Katherine Kaufmann
Counsellor
I specialise in:
About me
I am a health practitioner for Psychotherapy licensed in Germany. I am dedicated to supporting people who...
- are currently experiencing a crisis
- want support working through and integrating traumatic experiences
- have tried other kinds of therapy before, and didn't get where they wanted to go
- experience constant overwhelm, procrastination, sleep problems, difficulty in relationships, and hyper-vigilance
- have been adversely affected by the last few years of pandemic lock-down and isolation
- want to feel more safe and at home in their own skin
- want to feel more confident, and able to live the life YOU want to live, and less as if you are living the life others want for you
I am an American ex-pat who has been living in Germany for the last 13 years. I arrived in Berlin as a professional dancer, and my path led me out of the Art Scene and into working with people. I have undergone years of clinical training in somatic (body-based) psychotherapy, where I gained tools and insights not only from learning various psychotherapeutic models, but also through my own personal work and healing.
My guiding principle is that we all have a unique path to walk in this life. There is in each of us a unique and profound essence, that wants to be felt, seen, heard, and lived. It is my aim as a therapist to help you to (re)connect to your essence, and to live life from that place, finding healthier ways of relating to yourself and your environment, stepping into your power and agency, and strengthening your capacity to live life with an open heart.
I speak:
Location:
Approach
Like many therapists, I have integrated a few different approaches into my work and it would be long and complex to list them all here. Some important key words for my approach with clients: integrative, trauma-informed, NARM (Neuro-affective Relational Model), Core Energetics, Body-psychotherapy, Gestalt (present moment), ACE's (adverse childhood experiences), Interpersonal Neurobiology, Psychobiological unity of Body and Mind.
I see the relational aspect of therapy as central to its effectiveness. Together, we'll build a safe container in which you may dare to express your authentic self, try out new ways of relating to yourself and others, and have the experience of being truly heard and seen.
I also see you as the expert of your own experience. Though I have expertise and I guide the session to the best of my ability, there is no traditional power hierarchy. We meet as two human beings.
Our collaborative work offers the opportunity to explore the depth of your unique experience, in your own time, and according to what YOU are wanting for yourself. I support you in your healthy development of...
- The capacity to be in touch with your body and emotions, and to be in connection with others.
- The capacity to attune to your needs and emotions, and to reach out and take in physical and emotional nourishment.
- The capacity for healthy dependence and interdependence.
- The capacity to set appropriate boundaries, to say No, and to speak your mind without guilt of fear.
- The capacity to live with an open heart.
(In case you are curious to learn more, these are the 5 Core Needs and Capacities set forth by Laurence Heller and Aline LaPierre in their book "Healing Developmental Trauma", which is about NARM, or the Neuro-Affective Relational Model, which I use in my work.)
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