Psychological Counseling
During their studies, many students experience difficult times in their personal lives or suffer from extreme overload or crises that cannot always be managed alone. According to a survey conducted by the Deutsches Studentenwerk, 16% of students need professional help during their studies.
Learn more about us and how we work in this pdf.
Psychological counseling by phone
Despite Corona restrictions we do offer psychological counseling. We are pleased to help you to get through these difficult times.
Individual counseling can be done via Video session (data protection is assured as we use a certified platform for doctors and therapists) or on the phone.
In order to arrange a counseling session, please register through our Mailportal first.
Groups and workshops are suspended for the time being.
Counseling withour prior appointment is offered on the phone only, every Monday between 10 am and noon:
040 42838 5940 and
040 42838 8943
The Psychological Counseling Team
In the Center for Academic Advising and Psychological Counseling, we have a team of psychological psychotherapists with a broad range of psychotherapeutic focuses and methods. Thanks to our many years working at the University, we are particularly familiar with the problems students can face in their personal and academic lives as well as with the full range of advising services.
We do not see psychological counseling primarily as treating an illness; instead, we use an approach focused on providing guidance and support to develop solutions to current or longer-term problems.
Individual and group counseling
Students are welcome to come to an individual counseling session or register to join an ongoing counseling group (see registration form). Counseling is available for all difficulties regarding your studies and personal situations that affect your studies, such as:
- learning difficulties or work-related disorders
- managing stress and exhaustion
- writing, speaking, and exam anxiety
- questions and crises when choosing subjects or fields of study
- questions regarding identity and orientation
- relationship, partner, and family problems
- loneliness or isolation
- depression and anxiety
- addiction
The sessions can be held in German, English, French, Spanish or Arabic language.
Unfortunately, we cannot offer longer term psychotherapeutic treatment in the Center for Academic Advising and Psychological Counseling itself. However, most people who come to us seeking advice have managed to find a solution to their problem after 1 to 6 individual sessions. Where necessary, we can provide other forms of support, such as our workshops available in German, and help you to find other services within or outside of the University.
We are happy to answer any questions you may have about out-patient psychotherapy treatment and can help you find a suitable psychotherapist. For more information on psychotherapy or finding a psychotherapist, go to the Psychotherapeutenkammer Hamburg webpage or the psychotherapy information service provided by the association of German psychologists. Please note these are German language sources.
- Psychotherapeutenkammer Hamburg (Hamburg chamber of psychotherapists)
- Wege zur Psychotherapie
- Psychotherapie-Informationsdienst
Office hours for Psychological Counseling
We offer an open psychological counseling service to give students the opportunity to have a short counseling session with a psychologist without an appointment. This allows you to jointly assess your situation, and develop ideas on how best to proceed.
As the Campus-Center is currently closed to the public, we currently offer psychological counseling only by telephone. You can reach us every Monday between 10 am and noon by telephone without prior appointment:
040 42838 5940 and
040 42838 8943
Office hours for Psychological Counseling for refugees
We offer a walk-in psychological counseling service especially for refugees to give students the opportunity to have a short counseling session with a psychologist without an appointment. This allows you to jointly assess your situation, and develop ideas on how best to proceed.
The sessions can be held in German, English, French or Arabic language.
Our walk-in counseling service hour is on Wednesdays, 1:30 – 2:30 pm in the Campus Center, Alsterterrasse 1, third floor. Just take a number from the ticket dispenser next to the Service Point counter and wait to be called.
Support for students with mental illness (HOPES)
This is a special service for students from all Hamburg universities who need practical advice on managing the challenges of studying after a serious psychological event, or after in-patient psychological treatment.
- Hilfe und Orientierung für psychisch erkrankte Studierende (HOPES—support for students with mental illness)
Tests and materials for self-assessment
- advice for students dealing with learning difficulties and work-related disorders (FU Berlin)
- Tipps zu Stressbewältigung und Erschöpfung (KIT)—German site with tips for dealing with stress and exhaustion
- Online-Gesundheitstrainings zur Reduzierung psychischer Beschwerden—German site on health training to reduce psychological stress
- Selbsttests Suchtgefährdung—German site with self-assessment tests for risk of addiction
Registration
We provide services for students from Universität Hamburg, the Hamburg University of Music and Drama, and the Hochschule für Bildende Künste.
As unencrypted emails may be intercepted by unauthorized third parties, in compliance with personal data protection law, we use a secure mail portal for contact purposes. To use the mail portal, register with a name and password, and then log in.
Our response will be sent to the mail portal. An email will be sent to your personal email account to let you know you have received a response.
We make every effort to organize an appointment for an initial consultation as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, given the large number of people needing our services, you may have to wait.
You can get more information on our psychological counseling services and on the registration process in our counseling office hours and at the Center for Academic Advising in the Campus Center.
Crisis intervention
Students suffering an acute psychological crisis can seek help from our psychological counselors without an appointment between 9 am and 3 pm. Please come to the front office in the Alsterterrasse 1 (fourth floor).
In principle, psychiatric care in crisis situations must be provided by local registered doctors. If these doctors cannot be reached, you can also turn to the psychiatric outpatient centers in a hospital or a psychosocial counseling facility. See the German-language therapy directory from the Ministry of Health and Consumer Protection to find a location that suits you.
Therapieführer der Behörde für Gesundheit und Verbraucherschutz (directory of therapists)
Outside of our normal office hours, help is available for acute psychiatric crises at the outpatient centers of large hospitals or from the Hamburg medical emergency service (Ärztlicher Notfalldienst Hamburg) on +49 40 228022.
Services for teaching staff
Difficult situations may arise when dealing with students. These include:
- students acting in a way that suggests psychological disorder;
- students constantly disrupting classes and who do not respond to reprimand;
- students behaving aggressively towards other students;
- fellow students, or you yourself, beginning to worry about a student’s behavior; or
- open conflicts arising, for example regarding exams or examination matters
- etc.
In these cases, you can contact the Psychological Counseling service.
Contact:
Ronald Hoffmann, Head of the Center for Academic Advising and Psychological Counseling, ext: 3646, ronald.hoffmann"AT"uni-hamburg.de
For personal matters requiring counseling, please use one of the counseling for University staff services in the Staff Service Portal.
Additional services
Counseling Center for Social and International Affairs—BeSI
The Studierendenwerk Hamburg counseling center assists all students from Hamburg universities in resolving social, personal, and financial problems.
AStA psychological counseling
AStA (student council) has a team of students trained to provide counseling for fellow students. Counseling is offered every Thursday, 1–5 pm during the lecture period and semester holidays in the AStA Freiraum (Room 0041, Von Melle Park 5).
- Psychologische Beratung von Studierenden für Studierende beim AStA (students counseling students, available in German only)
Psychological counseling from the Department of International Affairs
The Department of International Affairs offers psychological counseling (by appointment) for international students.
Crisis services available outside our office hours
Sometimes, speaking to someone via the student telephone and email counseling services STEMS (Studentischen Telefon- und E-Mail-Seelsorge) can help to clarify a situation or get you through a difficult moment. The Studentische Seelsorge, a student crisis hotline, is available daily, 8 pm–12 am at +49 40 4117-0411.
- Studentische Seelsorge der Evangelischen Studentinnen- und Studentengemeinde Hamburg (student counseling service from the Hamburg Evangelical student group offered in German)
In principle, psychiatric care in crisis situations must be provided by local registered doctors. If these doctors cannot be reached, you can also turn to the psychiatric outpatient centers in a hospital or a psychosocial counseling facility. See the German-language therapy directory from the Ministry of Health and Social Services to find a location that suits you.
- Therapieführer der Behörde für Gesundheit und Verbraucherschutz (directory of therapists)
The Hamburg Medical Emergency Service (Ärztlicher Notfalldienst Hamburg) can be reached at
+49 40 228022.