If You Need Social or Psychological Help

In Germany, there is a highly developed network of social and psychological counselling and support services that are free-of-charge.

The major German charity and welfare organizations fund and organize many counselling services the Arbeiterwohlfahrt, the Caritas Verband, the Deutscher Paritätische Wohlfahrtsverband, the Deutsches Rote Kreuz, the Diakonisches Werk, and the Zentralwohlfahrtsstelle der Juden in Deutschland.

Apart from these, there are other general-purpose or specific counselling centers that are funded by private organizations or by the public sector.

The following organizations and associations are well-known:

• The "Kinderschutzbund" (Children's Defense Association) (educational questions etc.)
• Pro Familia (family planning, sexual education and sexual counselling)
• Frauennotrufe (women emergency hotlines) (violence against women etc.)
• For university students, the student services organizations offer psychosocial counselling.

You can also contact the local public health offices (addresses are listed in telephone directories), which often offer their own counselling services or refer people to other organizations.  Addresses of local counselling centers are listed in telephone directories and sometimes published in local newspapers.