Therapy in English
About me
Thank you for your interest in therapy, counselling or coaching in my private psychotherapy practice!
As a licensed psychotherapist, I I work according to the concept of CBT, integrating other approaches as needed (e.g. Schema Therapy, ACT, CBASP) .
I also have an additional qualification in EMDR.
The financing of therapy depends on your insurance (for more info see "Fees" at the bottom of this page).
If you would like an initial consultation or need information about counselling and therapy - please do not hesitate to contact me. Please write me an email or leave a message on my answering machine and include your phone number and health insurance. I will call you back if there are free therapy spots.
CV
- Since 2017: Psychologist with Master's degree (University of Würzburg).
- 2017-2022: Completed training as a psychological psychotherapist at the IVS Nuremberg
- 2017-2022: Clinical work experience in the inpatient as well as outpatient psychotherapeutic field (e.g. Charité - Campus Benjamin Franklin and St. Hedwig Hospital Berlin)
- 2019-2020: freelance work as a psychologist at Selfapy
- 2020-2022: completed further training in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) at IVS Nuremberg
- 2022-2023: Working in a psychotherapeutic practice in Berlin Mitte
- Since 2022: Licensed psychotherapist (specialisation in behavioural therapy): Working in my private practice (Raabestr. 3, 10405 Berlin)
What is psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy is the treatment of mental illnesses with the help of scientifically recognised methods. There are, in particular, analytical therapy, depth psychology-based therapy, systemic therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
Online treatment is also possible. After an initial personal contact, the entire treatment or a part of it can take place via video consultation. I use a provider certified by the German Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung), which meets the highest standards of security and data protection.
What is CBT?
CBT therapists assume that our thinking, feeling and behaviour is often something that we have learned. Our learned patterns of thinking and behaviour used to be crucial for us in the past, but nowadays they sometimes get in our way.
In therapy, we work together to understand your patterns of thinking and behaviour and to change them in such a way that you can better cope with and enjoy your everyday life again.
The aim is for you to become your own therapist. We therefore regularly discuss exercises to consolidate new learning experiences inbetween sessions - tailored to your goals and your own pace.
Modern behavioural therapy has a variety of scientifically proven methods to support you individually on your path. For example, I work with the following approaches:
Schema therapy
In the case of recurring relationship problems, we'll explore to what extent early relationship experiences still influence your life today. With the help of emotion-evoking exercises (e.g. role-plays) you can learn to embrace painful feelings and deal with them constructively. This approach also includes working with the "inner child" and "inner critic".
ACT
In Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) the goal is to be mindful of feelings and thoughts instead of suppressing them with great effort. Orientation towards your most important values and life goals is also part of this approach.
What is EMDR?
EMDR stands for "Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing".
The effectiveness of EMDR for the treatment of trauma sequelae is proven. For this reason, the Scientific Advisory Board for Psychotherapy has recognised EMDR as a scientifically based therapy method for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
In EMDR, stressful situations are recalled and processed with the help of bilateral stimulation. Bilateral stimulation here means that - similar to REM sleep - you move your eyes back and forth, alternately tap your right and left thighs or listen to sounds on your left and right ear through headphones while thinking about the stressful experience.
The method is often compared to a train journey: you sit on the train and watch the memory pass by again from a safe distance through the window. This results in a more helpful re-evaluation of what happened, so that the stressful symptoms can recede.
As a therapist, I make sure that the therapy serves as a safe framework to deal with stressful memories. Particularly, I make sure that you always remain in sufficient contact with the "here and now", e.g. by using stabilising techniques.
In addition to EMDR, I also use other techniques such as PE (Prolonged Exposure Therapy) and IRRT (Imagery Rescripting and Reprocessing Therapy) to treat PTSD. All these approaches have in common that they help you confront traumatic memories instead of avoiding them. The crucial thing here - as always in therapy - is that you will always be encouraged to set your own pace.
What are the next steps?
General information
The first step is to make an appointment by telephone for a personal initial consultation. If we both decide to work together, we can start the probationary period (usually 4 sessions used for therapy planning). The duration of therapy or counselling depends on your individual problem and your wishes. In most cases, short-term therapy comprises 25 sessions and long-term therapy 45-60 sessions. Psychological counselling usually consists of only a few appointments, but can also be taken over a longer period of time if necessary. Sessions last 50 minutes each and usually take place once a week at a fixed time.
1. Getting to know each other
In order to find out if the "chemistry is right", it can be helpful for you to do initial consultations with several different therapists. As a CBT therapist, I am trained to treat the full spectrum of mental illnesses. However, I also check whether I can offer you a good treatment and let you know if I think you would be better off in another practice.
2. Understanding the symptoms
During the first sessions we get a clearer picture of your symptoms and develop an idea of how they arose and what is currently preventing improvement.
3. Setting goals
The next step is to set concrete goals.
4. Taking action
Next, we select concrete, individually tailored steps that can bring you closer to your desired goal.
5. Review and adjust
Over the course of therapy, we regularly check whether these steps are still suitable. If necessary, we will then adjust goals or steps on the way to your goal.
Fees
As I run a private practice, the financing of therapy depends on your insurance.
Public health insurance
As a state-certified psychotherapist registered in the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (Kassenärztliche Vereinigung), I am authorized to offer psychotherapy. Nevertheless, only affiliated therapists with a so-called Kassensitz have a special contract that allows the costs for therapy to be directly covered by public health insurance companies. For private practices there is the possibility of reimbursement process (Kostenerstattungsverfahren). If you are interested, let me know and I'll be happy to provide you with more information on how to request reimbursement.
Private health insurance
Usually, the costs are covered by your insurance and therapy can start immediately. Please make sure to contact your insurance in advance to find out whether psychotherapy is covered by your contract, how many sessions are covered, and the specific requirements for application.
Normally, 4 so-called probationary sessions take place in which we get to know each other, gather information for the later therapy application and decide whether the therapy should be continued. I then apply for a quota of hours from the insurance company and, if approved, the actual therapy begins. The fee is based on the fee schedule for psychotherapists (GOP number 870). You will then receive an invoice as usual, which will later be reimbursed by your insurance company.
Aid
As a rule, the state aid authorities will cover the costs of outpatient psychotherapy. You will need to apply for reimbursement. You can request the relevant forms from your benefits office. The written application to your benefits office is made after the five probationary sessions, which are free of charge. Here, too, the basis for billing is the GOP.
Medical care for the German Armed Forces and Federal Police
In order to improve psychotherapeutic care for members of the armed forces, an agreement was reached in 2018 between the Federal Chamber of Psychotherapists and the Federal Ministry of Defence to allow psychotherapy in a private practice. If you wish to receive therapy, please consult your military doctor beforehand. He or she will provide you with a suitable cost-covering statement.
Direct payment (self-pay)
Coaching and counselling services are generally not covered by health insurance. It is also possible to pay the costs of psychotherapy yourself. This can be useful if, for example, a health check is required for an insurance policy. Another advantage is that no formalities are required, the therapy can usually begin immediately and the health insurance company does not receive any notifcation of the treatment. Here, too, the fee is based on the scale of fees for psychotherapists (GOP). The standard rate for a session (50 minutes) is currently 100.55 €. Sometimes costs are incurred in addition to the session fee (e.g. for taking a biographical anamnesis and evaluating diagnostic questionnaires at the beginning of therapy). You will receive an invoice from me approximately every 6 weeks. If you're interested, please contact me for more information about this.
If your insurance company has any questions about my qualiØcations, please feel free to mention my entry in the register of doctors at the KV Berlin (37193).
If you would like an initial consultation or need information about counselling and therapy - please do not hesitate to contact me. Please write me an email or leave a message on my answering machine and include your phone number and health insurance. I will call you back if there are free therapy spots.
Information
When transmitting data via the internet, there is always the possibility that unauthorised third parties may take note of it or even change it. By contacting me, you give me permission to store your data for the purpose of contacting you. Once this purpose has been fulfilled, your data will be deleted.
Emergencies and crises
The Berliner Krisendienst can be reached 24 hours/day (030 390 63 40) and supports you in emotional states of emergency.
Neuhland helps children, youths and young adults who experience a suicidal crisis (030 873 01 11, Mo - Fr 9:00 - 18:00).
LARA helps women who have become victims of sexual violence (030 216 88 88, Mo - Fr 9:00 - 18:00).