Our team offers peer-to-peer counseling on sexual orientation and coming out, as well as gender identity and transition (social, legal, and/or medical) – and any questions related to these topics. We are happy to help you sort through your thoughts and feelings and treat these with confidentiality. Our target group are students and young adults.
Our Approach
We take a peer-to-peer approach. This means that we assign you a member of our team whose experiences are similar to what you describe.
- We see our role as characterized by:
- Listening, empathy, and recognition
that goes beyond mere information and can only be provided through contact with another person - Sharing knowledge and experience
on issues of sexuality and identity, as well as social, legal, and medical aspects of transitioning - Guiding the conversation
to help you sort through your thoughts—because counseling does not prescribe a path, but rather supports you in finding your own answers
This is not professional psychosocial or psychological counseling. If we think that the issue is beyond our expertise, we will be happy to refer you to a more appropriate place.
Trans Counseling &
Information on Transitioning
Our counselors in this area are also trans themselves, so unlike in most professional counseling settings, you have the opportunity to speak with someone who has been through the same experiences as you and who has had to navigate the medical and legal systems themselves.
If you are looking for accompanying therapists, please only seek out therapists who explicitly deal with trans identity! We prodive an up-to-date list of contacts in the region. Other forms of support include our Trans Café, which takes place several times per semester, self-help groups (e.g., TXKöln), or said psychotherapists who are familiar with the topic.
The following document (in german) also provides an overview of possible medical steps in the context of a transition as well as professionals to turn to in Bonn and the surrounding area:
Contact
Counseling is available via email and, after making an appointment, by phone, video call, or in person—depending on your preference and the availability of our counselors. You can contact us at any time, anonymously and without obligation, at [SPAM-Schutz! Bitte aktiviere JavaScript] to discuss your questions and how to proceed. In all cases, our advisors will treat your information as confidential.
We can best assign you a counselor if you mention your age and a topic or (briefly) some questions that you have (e.g., concerning coming out as a lesbian, questions about transitioning as a trans woman, etc.) in your inquiry. Please also let us know what name and pronouns we can use to address you—but if you’re not sure, that’s no problem either!
Further advice centers
Various social services for trans people (and their families) in NRW:
https://www.trans-angebote.nrw/
Counseling centers for queer people in NRW:
https://www.mkjfgfi.nrw/Qualifizierte%20LSBTIQ%2A%20Beratungsstellen
Counseling centers for queer people in NRW, including a few trans-specific ones:
https://trans-nrw.de/beratungsstellen/
Counseling for queer people at Rubicon in Cologne:
https://rubicon-koeln.de/beratung/