Calm Landwehrkanal in Kreuzberg with willows, an elevated railway and soft evening light
Photo: A.Savin · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

Support services in Berlin

In an emergency, call 112 for an ambulance or 110 for the police. For a mental health crisis, the Berliner Krisendienst is free, anonymous and reachable around the clock. Its nine local offices take walk-ins every evening from 16:00 to 24:00, and staff work with interpreters when needed.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the BIG Hotline (030 611 03 00) at any hour. It finds places in women's shelters, so you never need a shelter address yourself. The national Violence against Women Helpline (116 016) counsels in English and 17 other languages, 24 hours a day.

LARA counsels survivors of sexual violence in English, and the Frauenkrisentelefon offers crisis calls in English at set times. Most counselling centres below ask you to phone first for an appointment.

Berliner Krisendienst

Free, anonymous help for psychosocial crises and acute psychiatric emergencies by phone, in person or at home, with nine local offices across Berlin.

  • +49 30 390 63 10
  • Große Hamburger Straße 5, 10115 Berlin
  • 24 hours; local offices take calls and walk-ins daily 16:00-24:00, with the citywide service in Mitte covering nights, weekends and holidays
  • German
  • free
  • Walk-in
  • Website

Checked 2026-10-19 · source

TelefonSeelsorge

TelefonSeelsorge Deutschland

Free, anonymous emotional support line you can call day and night, with chat and email counselling also available.

Checked 2026-10-19 · source

Hilfetelefon Gewalt gegen Frauen

National helpline for women affected by any form of violence, free and anonymous around the clock, with counselling in 18 languages via interpreters.

  • 116 016
  • 24 hours, 365 days a year
  • German, English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish, Kurmanji, Romanian, Polish, Russian, Albanian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Vietnamese, Ukrainian, Chinese, Farsi/Dari, Arabic
  • English available
  • free
  • Website

Checked 2026-10-19 · source

BIG Hotline

BIG e.V.

24-hour phone counselling on domestic violence that also arranges women's shelter places, with email and chat counselling and referral to other languages.

  • +49 30 611 03 00
  • 24 hours, including weekends and public holidays; chat Wed 15:30-17:30, Fri 13:30-15:30
  • German
  • Website

Checked 2026-10-19 · source

LARA

LARA - Fachstelle gegen sexualisierte Gewalt

Counselling for women, trans, inter and non-binary people aged 14 and over after rape, sexual assault or harassment, plus free initial legal advice.

  • +49 30 216 88 88
  • Fuggerstraße 19, 3. OG, 10777 Berlin
  • Mon-Fri 9:00-18:00
  • German, English, French, Turkish, Polish
  • English available
  • Website

Checked 2026-10-19 · source

Frauenkrisentelefon

Frauenkrisentelefon e.V.

Anonymous, free telephone crisis counselling for women, plus face-to-face counselling and social counselling for migrant women by appointment.

  • +49 30 615 42 43
  • Mon, Tue, Thu 10:00-12:00; Wed 15:00-17:00; Fri 19:00-21:00; Sat and Sun 17:00-19:00
  • German, English, Farsi/Dari
  • English available
  • free
  • Website

Checked 2026-10-19 · source

Frauenraum

Free, anonymous counselling for women experiencing psychological, physical or sexual violence in a marriage or relationship, with female interpreters on request.

Checked 2026-10-19 · source

Gewaltschutzambulanz

Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin

Written and photographic documentation of visible injuries after physical violence, usable as evidence in court; appointments needed.

Checked 2026-10-19 · source

Ban Ying

Ban Ying e.V.

Coordination and counselling centre supporting migrant women who have experienced violence, exploitation or human trafficking.

Checked 2026-10-19 · source

XENION

XENION - Psychosoziale Hilfen für politisch Verfolgte e.V.

Psychotherapy and psychosocial support for traumatised refugees and people persecuted for political reasons, with interpreting in over 40 languages.

Checked 2026-10-19 · source

Zentrum ÜBERLEBEN

Medical, psychotherapeutic and social support for survivors of violence and flight, with outpatient departments for adults and young people.

  • +49 30 30 39 06 69
  • Turmstraße 21, 10559 Berlin
  • Phone consultation hour for appointment requests Mon 12:00-14:00, Wed 11:00-13:00
  • Website

Checked 2026-10-19 · source

Lesbenberatung Berlin

Counselling for lesbians, bisexual women, trans, inter, non-binary and queer people, including advice on social and medical transition.

  • +49 30 215 2000
  • Kulmer Straße 20a, 2. Hinterhof, 4. Etage, 10783 Berlin
  • Mon 11:00-14:00, Tue 14:00-17:00, Wed 10:00-13:00, Thu 14:00-17:00
  • German
  • Website

Checked 2026-10-19 · source

Schwulenberatung Berlin

Support for gay and bisexual men, lesbian women and trans and intersex people on health, drugs and alcohol, identity, coming out and more.

Checked 2026-10-19 · source

Questions about support in Berlin

Where can I get urgent mental health help in Berlin?

In an emergency, call 112 and 110. For a mental health crisis in Berlin, you can also contact Berliner Krisendienst (+49 30 390 63 10) and TelefonSeelsorge (0800 111 0 111). Hours and the official source for each service are listed on this page.

Is there English-speaking support in Berlin?

Yes. These local services say they offer English: Hilfetelefon Gewalt gegen Frauen (116 016), LARA (+49 30 216 88 88) and Frauenkrisentelefon (+49 30 615 42 43).

Where can women experiencing violence get help in Berlin?

Contact Hilfetelefon Gewalt gegen Frauen (116 016), BIG Hotline (+49 30 611 03 00) and LARA (+49 30 216 88 88). Shelter addresses are kept confidential, so the helpline or counselling centre arranges a safe place. In immediate danger, call 112 and 110.

Are these services free?

Many are. These say they are free: Berliner Krisendienst, TelefonSeelsorge, Hilfetelefon Gewalt gegen Frauen, Frauenkrisentelefon and Frauenraum. Costs for the others are shown on each entry or on the service's own website.