Therapy guarantee (terapiatakuu)
A Finnish law under which short-term psychotherapy or other time-limited psychosocial treatment for people under 23 must start in primary care within 28 days of the need being established. In force since 1 May 2025.
Terapiatakuu (therapy guarantee) is a statutory time limit for access to mental health treatment in Finland. The children's and young people's therapy guarantee entered into force on 1 May 2025: for a person under 23, short-term psychotherapy or another structured, time-limited psychosocial treatment must begin in primary health care within 28 days of the need being established. It covers mild and moderate mental health disorders.
What it covers
- Short-term psychotherapy in health care
- Structured brief interventions in social and health care (for example guided self-help and structured short treatments)
Who it applies to
Children and young people under 23. Adults have no separate therapy guarantee: general waiting-time limits apply, and many wellbeing services counties use the same stepped-care model (Terapiat etulinjaan) for adults too.
In practice
Monitoring data on how well the guarantee is met is still incomplete, and county finances affect access. If the time limit is not met, ask your county in writing when treatment will start and, if needed, contact the patient ombudsman.