Psychosocial Counseling at the Studierendenwerk: Services, Wait Times, and How to Get There

The psychosocial or psychological counseling offered by the Studierendenwerke (the student services organizations at German universities) is usually free for enrolled students, confidential, and available without a health insurance card. If you're a student and you're not doing well, it's often the right first stop.

This post explains what the counseling centers offer, what wait times to expect, and how signing up usually works.

What do the Studierendenwerke offer?

Short-term counseling in one-on-one sessions, plus groups and workshops, usually free for students.

According to the Zahlenspiegel 2024/2025 of the Deutsches Studierendenwerk (DSW, the national association of student services organizations), 45 of the 57 Studierendenwerke offered psychological counseling in 2024. Around 42,000 students had one-on-one sessions, with about 134,000 counseling contacts recorded. Roughly 8,000 students took part in groups. The DSW itself notes that the actual numbers are likely somewhat higher, because not all contacts were recorded.

The service is short by design. At the Studierendenwerk München Oberbayern, an average of three sessions of 50 minutes each is available per case. The goal is to sort out your situation, find first steps, and, if needed, pave the way into psychotherapy.

According to the DSW, typical topics include trouble getting work done, test anxiety, and difficulties finishing a degree; in Munich, relationship conflicts and breakups as well. According to the Zahlenspiegel, the DSW sees more and more students coming in with severe strain, such as pronounced anxiety, depression, or suicidal thoughts.

How long will I wait for an appointment?

That depends a lot on the location. Ask your Studierendenwerk.

There is no current nationwide figure. At the Studierendenwerk München Oberbayern, the wait for an initial consultation is usually about one week, according to its own information (as of October 2026). Elsewhere it can take longer. If you have to wait, it's usually not because of poor work but because there are too few staff for many requests.

How do I sign up?

Usually by phone or email to the counseling center of your Studierendenwerk, with no referral and no health insurance card.

Here's how it works in Munich, for example:

1. You call during phone hours (there, Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.).
2. You get an appointment for an initial consultation, in person, by phone, or by video.
3. In that conversation, you and the counselor figure out what you need and whether more sessions or a group make sense.

For students who have paid the Studierendenwerk fee, counseling there is free. In Munich, counseling is also possible anonymously; your health insurance and your university won't hear about it.

You can find your counseling center on the website of your Studierendenwerk or your university, often under "Beratung" (counseling) or "Psychologische Beratung" (psychological counseling). Some universities have their own center, such as the Psychologische Beratungsstelle of the FernUniversität in Hagen (psychological counseling center of the public distance-learning university in Hagen), which also counsels for free and confidentially.

What if I don't want to wait?

Then there are several options. They don't rule each other out.

• Sign up anyway. An appointment in three weeks is better than none. The wait runs while you try other things.
• Ask about groups and workshops. Many counseling centers offer them in addition to one-on-one sessions.
• Call the TelefonSeelsorge (free crisis line, 24/7, in German) if you want to talk to someone today: 0800 111 0 111, free and around the clock. There's also a chat after registration, usually by appointment.
• Keep looking for a therapist at the same time if you suspect you have a mental illness. How that works as a student is covered in the post Finding a Therapy Slot as a Student: What You Can Do While You Wait.

If you'd also like to talk to someone soon, psychological counseling from a private provider can be an addition. Studifit is one such service: counseling by video, often in the evening too. You see open appointments right away when you book. It costs money; the current prices are on the pricing page. Studifit is not psychotherapy, not covered by health insurance, and makes no diagnoses. It replaces neither the Studierendenwerk nor therapy.

Studierendenwerk, counseling, or therapy: the difference

Apprentices can't use the services of the Studierendenwerke. There are other free places for them, which we've put together in the post Stress in Vocational Training: Conflicts, Pressure, and Thoughts of Quitting.

In an acute crisis

If you're thinking about suicide or are in acute danger, don't wait for a counseling appointment. You can reach the TelefonSeelsorge at 0800 111 0 111 or 0800 111 0 222, and emergency services at 112. More numbers are on the page Help in a crisis.

Sources

• Deutsches Studierendenwerk (2025): Studierendenwerke im Zahlenspiegel 2024/2025 (Student services organizations in figures 2024/2025) (in German)
• Studierendenwerk München Oberbayern: Psychotherapeutische und psychosoziale Beratung (Psychotherapeutic and psychosocial counseling), accessed October 21, 2026 (in German)
• FernUniversität in Hagen: Psychologische Beratungsstelle (Psychological counseling center) (in German)