Addiction Counselling

An addiction counseling center is a first point of contact for addicts and their relatives. Experienced social workers, psychologists and educators inform those affected about treatment options and can also help with bureaucratic matters such as applying for a place in therapy. 
Many facilities specialize in certain forms of addiction and offer special advice for drug, gambling or medication addiction, for example.

Many addiction counseling centers are also active in prevention and rehabilitation and offer various courses, discussion groups and self-help groups. 

As a rule, initial counseling by addiction counseling centers is free of charge. In many cases, the costs of any subsequent outpatient or inpatient therapy services are covered by pension funds, health insurance companies or health insurers. This is because addiction is a recognized illness. However, fees may be charged for some individually selectable and voluntarily completed courses that are not part of a counseling service or a fixed therapy. This depends on which organization or provider offers these courses.

This depends on the individual case and the severity of the addiction. In some cases, a few months of counseling or treatment is sufficient; in other cases, the necessary therapy may extend over several years.