My Way into Coaching and Psychotherapy

After training as a banker, studying business administration in Germany and completing a masters programme in the US (Graduation 1998: MBA International Management) I worked for 12 years at leading international banks in London and Frankfurt, most recently as Director Corporate Finance / Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) at Rothschild in Frankfurt.

From 2001-2012 I completed trainings in a number of coaching approaches (see complete list here) and set-up shop as an executive coach and trainer in 2012.

I quickly learned “A problem rarely comes alone” – most issues people face are at the intersection between organisational issues, interpersonal relationships and personality preferences. If problems pile up in one area of life (e.g. stress at work), they may affect other areas and vice versa.

In order to get to the root cause and finding the solution, it is necessary to look at the situation from very different perspectives.

Solving problems requires an integral approach.

This lead me to learning about systemic coaching (looking at issues beyond the individual – family / organisation etc.) and personality (traits, preferences and how to change it). It became clear that talking and working with the mind and imagination is not enough – Emotions and how they live in the body and the mind are very important.

Therefore, I got more and more interested how the past and past traumatic events are affecting the present and how the past is stored in the body. And how bodily and emotional reactions today are often an echo of past events. Which lead me to deepen into developmental somatic psychology (Bodynamic system) as well as trauma therapy approaches (particularly Somatic Experiencing).

Applying an integral approach means working with the mind, emotions, the nervous and the muscular system. Finding solutions means looking at the individual, the personal life history as well as habits, relationships and organisational systems.

Specialisations

My offer includes intensive coaching, systemic constellations and personality training. I am particularly versed in trauma therapy – focusing on post-traumatic growth.

By combining different methods, I can explore the topic with the client in a targeted manner and find out how facts, emotions and body sensations are related. This allows the use of different interventions: These often represent a combination of re-understanding the situation, understanding one’s own emotional reactions, imagination exercises and physical exercises.

The aim of therapy or coaching is to gain a fresh understanding of reality and to experience it in a different emotional, physical, and interpersonal manner. Based on this foundation, individuals can let go of old patterns of behaviour and experiences, and acquire new freedom of action.

The aim of psychotherapy is to enable new solutions in the here and now.