Anna Punda

My integrative method works on three levels simultaneously — cognitive, emotional, and somatic — with the goal of bringing them into alignment. You might recognise this feeling: you understand everything intellectually, yet keep falling back into the same emotional patterns. The same anxiety, the same stress, the same sense of being stuck, restless, or disconnected from yourself. This tends to happen when the three levels are pulling in different directions — creating inner tension. In our work together, we look more closely at that misalignment and find what works best for you, so you can build new pathways forward. The foundation is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) — frameworks that help you understand the relationship between thoughts, emotions, and behaviours, and develop more flexible, values-aligned ways of responding. But cognition alone rarely reaches the whole person. So I also draw on mindfulness, emotion-focused work, compassion-focused approaches, and somatic techniques — using breath, movement, and body awareness to create change at a felt, embodied level, not just an intellectual one. And our work doesn't end when you leave the therapy room. Between sessions, you'll receive supportive materials and small experiments to try in real life — because the goal isn't just to think the change. It's to feel it, and live it.

• 2014 – 2023 Over nearly a decade, I worked at the intersection of individual wellbeing and organizational systems — supporting startups and companies in developing mental health and wellbeing strategies, designing and delivering coaching and resilience trainings for individuals and teams, and facilitating mindfulness, yoga, and movement-based sessions to support stress regulation and emotional wellbeing. During this period I also designed and facilitated dance and movement therapy workshops in Berlin — integrating embodied approaches to emotional processing that would later become central to my therapeutic practice. Alongside this work, I completed my academic research in psychological and medical anthropology, which culminated in the publication of Szamanki w wielkim mieście (Shamans in the Big City) — an exploration of how ancient healing wisdom lives on in modern urban life. • Since 2024 I practice as a licensed psychotherapy practitioner and psychological counselor in private practice, working with individuals navigating anxiety, stress, burnout, and emotional overwhelm. I also work within Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), supporting professionals in organizational contexts.

Core Qualification • Licensed Psychotherapy Practitioner (Heilpraktiker für Psychotherapie), 2024 Licensed by Gesundheitsamt Schöneberg after completing studies at Paracelsus Academy, with a focus on psychotherapy and anxiety conditions. Academic Background • Master of Arts in Anthropology, Free University Berlin, 2011 Specializing in medical anthropology, holistic healing practices, and dance therapy. • Post-graduation research in psychological and medical anthropology across Berlin, Lisbon, and Guadalajara — exploring embodied emotions, prehispanic dance as therapeutic practice, and cross-cultural healing methods. • Psychology Studies, Hagen University, 2020 – 2022 Extensive coursework in psychological theory, clinical psychology, psychotherapy approaches, and mental health assessment — forming the academic foundation for the Heilpraktiker qualification. Further Training & Certifications • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) — Diploma, Holbeck College • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) • Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) • Mindfulness and Meditation Teacher Certification • Psychological Counselor — certified by the German Association for Free Psychotherapy (VFP) • Certified Yoga Teacher • Certified Master Coach — World Coaching Organization (Berlin & Helsinki)