Stefan Scheurer

Whether we call the problem burnout or depression, or if it is accompanied by anxiety, compulsion (OCD), or somatization, is mainly of interest to research or health insurance companies. This is because research and billing require pigeonholes or diagnoses where cases can be filed or studied.

These pigeonholes are of little help to the affected individual, and the boundaries between them are fluid in reality anyway. For the purpose of treatment, the focus is much more on recognizing and understanding the dysfunctional patterns that have contributed to the current problem. Based on this insight, training and learning can then take place, which, generally speaking, happens on 3 levels:

1. Exercises: Sport, relaxation methods, confrontation, etc., are all approaches that can be applied quickly and pragmatically. Comparable to exercises in sports.

2. Schemata: Over the course of our lives, we have developed certain perspectives and problem-solving patterns. Here, the dosage usually determines the poison. Perfectionism is a good example of such a schema.

3. Attachment: How we experienced attachment to and between our parents in childhood influences our trust in the world. Later traumas can also shake this trust. This can lead to persistent stress and must then be addressed.

Together, we look at which level we should focus our work on. Dysfunctional structures are identified and step-by-step replaced by functional ones through adequate learning processes. The art lies in adequately emotionally charging these learning processes, because emotion is fertilizer for the brain.

Diverse functions as Hospital Director with overall responsibility

Various roles in specialized clinics, e.g., in the areas of burnout, addiction, etc.

Various management functions in the healthcare sector, as well as at banks and in industry.

Diverse roles as a consultant, trainer, coach, and speaker at strategy consultancies and leadership institutes, utilizing the framework of the St. Gallen Management Model.

Trainer and athlete in competitive Judo (Bundesliga)

I have been an instructor in various fields for more than 10 years myself. During that time, I have conceptualized, built, and managed complete Corporate Universities, mentored degree programs for systemic coaching, supervised therapists, and much more. In competitive sports, I was both an athlete and a coach for teams in the Judo Bundesliga. And, of course, I am also officially registered on the professional list of psychotherapists with the Federal Ministry of Health in Austria.

Thus, I have learned and taught all the necessary and sufficient building blocks for successful therapy in a professional context. I would like to refer to one area that, although scientifically sound, is still far too unknown. I work (which is also possible online, by the way!) with biofeedback to assess the current hazard status and to enable a different approach to relaxation.

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) remains the best indicator for the prognosis of stress-related disorders, even when compared to measuring the stress hormone level of cortisol. However, HRV can not only be measured but also directly influenced via biofeedback training. Biofeedback has proven to be an ideal relaxation method for people who cannot access yoga, meditation, or similar practices and who want to achieve effective relaxation without "hocus pocus."