based on reshaping the way you think. Now they give free online consultations, but make a point of saying that this is not psychotherapy or coaching.
An online course helped her prepare for the birth
During her pregnancy, a woman decided against a doula because of the price and instead took an online course with feedback on childbirth, baby care and breastfeeding. Being able to rewatch the lectures and ask a gynaecologist questions helped her get over her fear of the unknown and prepare her husband. After the birth, she was able to insist on the baby being properly checked for tongue-tie, and her suspicions were confirmed.
Recovering after an emergency caesarean
After an emergency caesarean, a woman took about five months to recover physically, and 10 months after her daughter was born she still had not recovered emotionally. For the first three months she could edit a book during feeds, but by the fourth month her energy had run out and her productivity dropped sharply. She has help from a nanny twice a week for 2 hours, a cleaner once a week, a psychologist twice a month and a free Saturday, but the severe tiredness persists.
A school psychologist after a child was bullied
In Year 5 at a private school, a classmate kept pushing a boy, but at first the teacher thought it was just a game. After a bruise, his mother said she did not feel her child was safe and would start looking for another school, but a talk with the children did not stop the bullying. When a teacher saw a new incident and the class confirmed what had happened, the school called in the other boy's parents and referred him to the psychologist. After that, the incidents died down.
Psychological support during pregnancy
During her pregnancy, a woman saw a psychologist from time to time because of overwhelming emotions and worries. She also used meditations and hypnobirthing in an app to work on her breathing, let go of anxiety and relax. She gave birth at the free hospital in Cascais, where she was treated with care and kindness.
Extra support for a child struggling to settle in
Because their son was struggling to settle in, the parents discussed with the school psychologist whether to keep him in kindergarten for another year. They decided to send him to Year 1, and with their consent the psychologist arranged special support so that there were no more than 20 pupils in his class. The boy is now in Year 3 and has become one of the best pupils. The extra support was withdrawn from the second term.
Retold in our own words from messages in open chats. The link leads to the full original message.