Questions and anwers
YES.
In an acute crisis it is possible to come to LARA without an appointment.
The experience of sexual violence can often continue to have an effect for many years afterwards. Violence can make you ill and lead to severe psychological symptoms. You can come to LARA for help irrespective of how long ago it was that you experienced violence.
We can provide you with counselling by telephone, in person or via e-mail. When you first get in touch you can find out what LARA has to offer and arrange an appointment if you wish to. At LARA you do not have to describe the violence you experienced if you don’t want to. For us it is important that you decide what is discussed in the counselling session.
LARA is a project financed by the Senate Administration for Health, Care and Gender Equality. The responsible body is the "Verein gegen sexuelle Gewalt".
NO.
LARA offers counselling free of charge.
You do not have to have health insurance to come to LARA.
A small fee is charged for some group services, but this is always specified.
For certain services, e.g., remedies, drinks and transport costs for those accompanying you to court proceedings, we do not receive any remuneration.
Therefore we are always grateful for donations, large or small.
Respect their decision, tell them what you think and if you like, ask them how you can help them. It may just at this point be particularly important for them to decide themself what steps to take. Please respect that.
You could arrange an appointment for yourself and then tell them how LARA works. You may find it stressful to be the only person they are confiding in and to know what has happened without being able to do anything. During your appointment you can discuss ways of handling the situation. If, however, they are threatening to harm themself or if the violence is continuing it may be necessary for you to get help. In this case, please let the person affected know what steps you are taking.
NO.
You decide yourself what you want to talk about in your counselling session. It is not always necessary and not helpful either for coming to terms with the trauma to describe the incident in detail. Nevertheless, it may be a relief to be able to talk about it and to confide in a counsellor. We will help you find the way that is best for you.
Die Räume von LARA werden während der Beratungszeiten ausschließlich von Frauen genutzt. Wenn Sie mit einer männlichen Begleitung beraten werden möchten, vereinbaren Sie bitte einen Termin außerhalb unserer Öffnungszeiten.
YES.
You can receive counselling completely anonymously if you so wish. We will record only the data that we require in order to document the counselling session for ourselves, so that we can give you all-round support and take account of your personal circumstances.
NO.
You can receive counselling from LARA irrespective of whether you decide to report the attack. We will support you in your decision and if you wish we can tell you what to expect if you file a report. You can obtain free counselling about the legal consequences of filing a report at the counselling sessions with experienced lawyers that take place at LARA once a week.
YES,
if that person is female, trans*, inter*, and/or non-binary. If you wish to bring a cis man with you to the counselling session we can arrange an appointment outside official hours.