I am Austrian and have lived the majority of my life in Vienna, Austria. I studied in an international environment where I was fortunate enough to meet people from varying cultures and backgrounds. Growing up in a multicultural environment has largely influenced the counsellor that I am today. Through my life experiences and training on multiculturalism I have gained awareness into the importance of tailoring my therapeutic approach to the cultural needs of individuals. Without cultural sensitivity, I believe counsellors may run the risk of making assumptions and generalizations, thereby, causing a rupture in the therapeutic alliance. Therefore, I am extremely passionate about working through a multicultural lens in order to strengthen trust and rapport.
I work from a supportive and non-judgmental stance, focusing on the strengths and resources of my clients. Feedback is an additional factor that I perceive as essential for a positive therapeutic experience. I strongly encourage each of my clients to share their thoughts and opinions about the therapeutic process in order to strengthen cohesion and collaboration. If you would like a detailed description of my approach to counselling, including the type of therapy models that I use, how they work, and my areas of focus please feel free to take a look at the following sections: "Therapy Models" and "Areas of Focus".
After completing my Bachelor's Degree at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and graduating with a master's degree in Counselling Psychology from Athabasca University, Alberta, I continued to participate in numerous training courses in order to expand my knowledge in the counselling field. My training was largely focused on mindfulness and cognitive behavioural approaches. I have also been trained in various counselling models in order to meet the needs of a diverse clientele. For a detailed description of some of my post-masters training, feel free to take a look at the following section: "Training Post-Masters".
