Support

143 Die Dargebotene Hand / La Main Tendue: anonymous listening, day and night, by phone, chat or email.1

147 Pro Juventute: free advice for children and young people, by phone, chat or text.2

Pro Mente Sana offers anonymous advice on mental health, including legal questions linked to it.5

Since 1 July 2022, basic health insurance covers psychotherapy by recognised psychological psychotherapists when a doctor prescribes it.6

A GP, paediatrician or psychiatrist can prescribe up to 15 sessions at a time; after 30 sessions, your insurer must approve further treatment. In a crisis, any doctor can prescribe up to 10 sessions.6

Deductible and co-payment apply as for any other treatment.6

If you have experienced violence, physical, sexual or psychological, a victim support centre in your canton advises you free of charge and confidentially, whether or not you go to the police.7

Victim support can also cover immediate help such as emergency accommodation, and medical, psychological or legal costs.7

If you cannot afford a lawyer and your case is not hopeless, you have a constitutional right to free legal aid.8

Court proceedings in labour disputes up to CHF 30,000 are free of court costs, and so is the conciliation procedure in tenancy disputes.9

Bar associations, unions and tenants’ associations in many cantons offer initial advice at low cost.