Support in difficult phases of life
Hard times: first the coronavirus and two years of pandemic – with all the accompanying restrictions and uncertainty – and now the war in Ukraine. If confounded by personal issues and conflicts at work, it can be too much for a person to bear. At ETH and within its environment, there are several contact points that offer listening services and professional help with mental health problems.
Academic and technical/administrative staff of ETH Zurich who are facing mental health challenges can contact the Institute for Applied Psychology (IAP) at Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) for (brief) solution- and resource-oriented sessions of psychological counselling. In addition to traditional face-to-face counselling, the IAP also offers counselling by telephone and online by video call. Counselling is available at all times without delay and is location-independent, and written enquiries receive a response within 24 hours. Depending on the degree of urgency, people generally receive an appointment the same week or the week after. All counselling sessions are strictly confidential.
Scientific staff and students can also take advantage of another scheme in the form of the external pagepsychological counselling services for students and doctoral candidates at ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich. This programme offers counselling for people who find themselves in a stressful situation or for those who are experiencing exam nerves, family difficulties or personal problems. Counselling sessions can be provided by video call or by phone – and on-site counselling has also been available again since 1 March 2022.
Those who would prefer an alternative to traditional psychology may find solace in pastoral care. Within the university environment, for example, the external pageCatholic Student Chaplaincy (“aki”) offers conversations as well as help with spiritual welfare and counselling – and also provides assistance to those interested in spiritual development.
In the first meeting, the aki counsellors gain an initial impression of the person seeking advice. They work with a network of experienced psychiatrists and can refer those seeking advice if necessary. aki is open to all students and staff of the Zurich universities irrespective of their denomination or religion and regardless of whether they are religious, agnostic or an atheist. Conversations are held in confidence – aki counsellors are bound by a duty of confidentiality.
Help for students from students
Counselling and support for students experiencing mental health emergencies is offered by the VSETH in the form of Nightline Zürich, a scheme in the style of the Dargebotene Hand (“helping hand”) crisis hotline. This service is aimed exclusively at students, who can contact trained “nightliners” by phone, chat or email and will always find a listening ear. All conversations are confidential and anonymous. Furthermore, the Nightline also offers an information portal and is politically unaffiliated and non-denominational.
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