University Course: Addiction – Counselling | Therapy | Prevention

Addictions are the third largest group of diseases after cardiovascular diseases and cancer. In addition, dealing with addiction and the dangers of addiction is a particular challenge for those affected, their environment and for professional counselling and treatment. With this in mind, the university course Addiction – Counselling | Therapy | Prevention aims to provide sound and comprehensive training and further education in this area.

Participants will be taught theory and practice in prevention, counselling and therapy, as well as how to deal professionally with addicts, those at risk of addiction and their environment through contributions from national and international experts. In terms of content, addiction development, diagnostics, addiction treatment options, legal and social aspects, addiction prevention and social work, etc. will be examined. The aim is to expand students’ expertise in dealing with addiction and the dangers of addiction and to address issues arising from the participants’ specific professional field.

The university course Addiction – Counselling | Therapy | Prevention lasts two semesters (summer semester 2025 – winter semester 2025/2026) and is divided into four modules, which are offered in eight weekend blocks on Fridays and Saturdays.

The teaching content of the weekend events, which are held via the video conferencing tool Zoom, must be deepened and supplemented by self-study. Literature lists with the canonical knowledge of the content covered in the individual courses will be made available and examined as part of the final examination.

The teaching units are organised within the framework of integrative courses; in order to enable a comprehensive examination of the content, in-depth discussions are integrated into the lectures and participants are encouraged to study supplementary literature.

The course modules will be held from 14 March 2025 to 12 December 2025. The final theses are to be submitted in spring 2026. The final examinations will be held in the summer semester of 2026. The entire course will be conducted as an online live streaming course via the video conferencing tool Zoom.

The courses will take place on Friday from 15:00 to 20:30 and on Saturday from 9:00 to 17:00.

Module A, Block 1
Introduction, definition of addiction, diagnostics, development of substance-related addictions (legal substances) I

• Definition of addiction and overview of the various forms of addiction
• Facts, figures and data on addiction
• General and specialised addiction diagnostics
• Progression of addictions
• General addiction development theories and bio-psycho-social aspects
• Alcohol addiction, drug addiction, tobacco addiction

Module A, Block 2
Substance-related addictions (illegal substances) II, non-substance-related addictions (behavioural addictions)

• Opiates, cocaine, THC, stimulants, hallucinogens and other illegal substances
• Behavioural addictions: term, overview
• Pathological gambling (gambling addiction)
• Hypersexuality (sex addiction)
• Shopping addiction
• Pathological PC and Internet use (online addiction) and “mobile phone addiction”

Module B, Block 1
Addiction treatment

• Pharmacotherapy (physical detoxification, anti-craving substances, aversives, etc.) for legal substances and behavioural addictions
• Pharmacotherapy for illegal substances, substitution therapy
• Comorbidities of addiction I: affective disorders, psychotic disorders
• Comorbidities of addiction II: trauma, personality disorders
• Psychoanalysis of addiction
• Behavioural therapy of addiction
• Humanistic and mindfulness-based methods in addiction therapy

Module B, Block 2
Addiction treatment, virtual excursions

• Treatment and care concepts in inpatient addiction treatment (inpatient vs. outpatient treatment, therapeutic community, day clinic, etc.)
• Virtual excursions: Grüne Kreis, Anton Proksch Institute, Diakonie de La Tour, Krankenhaus Maria Ebene, Verein Dialog, Zukunfts-Schmiede, Therapiesalon im Wald, Schweizerhaus Hadersdorf, Therapiestation Ybbs, outpatient clinic for gambling addiction of the Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy of the University Medical Centre Mainz, University Psychiatric Clinics Basel – Department of Behavioural Addictions Inpatient, rehabilitation facilities of the Baden-Württemberg State Association for Prevention and Rehabilitation

Module C, Block 1
Legal aspects, addiction and society I

• Addiction and forensics
• Narcotic Drugs Act
• Gambling legislation
• Co-dependency and working with relatives in addiction treatment
• Children from families with addiction problems
• Migration and addiction
• Addiction and gender

Module C, Block 2
Addiction and society II, social work and addiction

• Adolescents and addiction
• Addiction in old age
• Self-optimisation in the meritocracy, doping and addiction
• Social work in outpatient and inpatient addiction counselling and therapy
• Homelessness and homelessness among addicts
• Debt counselling for addicts
• Employment and work in the field of addiction, professional reintegration

Module D, Block 1
Addiction in the workplace, addiction prevention

• Addiction in the workplace
• Overview, terms and concepts of addiction prevention
• Addiction prevention in schools, extracurricular youth work, addiction prevention with children and families

Module D, Block 2
Addiction and drug policy, addiction support system in Austria, hotspots in the addiction sector

• Addiction and drug policy in Austria and in international comparison
• Challenges of addiction and drug coordination
• Bonding and addiction
• Cannabis as a medicine and everyday drug – legalisation versus prohibition
• Substance-assisted psychotherapy – the return of psychedelics in treatment
• Intoxication, ecstasy and addiction in film and series

• Dr Ute Andorfer, clinical psychologist and health psychologist, behavioural therapist, Anton Proksch Institute Vienna
• Univ.-Prof. Dr Anil Batra, Deputy Medical Director of the University Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy in Tübingen, Head of the Addiction Research and Addiction Medicine Section at Tübingen University Hospital
• Dr Dominik Batthyány, Head of the Institute for Behavioural Addiction at the Sigmund Freud Private University in Vienna
• Dr Wolfgang Beiglböck, clinical psychologist and health psychologist at the Anton Proksch Institute in Vienna, occupational psychologist (BÖP), psychotherapist
• Lisa Brunner, Head of the Institute for Addiction Prevention at the Vienna Addiction and Drug Coordination Centre
• Primaria Dr Renate Clemens-Marinschek, psychiatrist, medical director of the De la Tour Hospital in Treffen
• OA Dr Wolfgang Ferdin, psychiatrist and psychotherapist, senior consultant at the Anton Proksch Institute in Vienna
• DSA Gabriele Gottwald-Nathaniel, MAS, Managing Director at the Anton Proksch Institute Vienna
• Michael Hahn, BA, Deputy Head of Treatment, Counselling, Support, Addiction and. Drug Coordination Vienna
• Prof. Dr Reinhard Haller, psychiatrist and psychotherapist
• Dr Hans Haltmayer, Medical Director of Addiction Support Vienna and Representative of the City of Vienna for Addiction and Drug Issues
• Univ.-Prof. Dr Christian Haring, Chairman of the Addiction Section of the Austrian Society for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Director of Krankenhausholding Tirol Kliniken
• Dr Tobias Hayer, graduate psychologist, research assistant at the Psychology degree programme, Gambling Research Unit, University of Bremen
• Prof. Dr phil. Tanja Hoff, Dipl.-Psych., Catholic University of Applied Sciences NRW, Cologne, Department of Social Services
• Bettina Hölblinger, MSc, Head of Addiction Prevention, Head of checkit!, Vienna Addiction Support Centre
• Dr Magdalena Iwanowytsch, specialist in child and adolescent psychiatry
• Dr Jens Kalke, graduate political scientist, Scientific Director, Centre for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research (ZIS) at the University of Hamburg
• Alexandra Karden, MSC, Research and Development at checkit / Addiction Prevention SHW
• Prim. Dr Philipp Kloimstein, psychiatrist and psychotherapist, primary physician and medical director of Maria Ebene Hospital in Vorarlberg
• Dr Doris Kohl, MCJ, lawyer, former head of the addiction counselling centre of the BMF
• Nikolaus Lange, qualified psychologist and deputy managing director of the Baden-Württemberg State Association for Prevention and Rehabilitation
• Dr Leonidas Lemonis, psychiatrist, medical director of the “Grüner Kreis” association
• Primaria Mag. Dr Michaela Leopold, psychiatrist, medical director of Krankenhaus de la Tour in Treffen and Krankenhaus Waiern/Feldkirchen
• Ewald Lochner, MA, Coordinator for Psychiatry, Addiction and Drug Issues of the City of Vienna, Managing Director of Addiction and Drug Coordination Vienna, Commercial Director of Psychosocial Services Vienna
• DSA Stefan Löffelmann, Social Worker, Head of the Department for Social Workers at the Anton Proksch Institute Vienna
• OA Dr Ekkehard Madlung-Kratzer, Specialist in Psychiatry and Neurology, Medical. Head of the specialised ward for drug therapy,. Regional Hospital Hall/Tyrol
• DSA Alexander Maly, former Managing Director of Debt Counselling Vienna
• Dr Charlotte Markert, Psychological Psychotherapist (Behavioural Therapy) Research Associate, Justus Liebig University Giessen
• Manuela Meissnitzer-Lackner, Institute for Addiction Prevention at the Vienna Addiction and Drug Coordination Centre/School Department
• Dr Stefanie Mettlach, specialist in psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy, psychoanalyst
• Dr David Müller, Head of Information and Prevention, National Anti-Doping Agency Austria
• DSA, DSP Steve Mueller, Deputy Head of Checkit!, Vienna Addiction Support Centre
• Dr Oliver Scheibenbogen, clinical psychologist and health psychologist, Head of the Department of Psychology at the Anton Proksch Institute Vienna
• MR Mag. Alice Schogger, Head of the Player Protection Unit, Federal Ministry of Finance
• Matthias Seidl, Checkit!, Addiction Aid Vienna
• Prof Dr Meryam Schouler-Ocak, Professor of Intercultural Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Senior Consultant at the Charité Psychiatric University Clinic at St. Hedwig Hospital, Berlin
• Dr Artur Schroers, Head of the Addiction Support Department and Addiction Support Officer of the state capital Mainz
• Dr Michael Peter, clinical psychologist and health psychologist, behavioural therapist, Anton Proksch Institute Vienna
• Renato Poespodihardjo, Psychologist, Department of Behavioural Addictions Outpatient, University Psychiatric Clinics Basel
• Prof. Dr Martin Poltrum, philosopher, psychotherapist, teaching therapist, professor of psychotherapy science at the Sigmund Freud Private University Vienna, leading editor of Rausch – Wiener Zeitschrift für Suchttherapie
• Prim. Dr Wolfgang Preinsperger, psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, Medical Director of the Anton Proksch Institute
• Dr Alexandra Puhm, MSc, educational scientist and psychotherapist, Competence Centre for Addiction, Gesundheit Österreich GmbH
• Prof Dr Gerhard Raab, Ludwigshafen am Rhein University of Applied Sciences
• Dr Kornelius Roth, Specialist in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Specialist in Psychotherapeutic Medicine and Psychotherapy Addiction Medicine
• Dipl.-Psych. Dr Andreas Schindler, Head of Integrated Care, Special Outpatient Clinic for Personality and Stress Disorders, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf
• Assistant Professor Dr Stefan Schumann, Institute for Criminal Law at the Johannes Kepler University Linz
• Nika Schoof, Deputy Head of Addiction Prevention and Early Detection, Dialogue Association
• Alice Steier, human biologist, employee at the Institute for Addiction Prevention of the Addiction and Drug Coordination Vienna/school department
• Prof. Dr Alfred Springer, specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy, psychoanalyst in Vienna, former head of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Addiction Research
• Prof. Dr. Alfred Uhl, Deputy Head of the Competence Centre for Addiction at Gesundheit Österreich GmbH, Deputy Head of the International Doctoral Programme in Psychotherapy Science at SFU
• PD DDr. Human-Friedrich Unterrainer, clinical psychologist, psychotherapist, Centre for Integrative Addiction Research, Grüner Kreis Association
• Dr Maya Winter-Sporn, General Practitioner, Grüner Kreis Association
• Dr Klaus Wölfling, qualified psychologist, psychological head of the outpatient clinic for gambling addiction, Clinic and Polyclinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medicine of Johannes Gutenberg University

• Curriculum 2026
• Curriculum 2025
• Curriculum 2024
• Curriculum 2023

• Early Bird (until 03.12.2025): € 2.900,-
• Course fee (from 04.12.2025): € 3.200,-
• Modules can also be booked individually (€ 1.250,- each)

SFU students and alumni:

• Early Bird (until 03.12.2025): € 2.600,-
• Course fee (from 04.12.2025): € 2.900,-

Examination fee for the degree: € 380,-

• The programme comprises 10 ECTS credits. The prerequisite for acquiring ECTS points is compulsory participation in all teaching units, a positive assessment of the final thesis and successful completion of the final examination.
• The final thesis must be at least 20 pages long and meet the academic requirements of the course.
• As part of the final examination mentioned above, the content of the topics presented in the courses is examined according to a catalogue of questions in addition to the defence of the scientific thesis.
• The modules of the programme can also be booked and completed individually, but in this case no ECTS points are earned.

• If required, applications for continuing education points will be made to the Professional Association of Austrian Psychologists (BÖP), the Austrian Federal Association for Psychotherapy (ÖBVP) and the Austrian Medical Association (ÖÄK), as well as the Berlin Medical Association and the Berlin Chamber of Psychotherapists.
• A certificate of attendance is issued upon completion of individual modules.
• After completion of the entire course (all four modules) and positive assessments of the final thesis and the final examination, a certificate from the Sigmund Freud Private University is awarded.