Method 

What Is Psychological Counseling?

Psychological, psychosocial, or social counseling is a side-discipline of psychology that offers professional support to clients in various situations. Unlike therapy, which is primarily concerned with the treatment of mental illnesses, counseling takes a more preventive approach by promoting mental and emotional well-being as well as providing clients with the tools and techniques to manage stress, make difficult decisions, and overcome specific problems. To achieve this, counselors assist clients through an open dialogue supported by active listening, targeted questions, and various exercises. The goal of a counseling session is to create a supportive environment that empowers you to find solutions to your own problems.

As a counselor, I will accompany you on this journey, offering emotional support and new perspectives in an atmosphere free of judgment. The pace of our sessions follows your personal needs and level of comfort. The same is true of the topics we discuss: While some clients start the counseling process with a specific issue in mind, others need a few sessions to find the right words to describe what’s on their mind. There is no one correct approach here, only the one that is right for you.

What Can Counseling Help Me With?

There are a variety of situations, in which psychological counseling can help process through emotions, function despite difficult circumstances, and achieve a greater level of satisfaction:

  • Stress: work-life balance, resilience, coping techniques

  • Significant life events: grief, career changes, breakup or divorce etc.

  • Conflict: personal or professional, setting boundaries, communication

  • Difficult decisions: Often connected to life events, possible career changes, crossroads in life

  • Self-development: questions of identity, establishing good habits, improving stability and resilience

  • Relationship problems: improving communication and mutual understanding, addressing trust issues or infidelity, sexual well-being and satisfaction

  • Coping with long-term situations: loss, chronic illnesses etc.

Depending on the issues you’d like to address, counseling can act as a short-term intervention or offer long-term support. Similarly, the specific mix of techniques and exercises used during counseling is tailored to your specific needs.

What Forms of Psychological Counseling Are There?

The field of counseling can be further divided into different schools and methods. My personal approach is known as systemic counseling. This means that during counseling sessions, I take into account all factors that shape a client’s circumstances, including the complex web of personal and professional relationships that plays a major role in everyone’s life.

Additionally, there are other forms of counseling that can prove helpful depending on the issue a client would like to work on. Psychological counseling offers a supportive environment for self-development, addressing personal crises or to develop new strategies for dealing with long-term challenges such as grief or chronic illness. As a trained couples counselor, I also work with anyone looking to work through conflicts in personal, professional or intimate relationships. Finally, I also offer personal coaching, so-called life coaching to help you achieve your goals.

More information about my services

What Does a Counseling Session Look Like?

All counseling sessions begin with a quick introduction, during which we will discuss what you would like to talk about and how I can best support you. The next steps really depend on the specific topic you’d like to address. Through a combination of targeted questions, creative exercises and techniques we’ll practice together, I will help you develop new solutions, face challenging situations and make difficult choices. How long the counseling process lasts depends on how much support you would like to draw on. Since counseling is entirely voluntary, you can always pause or stop sessions if you feel you no longer need them.

Legal Framework for Psychological Counseling in Austria

In Austria, psychological counseling (Lebens- und Sozialberatung) is a regulated profession that requires training at a certified institution, as well as regular supervision. As a licensed counselor, I am also bound to professional confidentiality under GeWO § 119, meaning what we discuss during sessions will remain between us.

You can find more information here. (Unfortunately only in German.)

What Counseling Cannot Do

Psychosocial counseling can offer new perspectives, professional support and important tools for everyday life. However, it is important to note that counseling has its limit.

Counseling can not:

  • Treat mental illnesses: Psychological disorders, as listed in ICD-11, require the professional care of psychologists and psychotherapists. For individuals with a mental illness, counseling can act as a supplement to these forms of treatment, but it cannot replace them.

  • Make decisions for you: The only person who knows what you want out of life is you. Although counselors can help you think through decisions and weigh all your options, they cannot make choices for you. Our job is to help you find your own answers.

  • Give you “The Solution”: During our sessions, I may offer up suggestions or point out resources such as support groups or public programs. However, it is up to you whether you want to make use of these ideas and services.