My deconstructive approach to work has been very fluid defining the focus of the practice and therefore therapy in trans- & intercultural contexts, treatment of B(I)PoC and queer persons now constitute the majority of my field of treatment.
Racism, ethnic pressures, culture clashes, marginalisation and cultural idiosyncrasies promote the emergence and perpetuation of mental health problems. Discrimination is part of the reality of many people's lives. Providing space for this reality is a basic approach of my treatments.
Psychological disorders
Psychological treatment can be helpful for a variety of problems and diagnoses, such as anxiety disorders, adjustment disorders, depression, psychosomatic illnesses, disturbed sexual behaviour, grief, trauma, experiences of violence and obsessive-compulsive disorders.
The following clinical conditions can be treated with psychotherapy:
- Anxiety disorders
- Adjustment disorders
- Depression
- Psychosomatic illnesses
- Trauma
- Obsessive-compulsive disorders
Intercultural therapy
This form of therapy is an approach to psychotherapy that focuses on the specific needs and challenges of people with diverse cultural influences. It is assumed that cultural factors play an important role in the development and maintenance of mental health problems and that therapeutic treatment must take these factors into account. I pay particular attention to these cultural differences in my patients, as they have a significant impact on how these people experience and understand their thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
B(I)PoC
B(I)POC, i.e. the global majority, are often confronted with racism and discrimination in white majority societies. The constant confrontation with systems of structural violence and discrimination can cause stress and feelings of helplessness in the affected persons, which, if left untreated, can result in a more serious psychological disorder. In my office, I offer my B(I)PoC patients a therapy setting in which they can talk about their own experiences without being censored. Their experiences are not questioned or relativised. Discrimination is not an individual problem or a misunderstanding. It is a form of aggression that an aggressor inflicts on another person. Protecting oneself from this can be learned in therapy.
"The people who do this thing, who practice racism, are bereft. That is something distorted about the psyche. It’s a huge waste and it’s a corruption and a distortion."
- Toni Morrison’s aus dem Buch Beloved.