Counselling and support services

Psychological counselling

A psychologist will help you if you need help with adjusting to your diagnosis. A psychologist can also help you tell your close ones that you have HIV, and offer family therapy. CONTACTS

Social counselling

A social worker helps improve social coping and prevent health and social issues (including unemployment) from arising. Where necessary, a social worker will help you with documents (application for social benefit, registration of pension for incapacity for work, registration for services by the unemployment insurance fund), debt claims and other financial issues, budget planning, preparing your CV, finding employment and/or necessary courses and refresher training, applying for lodging or a place at a shelter or social housing, referral to day centre services, getting medical attention, food aid, and other relevant information. CONTACTS

Experience counselling

An experience counsellor is a person who has HIV and who can draw from their own experience to explain to you the nature of the disease, the associated risks and ARV therapy. They can motivate you and explain to you in plain language why it is important to take medication and go to doctor’s appointments. An experience counsellor will help you make contact with an attending physician. CONTACTS

Support services

To make it easier for you to adjust to living with HIV and to cope there are many support services available that are constantly being advanced and improved.

In addition to medical institutions there are several non-profit associations that help people who have HIV. These patient associations help, above all, injection drug users by finding them ways to overcome the addiction, getting them medication and helping them with social issues and, where needed, also legal assistance.