About me
I have a serious chronic illness myself and am familiar with the medical and bureaucratic challenges involved from personal experience. As well as I know how difficult it can be to reconcile personal goals and wishes with external barriers and one's own needs. This has motivated me to support people with disabilities and/or chronic illnesses and their close ones.
I worked many years as a video artist. Artistically and academically, I question oppressive and discriminatory systems of knowledge and action.
As human beings, we are constantly in relationships – with ourselves, with friends, family, and within our cultural and social circles. These relationships all contribute to the way we develop a sense of self, which is why I view a person’s identity as multifaceted.
Discrimination comes from outside and is imposed on people. When it is built into social structures – for example, as racism, ableism, sexism, classism or anti-queer hostility – it restricts the possibilities for action of a person or entire groups of people. At the same time, discrimination also shapes our relationship with and image of ourselves.
Mutual support and networks are important for building resilience in the face of experiences of discrimination and for activating powers that can bring about change.
These approaches, as well as an anti-discriminatory language, shape my counselling.
Education and work
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Magistra Artium in Philosophy and Musicology (Freie and Technische Universität Berlin)
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European, African and Asian philosophies for research into the human and community
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Master of Arts in Cognitive Media Linguistics (Technische Universität Berlin)
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Research into anti-discriminatory language in media and politics
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Further training in Psychological Counselling (terramedus - Akademie für Gesundheit)
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15 years media designer and video artist in South Africa
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10 years teaching educational courses (adults and youth)
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5 years working in inclusive cultural projects
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Voluntary work (children’s hospice / refuge and disability)
Further professional training
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EU-Promens (European Program for Mental health Exchanges, Networking and Skills) - Building capacity in the field of mental health: a multidisciplinary training programme, Berlin (LINK to WEBSITE)
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What is Narrative Practice? (The Dulwich Centre - Gateway to Narrative Therapy and community work, Australia, correspondence course)
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CME-Fortbildungen, Medical association Hamburg
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ADHS im Erwachsenenalter (ADHS in adults) - Diagnosis as the key to successful treatment
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Depression - Theories of etiology & current clinical guidelines
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Soziale Phobie (Social Anxiety Disorder) - State of the Art-treatment
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Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT): Working with shame and self-criticism
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Autobiographical audio play in English.
Trigger warning: hospital settings, medical emergencies
Guest contribution for Über den Tellerrand (p. 6) in the iXNet newsletter of ZAV (German): Empowerment durch Netzwerke für Kunstschaffende mit Behinderung
Co-publisher of the zine (German): Intimate Talks #1 following the exhibition On Illness, Resistance and Modes of (Collective) Health Care