I work in private practice in Vienna’s 18th district (1180) as well as in Abingdon and Oxford, UK. I work mainly with trauma, transgenerational trauma, and abuse.
I also work with expats and Adult Third Culture Kids (TCKs).
My office is in a quiet street in Vienna’s 18th district very close to the Gersthofer Platzl. There are many excellent shops, restaurants and cafés in the area, as well as the Türkenschanzpark, one of Vienna’s most beautiful parks for leisurely walks.
Some personal thoughts on psychotherapy and psychoanalysis
In psychotherapy, we explore how your past and present are in dialogue with one another, and how your past experiences impact on your present life. I work with clients who have experienced trauma and/or abuse, as well as with expats and Adult Third Culture Kids (TCKs). My work with trauma has been informed largely by the contributions of Janina Fisher, Bessel van der Kolk, Peter Levine and Stephen Porges. Trauma and abuse impact survivors’ lives for many years, and it is essential to process traumatic experiences in therapy. However, this does not mean dwelling on the past, but rather understanding their impact on the present, such as how triggers and flashbacks may disrupt your relationships and daily life. Often trauma and abuse are silenced, leaving survivors feeling alone and lacking in validation of their experiences. Psychotherapy gives an opportunity for healing by offering a safe space for reflection, validation and healing.
The “intersubjective turn„ in psychoanalysis – moving away from Freud …
In psychoanalysis, I am fascinated by the so-called intersubjective turn. Intersubjective psychoanalysis moved away from Freud’s drive theory, analytic abstinence and the so-called reality principle to focus more on the relationship between analyst and analysand. The contributions of Goerge Atwood, Robert Stolorow and Donna M. Orange have been of utmost importance in this area of psychoanalysis. Their concept of the “myth of the isolated mind” refers to the mind as conceived by early Freudians who despite theories of transference and countertransference were far less focused on intersubjectivity. Intersubjective psychoanalysis redefines concepts of transference and countertransference to fully understand the complexities of the analytic relationship, and the ways in which this is intertwined with the analysand’s early formative experiences of relationships.
Psychoanalysis offers a space in which new meanings can be created, and past experiences seen in a new light. In the beginnings of psychoanalysis, it was believed that the analyst’s abstinent neutrality would lead to psychic healing, but many analysts today realise that such neutrality is unrealistic and can even be harmful. In my view, the analytic relationship is not completely neutral, nor is the analysts’ personality non-existent, despite the fact that they may not talk much about their own lives. As a therapist and analyst, it is important to me to acknowledge that I always hear my clients’ life stories through the lens of my own life. In other words, even though the analytic relationship is asymmetrical, both analyst and analysand contribute to the relationship and to the healing bond between them.
Expats and Adult Third Culture Kids (TCKs)
I also work with clients struggling with issues around cultural readjustment. The expat life may at first glance seem exciting, but it often involves emotional struggles and challenges. After the first few months abroad, expats often start to realise ambivalences around their move to a new country, and they at times develop depression and anxiety. Adult Third Culture Kids (TKCs) may experience even greater difficulties, as they grew up in more than one culture and did not contribute to decisions made around such early moves. Adult Third Culture Kids usually speak more than one language and are deeply familiar with more than one culture. In a sense, they live lives between cultures.
Psychotherapy in Vienna Gersthof, 1180
My private practice is in Vienna’s 18th district in one of the beautiful old buildings dating from the turn of the century. It is in close proximity to the Bischof-Faber-Platz and the neo-Gothic church of Gersthof where Chaplain Heinrich Maier, who was active in the Austrian Resistance against National Socialism, worked. Another interesting place to visit in Gersthof is the Johann-Nepomuk Kapelle, as well as the Maria-Theresien-Schlössel.
Near the S-Bahn Station of Vienna, Gersthof there is the Café Mocca with a very pleasant outside are where you can sit and enjoy a meal and/or coffee and cake. The Meierei in the nearby Türkenschanzpark offers first-class Austrian cuisine.
The building in which I work was purchased by my Jewish great-grandfather, who came to Vienna from Eastern Europe at the turn of the century. There is a plaque on the façade of the building commemorating the Jewish part of my family.
You can reach my office in Vienna, Gersthof with the tram lines 40, 41 and 9, as well as with the S45 and the bus 10A. All public transportation is only a few minutes’ walk from my office.
