The psychological advice center and Caritas dealt with a total of 2,479 cases this year. That is almost 500 cases more than in the previous year. Silberdistel e.V. also recorded an increase in cases. Katja Bodinek, Head of the Psychological Counseling Center, reports that there were 360 cases in total last year.
Case numbers in counseling centers continue to rise
The main reasons for registering for parenting advice are stress caused by family conflicts, developmental problems or psychological problems. Meanwhile, sexual assaults and assaults among children that have taken place, followed by suspected sexual assaults and sexually abnormal behavior, are keeping Silberdistel e.V. busy.
"Since 2020, we have seen an increase in the number of cases of almost 40 percent," says social education worker Karin Musse from Silberdistel e.V. "The demand for prevention measures has also increased in recent years."
Waiting times for appointments remain reasonable
Although the number of cases is increasing, the waiting times for counseling appointments remain within limits, reports Bodinek. Around a third of cases at the psychological advice center wait a very short time for appointments, usually up to two or between two and four weeks. The proportion of appointments with a waiting time of four to eight weeks is rather low, hardly anyone has to wait longer than eight weeks. "The fact that we were able to keep waiting times short is thanks to the well-functioning structures and the great commitment of our teams and advisors."
Counseling services for parents in separation or divorce
In addition to the presentation of case numbers and waiting times, there was also a report on the area of "parental consensus". Here, too, the advice centers offer a wide range of advice services. "The well-being of the children is our guiding principle," says Bodinek, summarizing the service. In addition to talking to parents about contentious issues, the psychological advice center and Caritas also offer group sessions for families affected by separation and divorce. The aim of the discussions is to mediate in contentious issues and reach an agreement.
There are also training courses for parents on the topics of "Mastering separation - strengthening children" and "Children out of trouble", an offer for highly stressed children, as well as a children's group. The group services are offered jointly with Caritas.
Further information on the services offered by the psychological advice center can be found at https://www.landkreis-ludwigsburg.de/de/soziales-jugend-familie/kinder-jugendliche/psychologische-beratungsstelle/.
