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Dealing with sexualised violence in children

Something is suddenly different: the child is behaving strangely, no longer wants to visit certain people and their grades are getting worse, or displays a similar behaviour. This could be a sign that the child has experienced sexualised violence.

sexualised violence physical violance

Childcare without the guilty conscience

When parents work and have to have other people look after their children, this is often accompanied by a feeling of guilt.

education single parenting

Leaving children alone

From a certain age, parents ask themselves whether and for how long they can leave children alone at home. There are legal stipulations, but it also depends on how independent the child is.

education single parenting

Standing up for yourself more

Focusing more on others and suppressing your own needs can lead to depressive moods in the long term.

psychologial and physical well-being crisis

How you can learn to control outbursts of rage

Anger can quickly boil over in the heat of the moment and be expressed as loud shouting or aggressive behaviour. The individual handling of acute, negative feelings like these depends on the respective personality, upbringing experienced and social environment.

psychologial and physical well-being crisis

I feel like I'm developing dementia

Forgetfulness, putting things in the wrong place, confusion...these can be the first signs of dementia. How do I handle it?

psychologial and physical well-being

How do I learn to accept the situation I’m in?

There are situations and phases in life that lead to fears, negative thoughts and stress. These could be major issues such as separating from a partner, getting older, losing your job or being diagnosed with a disease, but it can also be seemingly insignificant things like arguing with a friend or losing your car key.

psychologial and physical well-being crisis

Increasing self-worth in old age

The older we get, the more frequently questions come up such as: Who am I? What am I worth? What still makes sense for me? How do I find satisfaction?

psychologial and physical well-being crisis

Pension splitting – how do we come to an agreement?

In voluntary pension splitting, the pension entitlements of one spouse are split between the two spouses. The idea is to balance out the financial loss that results from time spent raising children. It’s mostly women who benefit from this partnership-based solution. What do you do, though, if you can’t agree on it as a couple?

relationship compatibility of family and work

Can I be friends with my child?

The mother/father role versus friends – are they mutually exclusive? How much do I have to stick to my parental role to be respected? These questions often come up when children get a bit older.

education youth

Does having children mean giving up your career?

It’s mostly women who pull back personally when they have children, while their partners continue to have careers.

compatibility of family and work relationship

We’re expecting a child, who should give up their career?

When couples are expecting their first child, it’s important to clarify how the baby will be looked after. To do this, a detailed discussion is needed between the parents-to-be.

compatibility of family and work relationship

Money is tight

The current high levels of inflation and resulting rise in living costs are leading to existential fear among many people. They are worried that they will no longer be able to get by with the money they have.

financial difficulties crisis

Finding strength in difficult times

It can be difficult to find your inner centre again after major calamities or other major challenges. It’s important to recognise that everyone is different and needs an individual strategy

psychologial and physical well-being crisis

Raising twins – a special challenge?

When parents are expecting twins, they often ask whether there is anything special about raising them. Fundamentally no, says psychologist Melanie Henriks-Luckinger.

education relationship

When is a relationship toxic?

Mutual harm can occur over longer periods of time within a relationships, and they are then increasingly referred to as toxic. But what does that really mean?

crisis relationship

I no longer find my partner sexually attractive

There can be a number of reasons why people no longer like sharing a bed with their partner, no longer like to touch their partner and no longer feel any sexual attraction or desire for their partner. 

sexuality relationship

How do I say I want to break up?

When you want to end a relationship, it can be hard to find the right time and the right words.

crisis relationship

Constant conflict due to differing opinions

“Birds of a feather flock together” and “opposites attract”. Both are true in partners, but when frustration about different values, opinions or attitudes predominate, the couple need to do something.

psychologial and physical well-being relationship

Mental load: how does equal family management work?

Management in the household and family – thinking, planning, organising and actually achieving what you had planned – takes even more effort when there are children in the mix. These thousand-item-long to-do lists known as the mental load primarily fall on the women.

crisis

The male menopause

Lots has been written and discussed about the menopause in women – the time of hormonal changes leading up to the end of menstruation. Only a small number of people know that there is a change in men at around the same age.

crisis

I don’t see any meaning in life

Identity crises or existential crises can occur at various stages of life. They could be triggered by specific events such as retirement or bereavement, but they could also just happen without any rhyme or reason.

crisis psychologial and physical well-being

Bringing old or disabled parents to live with you

If your parent(s) find(s) it difficult to look after themselves because they are old, weak or disabled, the question of whether you can take care of them yourself often comes up.

disabilities

How children can be well prepared for life-changing situations

A change of home, moving abroad, an illness – there are many different events that can have a significant impact on life with children and the lives of those children.

youth education

Pregnant at 50

The number of women who become pregnant later in life is not small. There are then often a lot of questions for them to deal with.

pregnacy conflict pregnacy and birth relationship

Mental illness in children and adolescents

Particularly after the intensive pandemic period, many parents are now dealing with children and adolescents with behavioural problems.

financial difficulties crisis

Inflation and rising electricity and gas prices...how are we supposed to get by?

Financially challenging times are coming for many families. It’s a hard nut that needs to be cracked together.

financial difficulties crisis

My partner is never at home

In the short or long term, too much distance in relationships leads to conflicts. It needs a great deal of attention to handle this correctly.

psychologial and physical well-being relationship

Couples in isolation

When couples cut themselves off from the world too much, this can lead to a toxic change in the relationship.

psychologial and physical well-being relationship

Grief when you lose a relative

There are different phases of grief when someone who is close to you dies.

crisis loss and grief

A fatal diagnosis affects the family

Probably the worst thing that can happen to a family is a fatal disease being diagnosed in a family member. Elisabeth Ofner is a psychosocial counsellor and her family experienced exactly that. Her daughter only lived to the age of 23 because of a fatal disease.

crisis loss and grief

The female menopause is getting me down

‘Menopause’ is the term used to describe the transition to a phase of life in which a woman is no longer fertile and can therefore no longer become pregnant. Lots of women suffer as a result.

crisis

How children change life as a couple

When a couple becomes parents, a few things change. “In principle it’s the same for everyone, although there are of course a lot of individual components, like the life situation the child comes into,” explains Eva Bitzan.

desire to have children relationship

Someone I know has expressed suicidal thoughts. What should I do?

The pandemic, the war in Ukraine and inflation are creating a general sense of crisis that is depressing lots of people. Anyone who is also affected by a personal difficulty can experience strain so significant that their individual tried and tested coping strategies are no longer enough, at least for the moment.

crisis loss and grief

My minor child is going abroad

When a child thinks about going to school abroad for a period of time, this can make parents anxious, particularly if their daughter or son is still a minor.

education

How to communicate sexual fantasies

At the start of a relationship, the couple’s sex life is often entirely unencumbered and the amount of sex they have works for both parties. Over time, physicality within couples can wear away and become unsatisfactory for both.

sexuality

What should I do with my free time?

“Lots of people are still very worried about catching COVID and are spending a lot of time at home. Even young people remain isolated and don't really know what they should do with their time,” says Michaela Fischer.

youth

Keeping the peace during conflict

During his counselling sessions, Martin Krautschneider often deals with clients who seek his help due to ongoing conflicts and disputes.

relationship

Who should look after my child?

Childcare is an issue for all families with children, and difficult situations can occur for everyone, not just single parents.

compatibility of family and work

Children, job, relationship – it is all getting too much for me

“Digitisation, working from home and a high workload put a lot of people, particularly single parents, under extreme time pressure,” explains Martina Hubner.

compatibility of family and work

You want to get married? Sorry, but I don’t.

When the topic of marriage comes up in relationships, it is entirely possible for the couple to have completely different opinions. One of the two wants to get married, the other doesn’t. Stalemate?

relationship

The desirable ideal of a woman: do I have to do all of it?

“Pressure on women has been increasing over time. Growing and changing ideals of beauty and body shape in women have been observed since the 1980s" says Karin Macke.

psychologial and physical well-being

Re-traumatisation caused by the war in Ukraine

Since reporting on the war in Ukraine started, Sonja Mille has noticed that people who experienced similar events are often reminded of previous experiences. This includes those who were driven out of former Yugoslavia and people who have fled the war in Syria.

crisis

Corona, war, the rise in living costs: it’s all too much!

Times like these are particularly difficult for lots of people, particularly those who are already stressed or react in a very sensitive way.

crisis

How do I explain war to my child?

From her counseling sessions, Isabella Kainersdorfer knows that the war in Ukraine is a taboo topic in many families and among friends.

crisis

The war in Ukraine and its effects on counseling sessions

Counseling centers are reporting increasing levels of discussion of the current war during counseling sessions.

crisis

The mobile as a disruptive element in a partnership

Mobile phones are common topics in counseling, particularly with issues relating to jealousy, attention or spending time together as a couple.

relationship

Involvement of fathers: I feel like my work doesn't understand

Taking on a responsible parenting role isn’t always made easy for men.

compatibility of family and work

How to find mental rest

Impulse control disorders, outbursts of rage, heart attacks, digestive disorders – these and numerous other symptoms may occur as a result of mental overload being ignored.

psychologial and physical well-being

Am I just melancholic or am I depressed?

People often feel mentally unwell for days or even weeks, but it’s difficult to pin down a specific issue or specific incident as the cause.

psychologial and physical well-being

Saying yes to yourself

“If you know where your own limits are, you can defend them. If others know where your limits are, they can protect them.”

crisis psychologial and physical well-being

Who’s going to look after the children – you or me?

Couples often don’t agree on who should look after the children. The first question that comes up is where does that come from?

education relationship

When divorce seems impossible

When married couples no longer feel that a marriage is right for them and they think about divorce, they often feel that their circumstances make it impossible to get divorced.

divorce and separation relationship

Is life harder for introverted people?

People who are more turned in on themselves, who are quieter, stand in the background and don’t elbow others out of the way to get through are generally referred to as introverted.

psychologial and physical well-being

Expectations of a partnership

Relationships are fundamentally shaped by people’s expectations, and in a relationship we want to live up to our partner’s expectations.

relationship

Being allowed to grieve

In her counseling sessions, Silke Dorfer regularly deals with people who are grieving the death of a loved one. Often, it’s someone very close to them with whom they had planned and built a life together.

loss and grief

What is manipulation and how can I recognise it?

We can assume that basically everyone is manipulative. We learn that during childhood.

education psychologial and physical well-being

How do supervised visits work?

Supervised visits are often court-mandated and enable minor children to have regular contact with parents with visitation rights despite the separation.
 

divorce and separation crisis

My children don’t accept my new partner

There are often difficulties when people start a new relationship after separating from the mother or father of their children.

relationship education youth

Disadvantaged by a foreign surname

We are generally scared of what we don’t know, and this causes us to reject it. This process is anchored deep in the human psyche and as a result is difficult to avoid.

migration and integration

My child doesn’t want to visit their parent who doesn’t live with us

When parents separate, agreements are mostly made about visits, but this isn’t always right for the children.

divorce and separation

Psychological violence in a partnership

Threats, humiliation, insults – sometimes even sleep deprivation. Experts put all of these in the category of psychological violence against another person.

psychological violance

How can I best get to know my patchwork children?

There is a kind of forced dependence between stepparents and stepchildren – you should be able to get along with one another even if you don’t like one another at the start.

education divorce and separation relationship

How to help my children be more self-confident

There are phases when children and young people don’t like themselves and just find everything terrible.

education psychologial and physical well-being

Domestic violence: when men become violent

The pandemic has shown that tense situations resulted in various unexpected potential sources of violence.

physical violance

My friends gossip about me

Family, clothes, inadequate language skills, changes in behaviour, posts on social networks – these are some of the many reasons that could cause people to gossip about others.

youth crisis education

Pregnant at 14 – what can you do?

Pregnancies are mostly not planned decisions in young women. Sexuality is often experienced at an early stage when the family situation is sub-optimal. 

youth pregnacy conflict pregnacy and birth sexuality single parenting

Bad news from a prenatal diagnostician

Some of the worst news a pregnant woman can get: something is wrong with your child. It’s a shock that needs to be overcome and that you need to deal with.

disabilities pregnacy and birth pregnacy conflict psychologial and physical well-being

Growing up with a disability

If a child is born with a disability or an impairment is identified later in life, it impacts the whole family.

disabilities

Contraception is relevant for everyone

Ignorance, a feeling of shame or incorrect information from sources that were not carefully selected – these are the obstacles that come up time and time again when it comes to talking about contraception with young people.

youth sexuality relationship contraception

Coming out – only possible if you have a positive self-image

It is ordinary comments and behaviours that affect coming out – a process that parents face with their children.

sexual orientation and identity

Current corona measures in the funded family counseling centers

From 16 April 2022, face-to-face meetings with no further protective measures are able to be offered.

information brochures

Family Guide - services for families in Austria

The Family Guide contains compact and understandable explanations for (expectant) mothers and fathers of the support measures and services provided for families by the state.

information brochures

6th Austrian Family Report

It is not just values like the wellbeing of children and partnerships that are important for a successful family policy, but a thorough, scientific discussion of the topic of family is needed too.

information brochures

Family Portal

The Family Portal offers all interested parties a great deal of information about financial support services and services for families in Austria.

information brochures

Family Service

The Family Service is an information and service center run by the Division for Family and Youth within the Federal Chancellery.

information brochures

Violence

Unfortunately, family is not always a place of safety and loving care.

information brochures physical violance sexualised violence psychological violance

Disability

Disabled people and their relatives often have special needs, regardless of whether the disability is a mental or physical one.

information brochures disabilities

Being a parent

Being a parent is probably one of the tasks in life that takes the most strength, energy and commitment.

information brochures education

Pregnancy

For many expectant mothers and fathers, pregnancy is a time of unanswered questions or even uncertainty.

information brochures pregnacy and birth desire to have children

Extremism

Are you worried that your child, your friend or your pupil may have affiliated themselves with an extreme religious or political group?

information brochures extremism and cults

Balancing family and career

To be able to manage the balance between family life and work, circumstances need to be created in which the family needs and the requirements of day-to-day working life are able to be reconciled as well as possible.

information brochures compatibility of family and work

Financial help for families

Terrible events such as deaths can threaten the very existence of families.

information brochures financial difficulties

Free parent counselling as part of the Parent-Child Pass Scheme

Since September 2023, the Austrian family counselling centres have been offering free parent counselling sessions as part of the Parent-Child Pass Scheme (until 31 December 2023 known as the Mother-Child Pass Scheme).

Parent Counselling as part of the Parent-Child-Pass

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