I am a UK qualified and UKCP registered psychotherapist. Originally from Germany, I have lived for more than 15 years in the United States and the United Kingdom. After completing a PhD in psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, I worked in academic and applied research, including at the Anna Freud Centre in London. In 2014, I discovered the Alexander Technique, which gave me an entirely different, embodied and non-verbal access to knowledge. Inspired by this experience I started training in integrative psychotherapy at the Metanoia Institute in London, where I qualified as an integrative psychodynamic counsellor. In addition to private practice, I have worked in a range of settings including for the NHS at the South London and Maudsley Talking Therapies.
The core of my counselling approach is person-centred — the currently fashionable term is “trans-diagnostic.” I am concerned with understanding you as a person — both what you have in common with others who experience similar struggles, but also what makes you unique.
My central way of working is relational psychodynamic. Our childhood, family dynamics, and disruptive life events can still influence how we see ourselves and how we relate to others. The relationship with an experienced therapist helps notice and transform these patterns in the “here and now.”
In our work together, I integrate further approaches to best suit your situation. I draw for example from Internal Family Systems (IFS), from emotionally focused therapy (EFT), and from somatosenory approaches.
My practice is embodied and trauma aware. Trauma comes in many guises: most of us have experienced feeling alone in psychological pain somewhere along the lifespan. Trauma has a mind-body impact. My background in the Alexander Technique means I bring an embodied, somatosensory approach to therapy, tailored to each client.
Before training as a counsellor, I worked as a researcher. I am still a researcher at heart and value sharing a journey of open curiosity and joint discovery with my clients.