I am a Psychotherapist (HPG) and provide psychotherapy in English and German. I have been active in the Fields of Therapy and Social Sciences since 1996. Many bilingual English/German speaking families choose to use both languages in the sessions. Especially children find it helpful to express themselves emotionally in their more dominant language.
I am a native German and received my training and licenses in Germany and the US. From 1998- 2013 I lived with my husband and two children (now 25y/18y) in Palo Alto, California. During the time in the states I immersed myself culturally through both direct therapy work and engaging in many types of socially oriented volunteer work. Having raised my children as an expatriate I understand the special challenges that present itself from living in a new culture, far away from family and friends.
I have acquired a broad range of practice as a therapist, counselor, and nurse. I also completed a substantial number of professional trainings and volunteer work.
In my capacity as therapist I worked with families, couples, individuals, teens and children in a wide range of settings and cultural contexts. With my clients I addressed a wide-range of diagnostic presentations including relationship issues, attachment issues, substance abuse, eating disorders and personality disorders. I worked in a multicultural elementary and middle school setting, where I provided individuals and group counseling and supported parents.
In addition, I helped my clients in a variety of issue relevant settings:
- Addressing trauma related issues, working with women and children as victims and survivors at a center for Domestic Violence.
- Volunteered at the ‘Suicide and Crises’ Services, providing phone counseling and individual grief counseling to client of the Survivor of Suicide Program.
- Spending the summer of 2010 in a therapeutic wilderness for teenagers and young adults in Utah, where I assisted the primary field therapist.
- During my years as social worker I worked at a residential home for teenagers, child and Youth welfare Office, and a women shelter.
- I had the opportunity to work at a United Nation endorsed school project ‘School for Life’ in Thailand, where I worked as a nurse and taught English.
Qualifications
- 2014 – Heilpraktiker for Psychotherapy, Berlin Germany
- 2013 – Postgraduate Externship at Mental Research Institute, Palo Alto, CA
- 2011 — MA in Counseling Psychology from Santa Clara University, CA
- 2000 – MA in Social Work from University of applied Sciences Darmstadt
- 1985 – State registered Nurse, Germany
Memberships
- CAMFT – California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists
- American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama, Princeton, NJ
- Association for Counselors and Therapists in Berlin (ACT Berlin)
Recent publications
- “Wilderness- an Intervention for Teenagers” 2006 [ISBN 0-9785520-0-8]
- “Das Pflegekinderwesen in den USA” (The foster care system in the USA)
Kindeswohl 03,2000 ISBB: 0936-4463