Low-threshold services
Couple & Family Counselling
What is Couple & Family Counselling?
- What is Couple & Family Counselling for?
- Counselling on partnership, family and separation
- Is Couple & Family Counselling legally regulated?
- Subsidised family counselling centres under the Family Counselling Promotion Act, supported by the Federal Chancellery.
- Does Couple & Family Counselling treat illnesses?
- No, counselling, not treatment of illness
Couple and family counselling supports people with partnership, separation, parenting, pregnancy and family conflicts. Many centres work multi-professionally, with psychologists, counsellors, social work and lawyers.
Subsidised family counselling centres are supported by the federal government and are often free or very inexpensive, confidential, and spread across Austria.
They are well suited as a first, low-threshold point of contact. In case of mental illness, they refer to therapy or medicine.
What is allowed
- Counsel on partnership, separation, parenting and pregnancy
- Accompany family conflicts, often in a multi-professional team
- Inform on legal questions around separation
Where are the limits?
- No treatment of mental illness
- No diagnosis, no medication
- Refers to therapy or medicine when clinical relevance appears
How to recognise quality
- Recognition as a subsidised family counselling centre
- Multi-professional, qualified team
- Confidentiality
- Clear referral when treatment is needed
How it works
- Contactdescribe your concern, make an appointment
- First sessionclarify the situation
- Counsellingone or several sessions depending on the topic
- Referralto suitable services if needed
Costs & insurance
Subsidised centresfree or a small contribution
Independent counsellingby fee
Insurancenot an insurance benefit