Psychological counseling
The Central Study Advisory and Counseling Service offers psychological support to students and doctoral candidates at the University of Bonn who are facing mental health issues that can get in the way of their degree program or doctorate. If needed, we can also advise you on finding therapy and/or put you in touch with someone who will be able to help. We distinguish between psychological clearing (brief consultations) and (one-to-one) psychological counseling in terms of the services we provide. You can also take advantage of our workshops and coaching, which focus on specific issues.
Come and seek counseling early so that your problems do not fester.
Psychological clearing
The nature and severity of mental health issues can vary considerably. Students often find it hard to gauge at what point they are able or entitled to seek psychological counseling or treatment and who they should turn to with their problem.
The aim of our psychological clearing service is to help you assess your current situation, direct you toward suitable counseling services and facilities and show you how you can get treatment if needed. Psychological clearing involves a brief consultation (around 15 minutes long) that you can attend anonymously.
Please be aware that it is not a drop-in service for emergencies. If you are suffering a mental health crisis or emergency, the emergency ambulances operated by local mental health clinics are on hand around the clock. You can find their contact details further down this web page.
Office hours | Thursday 10 am to 11 am
In-person office hours
Thursday (except the first in the month)
Central Study Advisory and Counseling Service
Poppelsdorfer Allee 49 (2nd floor)
Rooms 2.009 and 2.012
You do not need to sign up or make an appointment in advance. Please arrive in good time for the start of the session and let the people in our office know that you have come for the office hours. You will then be given a number and invited in in that order.
Online consultations
Via Zoom on the first Thursday in the month:
Zoom meeting link
Meeting ID: 669 0326 0107
Password: 904538
The office hours move online on the first Thursday in the month. Simply dial in to the Zoom meeting at 10 am; you do not need to register first. We also operate a numbering system for our online drop-in sessions held via Zoom, admitting students from the waiting room to the meeting one by one.
Where the demand for psychological clearing exceeds our team’s capacity on the given day, we may not be able to accommodate each student seeking advice there and then. Should this be the case, we will inform you accordingly at the very start of the office hours. We very warmly invite you to return again the following week.
Alternatively, you can take advantage of the open consultation hours of the Psychological counselling centre (PBS) of the Studierendenwerk Bonn. Current information can be found on the PBS website.
Our counselors
Luzie Bieler
2.012
Poppelsdorfer Allee 49
53115 Bonn
Marieke Hölle
2.011
Poppelsdorfer Allee 49
53115 Bonn
Sandra Schramm
2.009
Poppelsdorfer Allee 49
53115 Bonn, Germany
One-to-one psychological counseling
In personal meetings, our counselors offer (preventive) advice regarding psychological concerns, insecurities or problems that negatively impact your quality of life or academic success. Our counselors will help you develop new perspectives, your own constructive solutions and strategies to tackle challenges.
The service explained
Common reasons for seeking counseling include stress, self-doubt, anxiety, problems with concentration and motivation, negative thoughts, depressive moods, understanding symptoms, lethargy, procrastination, detrimental learning and working strategies, examination issues, difficulties making decisions or settling in as well as personal challenges. These and many other problems can impair your quality of life and get in the way of academic success.
If you are experiencing issues of this kind or would simply like to talk about something weighing on your mind, do not hesitate to get help and make an appointment at an early stage.
Our counselors are all qualified psychological psychotherapists (PPs). They are bound by their duty of professional discretion and will, of course, treat your concerns in confidence. Nobody will be told about your visit to Psychological Counseling or the matters discussed without your express permission.
Dates and times for initial consultations are released up to 30 working days in advance. You are welcome to check back every day to see if you can book an appointment yet. This system is designed to reduce your waiting times.
It is often the case that even a single consultation, potentially with a few follow-up sessions, can help you regain sight of your own possibilities and develop coping strategies and ideas for solutions. How long counseling lasts will vary from person to person depending on what is being discussed, although the average is between one and three appointments.
Psychological counseling sessions are held in the offices at Poppelsdorfer Allee 49, on the 2rd floor (Room 2.002). Please take a seat outside the room and we will come and greet you.
Individual psychological counseling is free of charge.
The counseling we provide is a preventive support service that is focused on resources and solutions and geared towards helping people help themselves. It is not the same as psychotherapy, which is a service provided under your health insurance and is about identifying and curing or alleviating diagnosed psychological conditions classified as disorders. Psychological counseling from the Central Study Advisory and Counseling Service at the University of Bonn does not provide any diagnoses or psychotherapy services. It cannot replace any psychotherapy that has been deemed necessary. However, psychological counseling can help to obtain an initial impression of whether psychotherapy might be an advisable course of action.
We are only able to offer counseling to University of Bonn students and doctoral candidates due to limited staffing.
Our counselors
Claudia Kerp
2.002
Poppelsdorfer Allee 49
53115 Bonn, Germany
Laura Neufeldt-Homolka
2.002
Poppelsdorfer Allee 49
53115 Bonn, Germany
Anne Zilligen
2.002
Poppelsdorfer Allee 49
53115 Bonn, Germany
Appointments
One-to-one psychological counseling is available by appointment. Dates and times for initial consultations are released up to 30 working days in advance. You are welcome to check back every day to see if you can book an appointment yet. This system is designed to reduce your waiting times.
Please be aware that, for legal reasons, you are required to consent to the collection and processing of your personal data before a consultation can be held. To do this, please complete the online registration and data protection forms by following the link you will have received in the email confirming your appointment.
We use the terminland.de booking system to log our appointments.
You can consult the relevant privacy notice on this website.
The Psychological counselling centre (PBS) of the Studierendenwerk Bonn also offers one-to-one conversations and, on request, conversations with relatives or other related persons. Current information can be found on the PBS website.
Workshops and coaching
We regularly organize workshops and coaching sessions for students to strengthen their personal resources and fine-tune their study skills. They address issues such as dealing with exams, time management, leaning strategies and boosting self-esteem.
RessourcenStark durchs Studium (Sail through Your Studies)
The “RessourcenStark durchs Studium” (“Sail through Your Studies”) series of workshops is designed to help you grow your skills and abilities over the long term and strengthen your resources, ensuring that your time as a student is successful and focused on your health.
Severe psychological crises and emergencies
Emergencies
In the event of a mental health emergency or a severe psychological crisis, you can contact the hospital below at any time of day or night:
LVR-Klinik Bonn
Kaiser-Karl-Ring 20
53111 Bonn
Phone: +49 228 551-1
If you or another person are in severe danger, you can call the fire department on 112 or the police on 110.
Suicidal thoughts and suicidal crises
The #dubistmirwichtig campaign
With its #dubistmirwichtig (“you’re important to me”) campaign, the [U25] Deutschland initiative is raising awareness of the help available to young people going through a crisis. Besides offering anonymous email counseling from peers and experts, it also lists details of other counseling providers and services. Its information desk provides key information for those affected and their families, broken down by topic and condition.
www.u25-deutschland.de
Young people aged 26 or over who are experiencing suicidal thoughts can contact the MANO team online: https://mano-beratung.de.
TelefonSeelsorge®
Talking makes things easier! TelefonSeelsorge® is one of a number of services that run a 24-hour crisis phone line:
+49 800 1110111 (for Protestants)
+49 800 1110222 (for Catholics)
+49 116123
www.telefonseelsorge.de
You can find more information and support on the website of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Suizidprävention (DGS): www.suizidprophylaxe.de
Other counseling providers and services
Psychosocial Counseling flyer
You can find a selection of the counseling services and institutions available in Bonn in our Psychosocial Counseling flyer.
University Psychotherapy Outpatient Clinic
The University Psychotherapy Outpatient Clinic at the University of Bonn provides a range of professional services. There is a fee for using the service, with the cost of treatment settled via statutory health insurance.