More and more frequently, counselling is given with the help of media, be it as an alternative to or in parallel with face-to-face counselling. The present qualitative study is concerned with these developments in various counselling centres. To this end, research was carried out on psychosocial counselling centres offering counselling on sexuality, debt, drugs and education, and for children, young people and couples. The publication begins with an overview of counselling institutions, media development and the media used in counselling, and shows the state of research in this very recent field. It examines empirically both the changing framework conditions of counselling and questions concerning changes brought on by the new media that specifically relate to counselling. New issues raised by the internet, but also an extension of counselling methods and the changed role of the counsellor are discussed. Finally, development scenarios are outlined that might ensue from the identified trends.
