Psychological counseling center 2022

In 2022, the number of initial conversations was 1.540 and thus remained almost constant compared to the previous year 2021 with 1.520 conversations. What is striking, however, is the concentration of these discussions on the winter months.

The effects of the pandemic in previous years were reflected in the difficulties many students had in adapting to the university environment. During the period of pandemic-related restrictions, some developed disorders that required treatment to ensure their academic success.

The war in Ukraine led to fears and acute emergencies not only among Ukrainian students, but also among Russian students in Berlin due to the sanctions. The average number of initial consultations and monthly clients in the first quarter of 2022 was above the level of the comparable period of the previous year.

The majority of the consultations were carried out personally by the psychological counseling center. Telephone and video-supported consultations were also offered.

At the beginning of the 2022/23 winter semester, the PBS' extensive in-person group offering was resumed, allowing students to exchange ideas with each other. Targeted offers were aimed particularly at women, people with depressive moods and English-speaking international students. Particularly noteworthy is the introduction of regular English-speaking advisory groups in 2022, which enabled us to also offer international students an expanded advisory service. The demand for groups on the topics of procrastination, fear of speaking and exam anxiety has increased again.

In collaboration with the Culture and International Department, the “Dark Night/Dark Week” event was held in the fall and was met with great response. An online survey conducted towards the end of the year reflected both the perceived stress of students and the positive response that the PBS 2022 offering was well tailored to their needs.