Consultation for sex workers

All employees are bound by confidentiality. You can talk to us openly about your questions and work with us to find solutions. 
If you have any language difficulties, we’ll arrange an appointment with a consultant who speaks a language you understand.

It’s often hard for sex workers to access helpful information. 
The framework conditions vary between the different cantons and municipalities. 
Sex workers also have to deal with being treated differently to other workers due to the nature of their work.
This is where we offer support. XENIA specialises in providing advice for sex workers in the canton of Bern. 
We support you with your questions and problems, and can also provide you with addresses of other sex work-friendly organisations.

Possible topics for counselling include:

• Work permits
• Where am I allowed to work?
• What are the possible working models?
• What are my rights in relation to landlords and managers?
• Questions about the Prostitution Trade Act in the Canton of Berne
• Professional and personal problems
• Health and HIV /Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) prevention
• Questions about health insurance and other insurances
• Debt advice
• Organising documents, keeping accounts
• Taxes and AHV (OASI, old age and survivors’ insurance)
• Legal matters
• Career changes both inside and outside of the sex trade
• Advice for people who are new to sex work
• Work and training

All employees are bound by confidentiality. We do not pass on any information without your consent. At your request we can also help you in your contact with the authorities.

The consulting team does regular outreach work, contacting you at your place of work or via your work number. 
We offer advice on site, provide information and create a basis that makes it easy for you to contact the consulting centre in the future.

• German
• French
• Hungarian
• Thai
• English
• Spanish
• Russian or 
• Ukranian 

For other languages, we use cultural mediators or translators.