Diana Calmes
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Psychotherapist & Psychological Psychotherapist
I see my mission in helping people come closer to their inner truth and through it find more clarity and stability inside. Thanks to extensive CBT training, I am especially effective in treating OCD and anxiety disorders
I specialise in:
About me
Since my undergraduate studies, I have been especially interested in the mechanisms of psychological trauma. I’ve witnessed survivors of war and torture confront the consequences of trauma and gradually reclaim their lives. I know that our neurobiology is wired to help us heal—but sometimes, professional support is needed to activate and guide those natural healing processes.
In my trauma work, I integrate psychodynamic therapy, EMDR, and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to offer a comprehensive and individualized approach.
Thanks to my extensive CBT training, I can offer an effective treatment to anxiety-related conditions such as social anxiety, panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCD), and chronic worry. Dealing with anxiety can feel exhausting and overwhelming—one might feel being stuck in a suffocating space controlled by fear. The important thing to know is that a way out exists, and most people can walk it with professional support.
Another area of my professional focus is relationships - with oneself and with others. I believe that the quality of our lives is deeply connected to the quality of our relationships. Often, patterns formed in the past shape the way we relate to others—sometimes without our awareness. In therapy, I support clients in uncovering unconscious relational patterns so they can gain clarity, strengthen their sense of self, and explore new, more fulfilling ways of being with others.
On a more personal note — after living in three different countries - in Asia, Russia and Germany - I am now settled in the United States with my husband and our young daughter.
I speak:
Location:
Approach
In my work, I draw from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), as well as psychodynamic and trauma-informed approaches. This means I can offer you practical, evidence-based tools to help manage immediate challenges, while also gently guiding you through a deeper exploration of the roots behind them.
The better you understand yourself, the more freedom you will have to choose new, more satisfying paths in life. Thus, deeper healing that goes beyond short-term relief will be possible.
Although I gladly share all the therapy tools I’ve gathered over the years, our therapy process will never be about any specific technique, but about you.
More than anything, I believe that positive change in therapy becomes possible on the basis of an authentic, supportive, and trustful therapeutic relationship. Sometimes, we just need a supporting hand to be able to find our unique way in life.
Experience
2025 - now: Member at Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia
2024- present: Mentoring and supervision of new colleagues in the center for traumatized refugees and torture survivors
2022 - present: Psychotherapy and counseling in private practice
2019 - 2022: Psychologist at a psychosocial center for traumatised refugees and torture survivors at refugio e.V. (traumatherapy)
2019 – 2022: Psychotherapist at the Institute for cognitive behavior therapy (outpatient treatment for depression, anxiety, OCD, personality disorders etc.)
2019: Psychologist at the Center for Mental Health, day-clinic and inpatient psychiatric treatment (Thüringen Kliniken): affective, psychotic and personality disorders.
2018 – 2019 Psychologist at the University Clinic for Psychiatry und Psychotherapy in Jena, day-clinic and inpatient psychiatric treatment: crisis intervention, severe personality disorders.
2016 – 2017 Social work, support with people suffering from chronic mental health disorders Aktion Wandlungwelten e.V.
Education
2025 - EMDR Training I and II
2024-2025 Fellow at Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia
2023 - 2024 Post-graduate Studies, Capella University, USA
2022 - Certification in Online Counseling, Sigmund Freud Universität, Vienna
2017 - 2022 Licensure in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Ausbildung und Approbation in Verhaltenstherapie. Friedrich Schiller Universität, Jena, Germany
2015 - 2017 M.Sc. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy. Friedrich Schiller Universität, Jena, Germany
2011 - 2015 B.Sc. Psychology, Cologne University, Germany
Services
Individual Session
Insurances
