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.

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

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

We offer a walk-in 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.

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.

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)

• 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

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.

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.

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"verw.uni-hamburg.de

or

Bernd Nixdorff, Team Leader Psychological Counseling, ext: 3303, bernd.nixdorff"AT"verw.uni-hamburg.de

For personal matters requiring counseling, please use one of the counseling for University staff services in the Staff Service Portal.