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Counseling, Children and Social Services
Counseling

Our counseling and social service experts provide Cologne students with professional advice and support in every situation. Counseling services are divided into three main areas: psychological, social and learning.

Psychological counseling helps you overcome your fear of exams, get rid of academic stress or listen to what you are feeling right now. Social counseling deals with financial questions about your studies and helps you choose the right insurance. And learning counseling will give you tips on how to prepare successfully and effectively for your next university exam.

Our first consultation appointments are always free of charge. Please call us to make an appointment.

Tel. 0221 168 815 - 0

Early bird
Start Up

It is tough for you to get out of bed, when you don't have any appointments? You start off your day later than you actually want to, yet you have important tasks to do? 
Then join our online programme „Start Up“ and start your day early with us. In the morning meeting, you have time to structure your day and plan your tasks.

FAQ
Frequently asked questions
FAQ

FAQ
Frequently asked questions
FAQ

Who may come?

Counseling and Social Services of the Kölner Studierendenwerk is open to any student at a Cologne university. This includes the University of Cologne, the Cologne University of Applied Sciences with its branches in Deutz (IWZ), in Südstadt, in Gummersbach and in Leverkusen, the University of Music and Dance, the German Sports University Cologne, the Academy of Media Arts Cologne, the Catholic University Cologne as well as the CBS International Business School.

 

How does a consultation work?

A consultation lasts 50 minutes on average. As a rule, we will start by clarifying your concerns: We will discuss what brings you to us and what troubles you.

Topics include your expectations and wishes for the consultation, your goals, your problem, previous therapy or consultation experience and previous attempts to find a solution.
Together with you, we will then decide whether we should continue discussions.

If during the counseling it turns out that psychotherapy or other forms of support make sense, we will help you to find a suitable therapist.

The counseling sessions are, of course, strictly confidential: we are obligated to complete confidentiality.

 

What does the consultation cost?

Up to five consulting appointments are free of charge. From the 6th appointment onwards, we charge a fee of 2.50 € per session. This regulation applies to the individual consulting areas (psychological consulting, learning guidance, social consulting) independent of each other. Social counseling is basically free of charge. If two semesters or more lie between two counselling appointments, we restart from the beginning. We charge moderate fees for group and course offerings as well.

How do I arrange a personal consultation appointment?

You can contact our office by phone or come in-person during our opening hours. If you request a consultation by e-mail, we will usually ask you to call us. This makes it easier to arrange an appointment as soon as possible.

In addition, you have the possibility to get in touch with us via our online consultation portal and make an appointment.

How quickly can I get an appointment?

We make every effort to see all those seeking advice as quickly as possible, at least not to make them wait longer than 10 - 14 days for their first appointment. Unfortunately, there may be times when this is not always possible, e.g. when there is an increased demand for appointments at the beginning of the semester or during examination periods, or when we are not well staffed during vacation periods.

How often can I come?

There is no general upper limit for us. The scope and frequency of the consulting appointments depend on your concerns and our capacities.

Who can I turn to if I am in an acute crisis situation?

In acute situations sometimes it is possible that we cannot be reached quickly enough.

In these cases you can turn to the following:
The Crisis Line (Telefonseelsorge) service is available around the clock and is free of charge. (Tel. 0800 111 01 11 / 0800 111 02 22)

In mental emergency situations you can contact a psychiatric outpatient clinic. Find out the areas of responsibility of the psychiatric outpatient clinics in Cologne here or call 0221 478 872 91.

In case of danger, you can call the police (emergency call, tel. 110) or the fire department (rescue service, tel. 112).

Can I also do psychotherapy at the counseling center?

Unfortunately, we cannot offer longer-term therapeutic processes, as this would quickly stretch us to capacity and we would no longer be able to meet our numerous requests.

If you would like to have psychotherapy or if we come to the conclusion during the consultation that it would be useful, we will be happy to advise and help you find a psychotherapist.

Where do I register for the workshops and coaching sessions?

For our workshops and coaching sessions you can easily register by sending an email to bksa-sekretariat@kstw.de or by calling 0221 168 815 - 0.

Who will know about my visit?

We are legally obliged to confidentiality in our work. This applies to all areas of counseling (psychological counseling, learning counseling, exam counseling, social counseling) and to our office. Our obligation of secrecy naturally also applies to universities, examination offices, professors, lecturers, parents, partners, health insurance companies, etc.

Small talk among our consulting team takes place in an anonymous form. Should an exchange with third parties be useful or even necessary, we will obtain a release from the obligation of secrecy from you for the specific case.

Do I need my health insurance card or my student ID?

You do not need a health insurance card: our work is largely financed by your semester fees. We do not bill through health insurance companies.

You also do not have to show us your student ID card: Your assurance that you are enrolled at a Cologne university is sufficient for us.

Can I also get advice by e-mail?

You can use our online consulting portal for this purpose, securely and anonymously. For security reasons, we do not respond to requests that we receive outside of our portal. We will then ask you to make a personal appointment or use the online consulting service.

 

 

Didn't answer your question?

We are happy to help!

Secretary

Mo bis Thu 9 am – 1 pm
Thu 2 pm – 4:30 pm
Fri 8:30 am – 2 pm
bksa-sekretariat@kstw.de