Clara Thumm
(she/her)
Coach
Available for new clients
I am a feminist systemic coach and founder of the Heartbreak Club. In my individual and group coaching sessions, I support FLINTA+ in reconnecting with themselves to find new strength, clarity, and courage.
I specialize in:
At a glance
Offers free 30 minute introductory callThis provider offers a free introductory call
About me
During my studies, I engaged passionately with feminist theory for many years – especially around unpaid house and care work. I knew very early on: I wanted to continue working with feminist theory. But the path was anything but straightforward.
I know what it feels like to be lost. To hit dead ends, run into closed doors, and question everything again and again. After graduating right in the middle of lockdown, my transition into working life didn’t go as I had hoped - or rather it didn’t go at all. At the same time my long-term relationship ended. What followed was a period of extreme restlessness and many, many heartbreaks. Eventually I found a coaching program that shifted everything and the vision for what would become the Heartbreak Club was born.
With the Heartbreak Club I offer feminist individual and group coaching for FLINTA+ navigating crisis and life transitions. For when your plans fall apart, or when things did work out but you still feel empty. Heartbreak isn’t just about love and relationships. So many things can break our hearts: job disappointments, friendship rifts, the weight of societal expectations. The voice that keeps saying we’re too much or not enough.
Since completing my systemic coaching training in late 2022, I’ve been supporting people in one-on-one sessions to help them live with more freedom, compassion, and self-trust. In October 2024, I launched the Heartbreak Club and have been running group coaching for FLINTA+ ever since.
In my work, I hold a space where heartbreak is seen as part of life, not as something to hide. A space where you can step out of the pressure to perform and just be. To arrive, feel, process – and learn to meet yourself with more gentleness and compassion in hard times. From there, we ask: What would it look like to live in a way that’s more true to me?
I believe tenderness is strength. That vulnerability is courage. I don’t believe in one-size-fits-all ideas of how life, love, or healing should look. Let’s find out together what’s right for you.
I speak:
EnglishGerman
Location:
Franz-Mehring-Platz 1, 10243 Berlin, Germany
Media Gallery
Approach
Treatment Approaches
Holistic approachRecommended for those who want to address their mental health through a balanced focus on mind, body, and spirit.
Person-centered approachRecommended for those looking for a supportive, non-judgmental space where they can lead the conversation and explore their feelings at their own pace.
Systemic coachingRecommended for those who want to improve their personal or professional relationships by understanding how they function within larger systems.
I work with a wide range of methods to address the head, heart, and body. Because real change happens when we understand something not just intellectually, but emotionally too.
My approach is grounded in my training in systemic and feminist coaching. I also draw on practices that I’ve personally found helpful from coachings I’ve experienced, from books (I’m a huge fan of self-help books, as long as they’re not pushing neoliberal self-optimization), and from years of leading improv and performance groups. I bring feminist theory into practice which means we also look at your challenges through a structural and societal lens. This work is rooted in my long-standing engagement with feminist theory and practice on an academic, professional, activist, and personal level.
The methods I use include:
• Sharing and exchanging experiences
• Societal and structural reflection
• (Intuitive) movement
• Mindfulness
• Guided visualizations and meditation
• Creative/artistic expression
• Systemic constellations
• Self-compassion (based on Kristin Neff)
• Relaxation
In group coachings, we begin by introducing ourselves and building trust. From there, we dive into a mix of theory, dialogue, and embodied exercises. These group offerings are currently for FLINTA+ and held in German — an English-speaking group is in the works.
In one-on-one coaching, we focus directly on your individual topics. We clarify where you’re seeking change and shape each session around that. I tailor the methods and pace to fit your needs and life situation. Individual coaching is open to all genders and available in both German and English (I’ve lived in the U.S. several times and completed my studies fully in English).
I strive to create a space where we become curious about ourselves. A place where we face what’s difficult instead of running away. Where we rewrite the stories that keep us small, so we can live brave, self-determined lives – radically tender in connection with ourselves and others.
Experience
2 years in practice
I have been supporting clients through individual coaching since 2023. Last fall, I founded the Heartbreak Club and offer group coaching (as of now only in German). Currently, I offer the following formats:
Individual Coaching GER/ENG (all genders):
We focus entirely on your personal topics. Each session is tailored to you and your needs. You can book single sessions or packages. Available online and in person at FMP1 (Friedrichshain).
Coaching Evening GER (FLINTA+):
Spend an empowering evening connecting with yourself and other FLINTA+ people. This is an open group you can join anytime to get to know my work. Held once a month at the Periodenladen (Friedrichshain).
Weekend Workshop GER (FLINTA+):
Take two days off from everyday life to reconnect with yourself. Gain new perspectives and lay the foundation for change. Dates are available on my website. Location: Manoah Zentrum (Kreuzberg).
All information on my website <3
Education
2023 | Certified Feminist Coach (Feminist Coaching Academy, Berlin)
2022 | Certified Systemic Coach & Mediator (Institute for Management Consulting, Berlin)
2013-2020 | M.A. in Sociology and Cultural Studies, focus on Feminist Theory (Freie Universität Berlin & University of Pennsylvania, USA)
2018-2024 | Co-founder of an improv theater group and FLINTA+ dance collective
Cost
Free 30 minute introductory callSliding scale starting at €95
Individual Session
€110 (80 minutes)
Feministischer Coaching Abend (GER)
€40 (150 minutes)
Feminist Coaching Weekend (GER)
€180 (180 minutes)
Insurances
Private Pay
At a glance
Offers free 30 minute introductory callThis provider offers a free introductory call
Explore more
My offerings
Course
Feminist Coaching Evening (GER)
Course
Feminist Coaching Weekend (GER)
My publications
Social Reproduction Under Lockdown: Capital, Labor, and GenderKienscherf, M., & Thumm, C. (2024). Social Reproduction Under Lockdown: Capital, Labor, and Gender. Feminist Economics, 30(2), 1–24.
The ‘Pom-Pom Girl for Feminism’: Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In and Neoliberal FeminismClara Thumm (2018), Literatur in Wissenschaft und Unterricht. Serial Narratives. LWU LI 3/ 2018.
Next available: Jul 8