Psychotherapy in berlin schöneberg
Heilpraktikerin für psychotherapie | Weiterbildung Tiefenpsychologische Psychotherapeutin
Therapy as self-exploration
about me
Therapeutic Approach
My work is grounded in a psychodynamic approach. I understand psychological difficulties as an attempt to cope with inner tension and fear that are experienced as conflicting. When more effective alternatives of dealing with these experiences are unavailable, symptoms can emerge.
Therapy offers an opportunity to become more familiar with these inner processes. It is not about becoming someone other than who you are. Rather, it is about developing a deeper, more conscious relationship with yourself—one that can hold and integrate these inner conflicts.
This is why I see therapy as a journey of self-exploration. My aim is to create a space that feels safe and supportive enough for you to explore your inner landscape, including the unconscious aspects of your experience, and to meet yourself honestly in the here-and-now. Only what we become aware of can be accepted, understood, and ultimately transformed.
I believe that every person already carries within them the capacity for healing. My role is to accompany you as you reconnect with that inner potential. At the same time, I deeply respect the complexity of each individual, whose experience is shaped by many different layers of life. Your unique needs and personal story remain at the center of our work together.
education and experience
Psychodynamic Psychotherapist (currently completing advanced training)
Licensed Practitioner for Psychotherapy (Heilpraktikerin für Psychotherapie)
Psychotherapeutic practice in inpatient addiction treatment since 2019
Member of the German Association of Psychotherapists (DPtV)
M.Sc. in Positive Clinical Psychology
Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher (200+ hours)
Therapeutic services
1:1 individual therapy
In psychodynamic individual therapy, we work together to explore the underlying causes and deeper roots of your current difficulties. We look at how earlier experiences, unconscious conflicts, and recurring relationship patterns shape the way you experience yourself, others and the world today.
The aim is to develop a deeper understanding of yourself, discover new ways of responding to life's challenges, strengthen your inner resources, and create meaningful, lasting change. Every therapeutic process is as unique as the individual. It unfolds at its own pace, and without a predetermined outcome. A trusting therapeutic relationship, openness, and your active participation form the foundation of our work together.
group therapy
In group therapy, you will meet people who, despite having different life stories, share similar questions, challenges, or emotional struggles. The group offers a safe and respectful space where experiences can be shared, new perspectives can emerge, and interpersonal patterns can become visible through interactions within the group.
I work from a process-oriented perspective and understand the group as a place where change arises primarily through encounters with others (and thereby the self). Experiencing the here and now, receiving and offering feedback, and reflecting together, create the opportunity to get to know yourself more deeply within a safe environment, gain new experiences, and develop new ways of relating to yourself and others.
Each group consists of 6–9 participants and develops its own unique dynamic and rhythm. I accompany this process with care and a psychodynamic understanding, allowing the group to become a safe space for personal growth.
addiction therapy (1:1 / group)
Addiction does not develop overnight and often affects far more than the substance use itself. Relationships, self-esteem, emotional regulation, and everyday life are frequently impacted as well. In addiction therapy, we create a safe space to understand these connections, develop new coping strategies, and support lasting change. Depending on your individual situation, therapy may take place in an individual setting, a group setting, or a combination of both.
For more than six years, I have worked (inter-culturally) with people experiencing addiction in a variety of therapeutic settings. A stable commitment to abstinence, as well as sufficient psychological and social stability, are important prerequisites for outpatient addiction therapy. This form of therapy is intended for people who have chosen to live an abstinent life. Ongoing active substance use is not compatible with outpatient psychotherapy.
At the same time, relapse is part of the recovery process for many people. It is not a sign of failure. When it can be addressed openly and worked through together, it can become an important part of the therapeutic process.
additional offers
workshops
My workshops invite you to connect with yourself on a deeper level. Together, we explore topics such as self-worth, the relationship to ourselves, the inner child, healthy boundaries, and our relationship patterns. Many of the beliefs we hold about ourselves and others are formed in our earliest relationships and continue to shape us into adulthood. My workshops provide a safe space to recognise these patterns, become more aware of your own needs, and open yourself to new experiences. I combine psychological insights with experiential work, using methods such as group and partner exercises, psychodrama, journaling, guided imagery, and meditation.
I do not believe that lasting change comes simply from gaining new information. Sustainable change happens when we experience something for ourselves and allow those insights to become deeply integrated. That is why my workshops are, above all, a place for lived experience. New experiences can give rise to new inner beliefs, making meaningful change possible from within.
Yin Yoga
Yin Yoga is a gentle yet deeply restorative practice that has a calming and regulating effect on both the body, mind and the autonomic nervous system. By remaining in each posture for an extended period, physical tension gradually begins to release, allowing the mind to settle. This often creates a sense of spaciousness, grounding, and feeling more at home within yourself. At the same time, Yin Yoga supports emotional processing and creates space for greater self-awareness, as well as a deeper sense of trust in your own presence and resilience. It is also a practice of mindful surrender to the present moment.
active meditation
Active Meditation (based on Osho) is a dynamic meditation practice in which movement, breath, and expression are consciously used to deepen the connection with your inner experience. At its core is free self-expression. The practice invites you to give more space to the impulses that naturally arise in the present moment—beyond what we would usually suppress or hold back. What often stands in the way are our inner conflicts: self-judgment, concerns about how we might appear to others, or the fear of rejection. In everyday life, we not only suppress our spontaneous impulses but also many of our emotions, often over long periods of time.
The Active Meditation creates a holding space in which everything that is usually controlled or held back is invited to move and express itself. Within this protected setting, these inner dynamics can become conscious without the need to analyse or judge them. Beneath them, what has always been there can begin to emerge again: your natural vitality, authentic impulses, and a direct connection to your inner world. The meditation is practised while wearing a blindfold, which further supports this process by reducing external orientation and gently turning your attention inward. This allows the experience to become more immediate, more subtle, and more deeply rooted in your own felt experience of the present moment.
Active Meditation can be experienced as profoundly cathartic—a process of moving through, releasing, and freeing impulses and emotions that have long been held back. It becomes a kind of inner journey: intense, honest, and often surprisingly liberating.
investment & Practical information
My practice is a private practice. At present, treatment through the German reimbursement procedure (Kostenerstattungsverfahren) cannot be offered. If you have private health insurance or are covered through the German civil service reimbursement scheme (Beihilfe), the possibility of reimbursement depends on the terms of your individual policy and should be clarified directly with your provider.
For self-paying clients, the regulations of the statutory health insurance system do not apply. This allows you the freedom to decide on the frequency, duration, and course of therapy yourself—independently of external requirements or formal restrictions such as diagnostic codes.
Choosing to cover the costs yourself can also be understood as a conscious and committed decision for your own process and a clear commitment to your personal development.
The fee for the initial consultation is €80. It serves as an opportunity for us to get to know one another and to begin exploring what you’re seeking support with, as well as exploring the fit between therapist and patient.
I charge 120€ for individual therapy per session.
The fee for group therapy sessions are €80 per session.
contact
The practice is located here:
Innsbrucker Str. 37
10825 Berlin Schöneberg
Please contact me to schedule an appointment.
E-mail: praxis@marilena-bernhardt.com
Tel: +49 160 410 7712
