Vera Fleischer
CA Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Heilpraktikerin (Psychotherapie)
Available for new clients
As a therapist working with communication, patterns and insecurities, I like to focus on making good use of the choices that are available to you or to your relationship(s). Let's get your emotional ducks in a row.
I specialize in:
At a glance
Last active
Experienced on It's ComplicatedOver 5 years on It's Complicated
Note from VeraOnly taking on new individual clients that are local to the Cologne area. Welcoming couples from anywhere in Germany for virtual sessions.
Your story is important.Feel free to contact me here if you feel that we could be a good fit.
Usually responds within 12 hours
About me
From a young age I have been fascinated by what drives people. I have been curious about people’s deepest desires and insecurities and how they affect a person’s personality and behavior. Due to my shame about my own personal challenges, it took me a while to realize how helpful psychotherapy can be. Once I embraced and accepted help for myself, I realized that I wanted to be a psychotherapist. As I stepped into that role, it became clear that this work meets me in the areas of authentic communication, emotional bonding, relational repair, and creative expression.
I graduated with a Master of Arts in Integral Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in 2014. I received training in depth-oriented psychotherapy and Gestalt therapy at the Church Street Integral Counseling Center in San Francisco for two years. Then I was a member of the Bay Area Gestalt Institute (BAGI) for four years. As of 2016, I am licensed in California as a Marriage and Family Therapist. I had a private practice in the Mission District of San Francisco until the end of 2019.
I grew up in Germany and lived in the United States from 1996 to 2019, seventeen of those years in San Francisco. A lot of my personal growth work has been around processing the guilt and shame associated with the history of Germany.
I speak:
EnglishGerman
Location:
Mühlenbach 42, 50676 Cologne, Germany
Approach
Treatment Approaches
Gestalt therapyRecommended for those who want to focus on the present and take responsibility for their feelings and actions to promote personal growth.
Relational
My approach is client-centered and relational. I strive to meet you where you are and as you are. I place great emphasis on the client-therapist relationship, as I believe it often parallels your experiences in real life.
Logical
With compassion and curiosity I use a logical approach to help you meet your soul’s needs and live your favorite life. I worked in the software industry for many years. Because of this experience I bring a strongly developed logical, problem-solving side to my work. As a former software debugger, I now see myself as a soul debugger. Together we can figure out what you want and how you are interrupting yourself from getting there.
Moment-to-moment tracking
In terms of psychological approaches, I identify as a Gestalt therapist first and foremost. In our sessions I like to start with awareness in the here and now. Out of this awareness emerge sensations, thoughts and feelings which need to be experienced, digested and integrated into the whole of one’s being. Sometimes integration means not digesting a particular byte of information. Accepting this refusal can also contribute to greater wholeness.
Choice-based
A lot of times a sense of well-being can come from making a clear decision about what you want to do with a particular sensation, thought or feeling. You learn to be and accept who you are, with your likes and dislikes, preferences and resistances. Sometimes, owning the unknown or confusion can be part of this. We can become clear about being confused and make a choice based on this clarity, and that feels good.
Parts work
Another big part of my work is parts work. In parts work, we identify and communicate with different parts of your psyche or personality that may or may not be in conflict with each other. Common parts are the inner critic, judge, protector, or fighter. We explore what a dominant part needs. We explore what a hidden part is afraid of. Insights, relief and freedom can emerge from this work.
Experience
11 years in practiceOver 5 years at It's Complicated
Therapist & Couples Counselor, Cologne, Germany, December 2019 – present: Provide couples therapy and individual psychotherapy in German and English as well as remote psychotherapy for clients residing in California.
Psychotherapist in Private Practice, Bay Area Gestalt Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA, September 2015 – December 2019: Saw individuals and couples as a psychotherapist in private practice, focused on communication skills, relationships, shame, self-esteem, grief, loneliness, childhood emotional neglect, etc.
Primary Therapist, Cielo House, Moss Beach, CA, USA, September 2015 – August 2017: Saw individual clients, couples and families in a residential / PHP treatment facility for eating disorders and co-occurring substance use disorders, including assessment and crisis intervention. Facilitated therapy groups on topics such as Body Image, CBT, DBT, Interpersonal, and Process.
Psychotherapist Intern, Church Street Integral Counseling Center, San Francisco, CA, USA, September 2014 – September 2015: Saw individuals and couples as a psychotherapist in a private practice setting. Facilitated trainings and exercises with trainees.
Psychotherapist Trainee, Church Street Integral Counseling Center, San Francisco, CA, USA, September 2013 – September 2014: Saw individuals and couples as a psychotherapist in a private practice setting.
Affiliations:
DVG (Deutsche Vereinigung für Gestalttherapie), supporting member since 2021
CAMFT (California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists), member since 2017
SFCAMT (San Francisco California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists), member since 2017
BAOM (Bay Area Open Minds: Psychotherapists Affirming Sexual & Gender Diversity), board member since 2016
Education
2023 - 2025 Training for Gestalt Supervisors, Kortrijk, Belgium
2022 IFS (Internal Family Systems) Level 1, Cologne
2022 EFT Core Skills, Berlin
2020 Externship in EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples), Berlin
2020 License as a Heilpraktiker for Psychotherapy by the City of Cologne
2019 Basic training in EMDR, San Francisco
2016 License as a California Marriage and Family Therapist (#97057)
2015-2017 Training in Gestalt therapy at Bay Area Gestalt Institute, San Francisco
2014 Master of Arts in Integral Counseling Psychology from California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), San Francisco
2013-2015 Training in Gestalt therapy at the Church Street Integral Counseling Center, San Francisco
Cost
Individual Session
€110
Couples session
€150
Insurances
Private PayPrivate Insurance
At a glance
Last active
Experienced on It's ComplicatedOver 5 years on It's Complicated
Note from VeraOnly taking on new individual clients that are local to the Cologne area. Welcoming couples from anywhere in Germany for virtual sessions.
Your story is important.Feel free to contact me here if you feel that we could be a good fit.
Usually responds within 12 hours
Usually responds within 12 hours