Counselling & guidance
Psychosocial Counselling (LSB)
What is Psychosocial Counselling (LSB)?
- What is Psychosocial Counselling (LSB) for?
- Support with life questions and burdens that are not clinical conditions
- Is Psychosocial Counselling (LSB) legally regulated?
- Regulated trade under the Trade Act (Lebens- und Sozialberatung), certificate of competence and registration in the GISA trade register.
- Does Psychosocial Counselling (LSB) treat illnesses?
- No. Supports concerns without clinical relevance, also alongside physical illness; does not treat mental illness.
Psychosocial counselling (Lebens- und Sozialberatung, LSB) does not treat mental illness. It supports people with life questions, decisions, conflicts and burdens that are not clinical conditions – including when a physical illness is present or treatment is running in parallel. It is an independent, legally regulated approach with solid training, not a hobby and not a stopgap.
Psychosocial counsellors are qualified professionals who accompany their clients through all areas of life. The training is regulated by law and comprises 6 semesters (4,500 hours, 180 ECTS), partly also as a Bachelor Professional at universities, and ends with a state examination. With their preventive work they are an important pillar of health care in Austria.
For whom and for what
Counselling is available for individuals, couples, families, teams and groups, mostly in private and professional problem and decision situations. Typical topics are:
- stress, strain and self-esteem
- relationships, family and conflicts
- career decisions and turning points
How the work is done
Solution- and resource-oriented: you bring your concern, counselling helps you sort, clarify and develop next steps.
LSB has a lower threshold and is usually available faster than psychotherapy. If a mental illness is involved, a serious counsellor refers you to therapy or medicine.
What is allowed
- Counsel and accompany people with life questions, conflicts and burdens
- Work with individuals, couples, families and groups
- Use methods such as structured conversation, coaching and crisis support
- Also offer nutrition or sports-science counselling if licensed accordingly
Where are the limits?
- No treatment of mental illness
- No diagnoses, no medication
- Refers to psychotherapy, clinical psychology or physicians when clinical relevance appears
- No curative treatment in the medical sense
How to recognise quality
- Trade licence for Lebens- und Sozialberatung, searchable in GISA
- Completed LSB training and ongoing supervision
- Clear agreement on mandate and fees
- Names its limits and refers on in case of illness
- No promises of cures, no pressure into long packages
How it works
- First contactdescribe your concern, clarify framework and fee
- Clarifying the mandateagree together what to work on
- Counsellingusually a few sessions; longer support is possible depending on the topic
- Endingwhen the next steps are clear