Online Counseling for Families is Consolidated and Expanded
Minister Claudia Plakolm (ÖVP) emphasized during a visit to Vienna that the counseling services are flexible, anonymous, and free of charge. They should be offered where they fit best to ensure quick and uncomplicated support.
Online Counseling for Families "Without Any Barriers"
On familienberatung.gv.at, numerous agencies are listed that offer chat and video counseling, among other services. One of them is the Kolping Life Counseling in the 9th district of Vienna. Not everyone who needs counseling can make time for it during the day, said Plakolm. Therefore, the platform is now taking "a step further." Those affected can access it from home or on their mobile phones, with interactions "on equal footing." "For me, family is the place where you can be who you are," said the Minister. It provides strength, but sometimes living together can also be a challenge. A dispute, a new child, or a break in life can create complicated situations. However, Plakolm was sure: "When it gets difficult, you are not alone in Austria." The counseling works "without any barriers," and an initial consultation is usually available within a few days.
"Support Where It Gets Tight"
The Kolping association is already old, but the challenges remain very current, said Christine Leopold, President of Kolping Austria. In the past, social learning "almost happened automatically within the family unit," today it is different. "Subsequent institutions are becoming all the more important," Leopold was convinced. She wants to support families and their individual members and continuously expand existing programs. Matthias Geitzenauer, head of the visited counseling center, spoke of a "very, very beautiful process" of his work. His team would "support where it suddenly gets tight and no longer works." The first message people receive at Kolping is: "You are in the right place!" Besides the free offer and the qualification of the staff, financing is also important. This is done about two-thirds by the Federal Chancellery, the rest comes from Kolping itself. Furthermore, Minister Plakolm highlighted the voluntary parental counseling within the framework of the parent-child pass. This should continue to be promoted "proactively."
(APA/Red)
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