COUNSELLING & GUIDANCE

In general, the Equal Opportunities Office is available to all employees, teachers and students of IU International University of Applied Sciences for advice. It shows possibilities on how and where help can best be given. The Equal Opportunities Officer and her staff are sworn to secrecy and are not bound by instructions in their function. The contents of conversations are treated confidentially and are not passed on to third parties without consent.  

This applies to all occasions such as:  

• perceived discrimination  

• accessibility  

• sexual harassment  

• stalking  

• threat or use of (virtual) violence  

• general violations of the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) of any kind  

In addition, the Equal Opportunities Office advises all instances in all units on discrimination issues, including perceived discrimination and/or threats of violence by third parties against our students. The Equal Opportunities Office can be consulted in the event of acute problems.  

The Equal Opportunities Officer offers mediation talks and support in conflict resolution upon request.   

The following counselling centres are available outside the university: 

• Caritas Online Counselling  
  https://www.caritas.de/hilfeundberatung/onlineberatung/onlineberatung  

• Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency  
  https://www.caritas.de/hilfeundberatung/onlineberatung/onlineberatung  

• Social Psychiatric Service  
  The Social Psychiatric Service offers free counselling and help for adults with mental problems, mental illnesses, in acute crisis situations, suicidal thoughts, addiction problems, age-related mental disorders and mental disabilities, also for relatives and the social environment.  
  Addresses in other federal states: https://www.psychiatrie.de/kommunale-psychiatrie/sozialpsychiatrische-dienste.html  

• Psychosocial contact and counselling centres  
  Addresses of psychosocial contact and counselling centres in major German cities:  
  Psychosocial Contact and Counselling Centre in Berlin 
  http://kbs-berlin.net/  

• Hamburg Psychosocial Counselling Centre  
  https://www.psk-hamburg.de/  

• Berlin Crisis Service  
  https://www.berliner-krisendienst.de/  

Apps (partly chargeable, but nationwide)  

• Online psychologists  
  https://instahelp.me/de/online-psychologen/  

• Immediate help for psychological stress  
  https://www.selfapy.de  

You'll find all of the important information about your study programme and IU International University of Applied Sciences in your personal brochure.