Family welfare offices offer free help and guidance to couples and families experiencing difficulties, conflicts or crises. The family welfare offices can provide help with anger and violence issues. Some offices work according to the anger management program developed at Brøset Kompetansesenter (Brøset Centre of expertise), others use alternative methods. Some offices offer individual services to persons subjected to violence and/or perpetrators of violence.
You can get in touch with your closest family welfare office to make an appointment or receive information about how the family welfare office can help you.
The services offered at family welfare offices vary and may include
- couples therapy, family therapy
- anger management courses and anger management guidance for parents
- arbitration in the event of separation and relationship break-up, help with parental cooperation and visitation rights
- parental counselling and various relationship support programmes
Watch a film about the family welfare office:
Staff at family welfare offices include psychologists, as well as educationalists and social workers specialising in family therapy. The staff have a duty of confidentiality and are therefore prevented from sharing any information about you with others without your prior consent, unless there is an immediate risk of someone being harmed. If the family welfare office is not able to offer the help you need, you can be referred to another agency. Family welfare offices can provide an interpreter when necessary.
Most family welfare offices are state-run and are part of the Regional Offices for Children, Youth and Family Affairs (Bufetat). Other family welfare offices are owned by church trusts and have operating agreements with Bufetat. Services are provided regardless of the users’ faith and religion.
Search for your local family welfare office (tick familievern under ‘type tilbud’).