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Depressive illnesses are as common among the over-65s in Germany as among the younger population, but older people make much less use of psychotherapeutic treatment than their younger counterparts. The study Psychotherapie im Alter –Barrieren und Möglichkeiten des Zugangs (PSYTIA, “Psychotherapy in Old Age – Barriers and Opportunities”) uses qualitative and quantitative research methods to investigate the barriers and opportunities for older people with depressive illnesses to seek psychotherapy in Germany. On the basis of semi-structured interviews with depressed older people (n = 18), general practitioners (n = 14) and psychotherapists (n = 11) in Berlin, we reconstructed the stages of access to psychotherapy in its social aspect, a process in which different actors play a role, each with their own perception and conception. Four phases can be distinguished in this process: 1. the patient needs explanations and help (finding a cure); 2. he or she considers psychotherapy; 3. he or she seeks a psychotherapist; 4. he or she develops a beneficial psychotherapeutic relationship. The present contribution reveals, for each of these phases, what obstacles arise, what possibilities exist, and how important this is in the decision of depressed older people to seek psychotherapeutic treatment. The results show that it is possible to facilitate access to psychotherapeutic treatment for this age group, both through the general organisation and through the role of the individual actors.