Somatic psychotherapy in Berlin

Waiting for months. And then?

Finding a psychotherapy place covered by statutory health insurance in Berlin often takes many months. Finding one in English can take even longer. With me, you usually get a first appointment within 7 to 10 days. Sessions are in English, German or French.

What I offer.

I am a Heilpraktiker für Psychotherapie, which means I hold a German state permit to practise psychotherapy under the Heilpraktiker law, and I am trained in body psychotherapy. In our sessions we talk, and we include your body: breath, tension, posture, movement. Much of what weighs on us shows up in the body first, often long before we have words for it. That is where we start.

I call this work bodywork. Internationally it is known as embodiment work or somatic therapy. It is a learning process: you build the capacity to sense yourself, to regulate tension and to relate differently to fear, pain and stress. We work with touch, movement, breath and conversation. The approach comes from the tradition of body psychotherapy and draws on the Pantarei Approach and the Grinberg Method.

Complement or bridge.

You can use bodywork to make good use of the time while you wait for a therapy place. You can also do it alongside an ongoing psychotherapy, as a complement through the body. In that case it is good if your therapist knows about it.

Some people come to me after talk therapy because they feel: I understand a lot now, but in my body not much has changed.

Paying privately means deciding for yourself.

• No application, no assessment, no approval by a health insurer.
• You decide how often and for how long we work together.
• If you pay for bodywork yourself as a learning process, no diagnosis is needed.
• With German private health insurance or a supplementary Heilpraktiker insurance, you can often get part of the cost back. The invoice then includes a diagnosis. If you have international health insurance, check your policy.

What it costs.

A session lasts 75 minutes and costs 100 €. You can start with a single trial session and then decide at your own pace. If you want to continue, there are packages of 3 sessions for 280 € and 10 sessions for 890 €.

If the price is a hurdle right now, talk to me. We will find a way together.

How to start.

1. Introduction: 15 minutes, free of charge. Write to me at adrian@beingabody.com.
2. Trial session: 75 minutes, 100 €. Afterwards you decide whether you want to continue.
3. At your own pace: single sessions or a package of 3 or 10, in my practice in Prenzlauer Berg. Online sessions are possible after at least five sessions in person.

For men and fathers.

You are a man or a father, and “therapy” doesn’t feel like you? Have a look at my bodywork for men and fathers. It is about bodywork as training: sensing, getting clear, deciding anew.

Frequently asked questions.

Are you a psychotherapist?

In Germany, the title “Psychotherapeut” is reserved for licensed psychologists and physicians. I am a Heilpraktiker für Psychotherapie: I hold a state permit to practise psychotherapy under the Heilpraktiker law. I am not a licensed psychological psychotherapist and cannot bill statutory health insurance.

Will my insurance pay?

Statutory health insurance does not pay. German private health insurance and supplementary Heilpraktiker insurance often reimburse part of the cost. International plans vary. It is best to ask your insurer before the first session.

What happens in a session?

First we clarify what matters to you. Then we work through conversation and through the body. You can read more on the homepage under “How the bodywork works”.

Where my limits are.

If you are in an acute crisis or thinking about harming yourself, my practice is not the right first place. Please contact your GP, the Berliner Krisendienst or the TelefonSeelsorge, available around the clock at 0800 111 0 111. In an emergency, call 112.