Media service from: 22.08.2024
Family conflicts, violence or other crises can often be defused or avoided through preventive measures. The city of Linz is therefore actively involved and provides two free psychological counseling centers for children, young people and families – one in the north of Linz (Rudolfstraße 18) and one in Ebelsberg (Hofmannsthalweg 8).
A dedicated, multi-professional team consisting of clinical psychologists, psychotherapists, social workers, (social) educators and a lawyer is ready to offer support in challenging life situations. The consultations cover a wide range of topics, including divorce and separation, school problems, family conflicts and emotional and psychosomatic difficulties. All conversations are confidential and can be conducted anonymously if requested.
Children have the option of undergoing clinical psychological diagnostics. This allows for precise identification of the problem and the development of tailored therapy approaches. Therapeutic support is offered in both individual and group settings. Topic-specific groups also take place regularly, such as a therapeutic magic group or the social skills group.
A total of more than 5,400 free consultations were carried out in 2023. In the first half of 2024, 3,600 consultations were already offered.
“Our goal must be for families, children and young people to look to the future with optimism. However, the mental health of young people has worsened due to the pandemic and other ongoing crises are also putting a strain on many parents and children. We are therefore committed to providing the necessary support and last year we expanded our services with an additional psychological counseling center. Since it is low-threshold and free of charge, families are more likely to feel encouraged to seek help at an early stage,” explains Social Affairs Officer Vice Mayor Karin Hörzing.
Another successful offering is the First Love Clinic, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Here, young people receive valuable advice on topics such as contraception, relationships and sexual development.
In addition, the two municipal parent-child centers in Ebelsberg and Pichling offer comprehensive support from social workers and psychologists on all family-related issues. The Pichling family center also offers special counseling services for violent people and those affected by violence. The close cooperation between all three institutions enables the city of Linz to provide the population with a comprehensive and needs-based counseling service.
