What is the best way to contact us and what is the procedure?

Feel free to write us an email at counselling@wu.ac.at.
Please also describe briefly the challenge you are facing at the moment.

We will reply with a proposed date for an appointment, which you can confirm or cancel.

If the proposed date does not suit you, we will find another one.

Where does the coaching session take place?

The coaching session can take place in person on campus or online via MS Teams.

The meeting point for face-to-face appointments is always outside the Study Service Center in the LC Building at the agreed time.

What is the time frame for a coaching session?

A coaching session lasts 50 minutes.

Many students use a coaching session to get a fresh perspective at their dilemma and develop possible solutions so they have enough clarity to take the next step.

Some students find themselves in complex circumstances and may need multiple sessions. Depending on our current capacity, we can offer a number of sessions to a student or help them find the support they need.

What do I do if I can't keep an appointment or no longer need it?

Something unexpected has come up or you no longer need an already arranged appointment? Please be fair and cancel your appointment as soon as possible (mail to counselling@wu.ac.at) to your slot becomes available to someone else.

There are usually many other students waiting for an appointment and they are grateful for it.

How is coaching different from psychotherapy?

We are not psychotherapists and coaching is not a substitute for psychotherapy.

Coaching deals with a current challenge or situation and is future and solution oriented.

In a coaching session, we work on a specific situation. In psychotherapy, the influence of your personal history is also considered and how it has contributed to your current state. If you suffer from a high level of pressure or suffering and you struggle to manage everyday life, psychotherapy is recommendable.
Coaching also does not deal with mental illnesses (such as depression, anxiety disorders aso.).

If you need psychotherapy but encounter problems in finding a suitable psychotherapist, feel free to contact us. We have a small network of external therapists that we can recommend.

You can also contact the BÖP (- in German) Helpline (01/504 8000 or via email helpline@boep.or.at).

What do I do if the coaching session doesn’t meet my expectations, or I do not understand or like the approach used?

Coaching is a highly personal and individual matter. The relationship aspect between coach and coachee is essential for a successful process.

Of course, it is always possible that there’s not the right chemistry or that you do not like the coach’s approach. That is perfectly fine and not a problem. Feel free to address it. The specific offering of the Student Counselling team cannot be the right fit for all WU students; we are happy to make recommendations to you if necessary.

If you don't understand an approach/exercise or don't like it, please address it right away in the situation, only this way your coach can respond adequately. The coaching approach should work for for you; there are no universal panaceas that work for everyone. Only if an approach/exercise feels appropriate, will it be able to make a difference in your process.

What about privacy and confidentiality?

Everything you entrust to us is subject to confidentiality and remains between us. Data is deleted and destroyed at regular intervals.

• FEM Health Center for Women, Parents & Girls: https://fem.at/englisch-information-in-english/

• Women's helpline against violence: http://www.frauenhelpline.at/

• MEN Men's health center: https://men-center.at/englisch/

• Männerinfo (men's helpline): https://www.maennerinfo.at/ (in German only)

• Domestic Abuse Intervention Centre Vienna: https://www.interventionsstelle-wien.at/english-summary

• Crisis Intervention Center Vienna: https://kriseninterventionszentrum.at/en/

• Psychosozialer Dienst Wien (mental health support Vienna): https://psd-wien.at/ (in German)

• Telefonseelsorge (general helpline): https://www.telefonseelsorge.at/ (in German)

• Ö3 Kummernummer (grief helpline by Ö3 radio): https://oe3.orf.at/kummernummer/stories/2712988/ (in German)

• Schuldenberatung (debt advice services NPO): https://www.schuldenberatung.at/english/

• Hilfe für Angehörige psychisch kranker Menschen (help for relatives of mentally ill people): https://www.hpe.at/de/ (in German)

• Women's counseling center for sexual violence: http://www.frauenberatung.at/index.php/angebote/beratung-en