Department of Psychotherapy

Counselors working in disengagement and exit programs regularly accompany clients who exhibit psychological abnormalities or even disorders. Conversely, doctors and psychotherapists are also confronted with patients who (presumably) hold extremist views. Although there is no general causal link between mental disorders and radicalisation processes, in many cases there are interactions between mental health, biographical stressors, and a tendency toward extremist ideologies.

The psychotherapy department of Violence Prevention Network supports professionals and those affected at the interface between mental health, radicalization, and disengagement processes.

We accompany people at risk of radicalisation and radicalised persons with mental health issues, including disorders, as well as professionals who work with them. Our goal is to facilitate access to needs-based disengagement services and the healthcare system and to professionally manage transitions.

Who our services are aimed at

  • Clients involved in disengagement and exit work
  • Relatives and the social environment
  • Counselors in disengagement and exit work
  • Healthcare and medical professionals
  • Professionals from related fields such as law enforcement or child and youth welfare services

How we work

We see ourselves as a bridge between disengagement and exit work and the health and healing professions. The psychotherapy department combines expertise from both systems and helps to minimise gaps in care and support transitions. The entire team works in a resource-oriented manner and is culturally and religiously sensitive.

Our work is divided into four interlinked areas:

Psychotherapeutic counseling for affected individuals and their families

We provide counseling when psychological stress, abnormalities, or disorders influence or complicate distancing processes.
(Presumed) radicalised individuals who are already receiving support from an advice center, as well as their relatives, can receive additional support from our team in the form of psychotherapeutic counseling. If necessary, we assist with connecting individuals to the psychotherapeutic or psychiatric care system and offer transitional support.

Consulting for professionals

We provide support when uncertainties arise in dealing with mental health issues, crises, or complex case constellations.
In low-threshold and practical formats, we offer expert advice on psychological issues, case reflections, assessments of mental health issues, and how to deal professionally with challenging situations. The services are tailored to the specific needs of the professionals and can take place in individual or group settings, either on a regular or on a case-by-case basis. Your own stress in the context of your work can also be the subject of the counseling sessions.

Knowledge

We provide training to strengthen knowledge and practical skills at the intersection of mental health, radicalisation, and disengagement processes.
Through training courses, workshops, and publications, we raise awareness of key connections and dynamics at this intersection. These include, for example, interactions and common risk and protective factors, knowledge of selected mental health diagnoses, self-care strategies, and practical recommendations for working with specific target groups, such as very young clients or prisoners. The aim is to deepen existing knowledge, open up new perspectives, and sustainably expand professional confidence in taking action.

Networking

We network to provide those affected with comprehensive and coordinated support.
Through targeted networking activities, we strengthen cooperation between disengagement work and the health and medical professions. We promote professional exchange between the professions involved, accompany case-related coordination, and support cooperation across system boundaries. The aim is to establish sustainable cooperation structures that enable continuous support for those affected and create professional confidence in action.

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Projects and collaborations

The department works closely with Violence Prevention Network’s advice centres in the federal states. We support clients, counselors, and other professionals on site, such as correctional officers in security wards, by providing accompanying psychotherapeutic services in all our areas of work.
Together with the sponsor IFAK e. V. (project network Beratungsnetzwerk Grenzgänger), we have been implementing nationwide projects since 2022 that have been proven to strengthen knowledge and confidence in dealing with mental health issues, including disorders. These include the EVOLUO project.
We are currently jointly implementing the project “SCHNITTSTELLE.JUGEND – Strengthening professionals at the interface of mental health and radicalisation prevention.” The aim is to provide targeted training and networking opportunities for professionals in child and youth welfare, disengagement and exit work, and child and youth psychotherapy.

Contact

Violence Prevention Network gGmbH
Department of Psychotherapy
Alt-Reinickendorf 25
D-13407 Berlin

+49 30 544 677 79
marvin.stipp@violence-prevention-network.de

Head of Department: Marvin Stipp