Vienna's Low Cost Counselling Clinic

Face-to-face and online counselling services for people on a low income. Serving an international co WHAT IS THE LOW COST CLINIC? HOW MUCH IS THE LOW COST CLINIC?

The Low Cost Clinic is a quality multicultural service especially dedicated to the provision of counselling, psychotherapy or counselling psychology services to people on low incomes. Our counsellors offer native-English and native-Greek speaking services. Places are available with qualified therapists and masters-level trainee psychotherapists and counselling psychologists, preparing for advanced

doctoral studies in psychology. Partners of The Low Cost Clinic include Webster University, and its masters-level psychology degree programmes, that place special emphasis in Counselling Psychology:

The mission of the MA in psychology with an emphasis in counseling psychology program is to provide its participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to become competent in counseling psychology through academic and experiential learning. The program aims at educating future psychologists who have sound knowledge of the theory and practice of counseling psychology, who are competent consumers and creative producers of social science research, who are competent in counseling practice, and who are ethical and sensitive to the cultures, values, and worlds of various clients. Viewing research and practice as interdependent and mutually supporting, the MA in Counseling Psychology is based on the scientist-practitioner training model. Equivalent to €40 / session. WHAT HAPPENS DURING SESSIONS? Sessions aim to help clients gain insight into their difficulties or distress, establish a greater understanding of what keeps these unhelpful ‘patterns’ in place, and enable them to find more appropriate ways of coping and bring about changes in their thinking and behaviour. This involves exploring feelings, beliefs, thoughts and relevant life events, sometimes from childhood and personal history, in a structured way with someone trained to help you do it safely. Depending on the nature of your problem, courses can be short or long term. Sessions can be provided for adults, adolescents and children on a one-to-one basis, or for couples, families and within groups whose members share similar problems. Every session is different because every client is different, as are their problems. Your counsellor will encourage you to talk and explore, in a structured way, about your feelings and experiences. Depending on their training and modality, your practitioner may also suggest particular techniques as part of that exploration - for example, using art, imaging, dream or movement work. Whatever the technique or clinical approach, therapy is not a magical cure, it is a process to help you find the capacity for improvement within yourself. What are the typical issues people work on (and through) in the Low Cost Clinic? Depression and feeling down, anxiety and generalised anxiety, addiction (including internet addiction), relationship difficulties, identity issues, sexual problems (gay and kink friendly) , career counselling, psychological disorders, phobias, trauma, compulsions, obsessions, paranoia. Please note: this is not an exhaustive list, merely just some of the common issues a lot of people struggle with.

28/04/2025

Expat burnout!

"Does burnout hit expats differently"? 🌐

As a psychologist and psychotherapist originally from Britain, I've spent over ten years living and working in Austria. My own curiosity about the challenges of life abroad led me on a personal and professional journey, exploring how expats uniquely experience burnout. Over this period, I've worked with hundreds if not thousands of expats employed by large multinational organisations like The World Bank and the UN, based here in Vienna.

Burnout can impact anyone, but expats face distinct stressors that amplify their vulnerability. A key factor is the constant cultural and linguistic effort required. Simple, everyday tasks - such as grocery shopping, attending medical appointments, or engaging in workplace discussions - become mentally exhausting when they happen in a second language and unfamiliar cultural setting. I’d like to say I’m now fluent in German, but I can’t lie. Although it’s much better for me, I vividly recall the early experiences of feeling drained by routine interactions, simply because of the continuous cognitive load of translation and adaptation. Uurgh!

Another significant issue is the absence of familiar support networks. Expats leave behind established relationships, and it often takes considerable time and effort to build new supportive connections abroad. This lack of immediate emotional support can heighten stress, leaving expats especially susceptible to burnout.

🌟🌟🌟 If you’re living abroad or curious about undertaking such a substantial adventure, let me leave you with a golden tip to help mitigate expat burnout:

🔥 Implement a Weekly "Stress Audit"🔥

Once a week, spend just 15-20 minutes reflecting on recent situations that triggered stress or fatigue. Identify exactly what made these moments challenging—language barriers, cultural misunderstandings, isolation, or unrealistic expectations—and consider practical adjustments for handling similar future scenarios. This simple but powerful practice has helped me personally and supported many of my clients in proactively managing stress and preventing burnout.

By recognising and addressing these unique challenges early, you'll create a more sustainable, fulfilling, and utterly rewarding expat experience!

Hope that helps!

Matt 😊

01/11/2024

#autumnvibes🍁 #hyperempathy #themindinstitutevienna #neurodivergent #selfhealing #codependency #selfsoothing

02/09/2024

BURNOUT RECOVERY 101: Breathwork & Breathers

04/03/2024

(A shameless plug for my latest online course, which is currently significantly reduced in price. If I say so myself, it's a powerful resource, and worth every penny)...

✨✨✨

🔵 Feeling rudderless and lacking purpose in projects that once excited you? �

🔵Often feel stressed, overwhelmed and irritated? �

🔵Had multiple burnouts in your life? (Is it possible that you never fully recovered from your first?!)

If this is not you right now, then this is surely your client, colleague, partner, child, or friend, and so please read on and share…

Breathwork & Breathers ™ is the foundational stage in my evidence-based burnout recovery process (The BALANCE ™). The focus is on highly effective breathwork strategies, for all manner of challenging circumstances, coupled with a strategic approach to quality downtime, from cheeky little breaks to year long sabbaticals.

This complete-at your-own-pace online course includes a rich bounty of tools and resources, carefully designed and selected to help you deepen insight, heighten awareness and restore balance in your life:

💛psycho-educational lessons,
💛motivational videos,
💛structured psychological questionnaires
💛Burnout Screening Test ™ (a psychometric assessment of current burnout risk and predisposition)

It also contains essential guidance and strategies for hard-workers and high-achievers (from business owners and leaders, to parents, teachers and healers!), a group that is particular prone to burnout, stress, and overwhelm.�

https://themindinstitute.teachable.com/p/burnout-recovery-101-breathwork-breathers

Please share 🫶

BURNOUT RECOVERY 101: Breathwork & Breathers Breathwork & Breathers ™ is an online course for individuals looking to restore their VISION, VIGOUR and VITALITY. It is the foundational stage in Dr. Matt's evidence-based burnout recovery process (The BALANCE ™). The focus is on highly effective breathwork strategies, for all manner of challen...

How taking CULTURAL BREATHERS will enhance your burnout recovery and / or peak performance.

13/02/2024

Have you considered how taking 'time AWAY' from work, can impact you very differently from taking 'time OFF' from your work? 🤔

Our clients often conflate the two, yet research tells us that giving ourselves the permission for the former can be a complete game-changer when it comes to recovering from chronic stress or burnout; OR if you simply want to become aligned with your higher purpose and maintain peak performance and presence in your personal or professional life.

In this short video we explore the value of taking quality time away (aka 'Cultural Breathers') in some depth, as you are introduced to a powerful questionnaire that will help you:

1) assess the quality of the time you take away for yourself
2) reflect on how you may sabotage yourself from doing so
3) identify ways in which you can create this crucial time for yourself

so that you can (re)align with your passion and purpose... your 'True North'!

https://youtu.be/sUsg511Xr7k

Do let us know how get along in the comments.

P.s. This video is taken from Dr. Matt Shorrock's 'Breathwork & Breathers' online course (currently heavily discounted in price), which is a complete-at-your-own-pace self-help programme for creative and ambitious people looking to recover their vision, vigour and vitality.

https://themindinstitute.teachable.com/p/burnout-recovery-101-breathwork-breathers

How taking CULTURAL BREATHERS will enhance your burnout recovery and / or peak performance. Have you considered how taking 'time AWAY' from work, can impact you very differently from taking 'time OFF' from your work?My clients often conflate the two...

23/01/2024

I turn 50 this year (Dr. Matt Shorrock)... and I've been thinking a lot about change and transformation...

I wonder if you also are struggling to make a transition in your life right now? (maybe regarding a relationship, or in your career, or in coming to terms with a new stage in your life).

An all too common pitfall is that we can become singularly focussed on what we think we want without paying attention to what we need to let go of (please read that again, it’s very important).

For others, we may not have a clue what we want or need (as unsatisfying as the status quo maybe), and are stuck in a place of uncertainty and confusion, and feel rudderless, depressed or scared.

In any case, and there's no escaping it, to complete a heathy life transition...
we first need to understand and let go of something in order to receive the new.

For instance, the ‘something’ we need to let go of is a mindset… A mindset that served us in getting us to where we are, but is now redundant or outdated, and will hinder us from getting us to where we need to be.

But the ‘something’ could also be a feeling. Maybe unresolved anger or resentment for the way we have been treated by a boss, client or lover. Or unprocessed regret for not stepping fully into our potential, our authentic leadership, for the decade(s) gone by.

In short, healthy and significant transitions must always start with an ending, a termination, a figurate death.

And so as 50 quickly hurtles towards me (birthdays with zeros on the end have a funny way of arriving faster than the others, don't they!), I have been reflecting a lot on my life and career (and I will share more in upcoming posts). For now, and I appreciate this could be a deeply personal question (and so I don’t expect you to reply in the comments) please join me in reflecting on the following question - however it speaks to you in this moment in your life -

What do you need to let go of in order to move forward?

(P.s. If you need some support in answering this, you will find an abundance of support at www.themindinstitute.at )

02/12/2023

WHY YOU SHOULD NAP AT WORK! 🤘 😴 (... and tell your employer!)

'Burning out' is often a long process, that can take years before it becomes truly chronic. One of the most significant factors contributing towards burnout at such toxic levels is insufficient sleep and rest. Could this be you?

TOP TIP 👇 🤓

One of my favourite top tips, and probably the most enjoyable to implement (!), is ritualised napping.

In the Western Hemisphere, daytime napping often gets a bad press, and is associated with laziness, or the idea that it will ‘spoil’ your main sleep, (often taken at night). However, this is not borne out by the research. In fact, in Japan, one of the most hardworking and productive countries, it is actively encouraged that workers take naps during the working day. This practice even has a special name, ‘inemuri’, which translates to “sleeping while present”.

HEALTH & PERFORMANCE BENEFITS

If you really want to heighten the health and performance perks of daytime napping, then aim for 10 to 20 minutes. Evidenced-based benefits include:

💥 Enhanced mental resilience
🔔 Increased attentiveness
♻ Reparation of sleep deficits
👓 Increased cognitive performance
💡 Better memory consolidation
😌 Mood stabilisation and improvement
💪 Increased energy
📈 Longer life (yes, you read the correctly!)

And so ritualised micro-sleeping, bi-phasic sleep, or good old napping, is definitely my hot recommendation as part of your burnout prevention / recovery journey.

You may want to experiment with taking your naps at different times during the day, that are more aligned with your natural circadian rhythm (biological clock). Finding that sweet spot will optimise napping benefits!

Is napping for you? Could you make it work? As a burnout survivor and expert (Dr. Matt Shorrock, director of The Low Cost Clinic) I'm keen to know your thoughts and experiences!

And if you are burnout curious, or feel you are on the cusp, copy and paste this link in your browser for to a quick self-assessment burnout screening test.

https://themindinstitute.teachable.com/p/my-downloadable-503380