Psychosocial Counselling
Professionally held conversations that help, support, discover solutions and tab into new rooms.
What counselling is
Psychosocial counselling is a process of professionally guided conversations in which we work on what is actually, really important to you.
The world sometimes throws Challenges at us that are too loud and demanding to deal with on our own. Notifications, ads and social responsibilities further distract you from making space for the things that can make a real difference to you.
In counselling, however, you and your needs and priorities are at the centre. Because #LiveLoveLaugh may look good on Instagram, but when it comes to what really matters, it takes more than phrases. It takes depth and genuine commitment.
How counselling works
Counselling is a co-created process that unfolds over a series of conversations.
Each of these conversations is a little different, because they are all about you and what really matters to you. Actual change ultimately happens between conversations, but I'd still like to briefly outline a basic structure as a point of orientation.
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First contact
You get in touch with me to arrange a first, free conversation. If you want to, you are welcome to already write a little about what you would like me to support you with as a counsellor. -
Free initial consultation (30-40 min.)
Once we've found a suitable time, we have a first, free conversation (by phone or online) in which we explore your concerns in a little more detail to find out whether I'm the right counsellor for you. -
Counselling sessions (50 min. / session)
At intervals that work for you, we then meet regularly for counselling sessions in which I actively support you in working through your topics. You decide how many sessions are ultimately necessary — as few as possible, as many as necessary!
My areas of focus
I focus particularly on the needs of people in creative professions, queer topics and singles.
- Creative Professionals
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As someone who is also a creative professional (UI/UX and web design), I know many of the challenges that are unique to this profession. I am particularly familiar with many of these topics from my own experience, which allows me to support other Creative Professionals through their crises with competence and as an equal.
- Queer People
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Queer people continue to fight for the recognition and protection of needs that cishet* people often don't even have to think about. As a queer person myself, I am particularly sensitive to these issues and offer a dedicated safe space in counselling for people in the LGBTQIA+ community.
- Singles
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We live in an amatonormative[1] society that discriminates against people who are not in exclusive romantic relationships. Not everyone can or wants to live in a partnership, and instead seeks fulfilment in being alone, community, and belonging. I support singles in finding their own individual happiness independently of romantic relationships.
That is, the societal assumption that all people are happy and thrive in exclusive romantic relationships ↩︎
Topics for counselling
You already know what you want to work on next. Counselling allows you to give that very thing the space it deserves.
A wide variety of topics are well suited to psychosocial counselling. I specialise particularly in the following:
Counselling tools
Systemic counselling is characterised, among other things, by the variety of tools available to it.
Ultimately, you decide which approach is best for you and your particular topic.
Settings
To make counselling fit as well as possible into your circumstances, I offer a range of different settings:
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In the practice room (Vienna)
The classic, well-established counselling session in a pleasant atmosphere in Vienna. We have our conversations at “Inner Peace”, a practice space on Stumpergasse in the 6th district. -
Online (Signal, Zoom)
For people outside Vienna, or for those who want to make use of the advantages of digital options, I am available online via Zoom or Signal. Audio-only calls are also possible on request. -
Walk & Talk (Vienna)
During the Covid pandemic, combining a walk with a counselling session became very popular, and many people still prefer this particular way of having a counselling conversation today! We meet in one of Vienna's beautiful parks and have our conversation while walking through nature.
Special settings
The following additional settings are also available on request, but cost a little more.
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Nightowls & Earlybird
Some conversations are better had once things have quietened down and the stress of everyday life is behind us. Night owls who only really become active after sunset can use this special offering for online conversations until 23:00. -
Home visit
This special setting is intended for people who are unable or find it difficult to leave their own home.
Offer & Prices
Counselling for individuals
Systemic, psychosocial counselling for individuals. Prices apply to individual 50-minute sessions.
- Initial consultation* (Online)
- free
- Online (Zoom, Signal)
- € 55,-
- Walk & Talk (Vienna)
- € 60,-
- In the practice room (1060, Vienna)
- € 65,-
- Nightowls & Earlybirds (Online)
- ab € 80,-
- Home visit**
- ab € 85,-
Counselling for groups
Systemic, psychosocial counselling for 2 or more people. Prices apply to individual 50-minute sessions.
- Initial consultation* (Online)
- kostenlos
- Walk & Talk** (Vienna)
- from €90.00
- Home visit**
- from €100.00
Contact
Call me at +436605591373 to arrange a suitable appointment, or email me at contact@thomassemmler.com.
FAQ
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Do you also offer coaching?
Yes and no. Under certain circumstances, my offering could certainly be described as "coaching". However, I don't particularly like using the term, because lately there seem to be quite a few people calling themselves coaches and publicly offering services that are not all that different from mine, without having any professional training.
The term "coaching" is difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish from psychosocial counselling. One argument is that it refers to psychosocial counselling in a job-related context. But if you look around on LinkedIn, you'll see that the content of these "coachings" are rarely confined to only job-related topics.
So the answer is complicated. Yes, what I offer could be called coaching. But also: No, because what is generally referred to as coaching cannot be compared with the professional standards of trained psychosocial counsellors like me.
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What is the difference between counselling and psychotherapy?
Psychotherapists and counsellors share some areas of practice, but psychotherapy is the profession specifically concerned with mental disorders and other clinically significant psychological conditions. In Austria, psychotherapy is a regulated healthcare profession, with its legal scope including the prevention, assessment and treatment of disorders with clinical significance.
This is not meant to speak negatively about psychotherapy. While the understanding of the discipline varies somewhat depending on the particular method or school, the intention of psychotherapy, just like counselling, is to help people grow and develop. And sometimes particularly difficult issues can get in the way of that process — and those issues belong exclusively in psychotherapy.
One thing that can be confusing in English is the word "counselling" itself. Beratung translates directly to "counselling", but in English, counselling is often used interchangeably with "therapy". In German, and particularly in Austria, there is a much clearer distinction: Beratung and Psychotherapie are separate professional fields, with different scopes of practice and different legal frameworks. So when I say "counselling", I am deliberately not referring to psychotherapy or mental health treatment.
TLDR
This may sound a little complicated, so concretely: the following topics can be secondary subjects in counselling sessions, but we cannot offer any treatment for them:
- Personality disorders (Borderline, Bipolar, Histrionic, Narcissistic, etc.)
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Obsessive-compulsive disorders
- Addiction
- Trauma & Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Counselling can also support you with these topics, but we are not permitted to treat them.
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I can't afford counselling, can you still help me?
Our professional code requires us as Life and Social Counsellors to charge a standard industry rate in order to prevent wage dumping. However, there is room for reduced rates for people in financial need.
Don't hesitate to get in touch with me anyway, and we'll find a way for you to get the support you need.