1. What does your profession as a psychotherapist involve?

As a psychotherapist, I specialise in behavioural therapy and work in a private practice in Hanover. In therapy, I help people to change their thought processes in order to overcome dysfunctional, anxiety-inducing or depressing thoughts. A central element of my behavioural therapy is encouraging people to behave differently and thus experience themselves in a new way – for example by developing new leisure activities or questioning beliefs that usually originate from the family environment that has shaped us.

In a world of overstimulation, I see it as my job to help people pause, stay calm and reduce their worries – no small challenge with all the stimuli that constantly surround us.

2. What were the most important stages of your professional career?

My career has been characterised by various twists and turns and other influences. Although my mother is also a psychotherapist, I initially decided to become a sound engineer like my father after leaving school. That career then took me all over Europe, where I went on tour with well-known bands such as The Kelly Family, Nena, Kool and the Gang and Westernhagen – an experience that has had a significant impact on my self-confidence in life. But at the age of 30, I decided to make a fresh start: I wanted to settle down and stop travelling for work all the time. So I began studying psychology in Braunschweig, then completed my psychotherapist training in Hildesheim and subsequently worked as a psychotherapist on the staff of a clinic near Hanover.

3. When and how did you start your own business – and what were the most important lessons you learnt along the way?

I became self-employed in 2017, when I set up my own practice for the first time together with a colleague at the time. My first business in Laatzen was an important learning experience, but there was a lot of conflict associated with it and I decided to move on. It taught me that the best solution for me is a purely private practice in a beautiful location with an appealing ambience and professional reception. All this became a reality when I opened my practice at the Office Club Hanover on Georgstrasse. The combination of a private practice and a prime location – my patients and I can enjoy the view of Hanover’s opera house during our consultations – was just right for my professional needs.

4. What made you become a member of Office Club?

My decision was influenced by several factors. On the one hand, the high-quality facilities at the location offer a great setting for private practice. The fact that I’m not based in a medical centre is no disadvantage at all: my patients often come from the private sector themselves, so they are used to environments like Office Club and don’t feel out of place here – quite the opposite. Like me, they also enjoy the flat-rate drinks. Another great advantage is the telephone service offered by Office Club, which I use. It means that I can be contacted during my therapy sessions, which is a real plus compared to other practices.

Last but not least, the support provided by Ms Echterling and Ms Schramm on the reception desk here in the building deserves special mention: their mixture of professionalism, aplomb and kindness is a huge benefit for me and my patients.

5. What positive events or encounters do you associate with working at Office Club?

In addition to the encounters with my patients, I also enjoy meeting other people outside the practice. The office parties and small get-togethers that take place once or twice a year on site are particularly worthy of mention. These events offer a great opportunity to share ideas and network with other professionals such as lawyers and estate agents. Evenings like those contribute to a lively office community and allow us to cultivate relationships and get to know one another beyond the usual “good morning”.

6. Are there any career milestones or situations that you would prefer to forget now?

There were definitely moments that were not easy. One particularly formative example was the conflict I had with a colleague when we were running a business together. We had planned a future together in a practice where my colleague was the main tenant, but there were disagreements and eventually we went our separate ways. That conflict and the subsequent parting of ways were challenging times in which I had to think seriously about my livelihood and professional future.

During that phase of reorientation, I asked people close to me such as my wife and my mother for advice. This in turn led to the decision to set up private practice in Office Club. That decision turned out to be ideal for me and I don’t want to leave this place. Looking back, I wish I had known about Office Club earlier, as it might have saved me some difficulties.

7. How do you gain distance from your work?

I achieve that through meditation. It’s an integral part of my life; I meditate both as a fixed ritual and as needed. One formative experience was meeting a nun who gave a workshop on Buddhism and meditation here in Hanover around 20 years ago. I became aware of it even before I studied psychology and it had a profound influence on me.

I have now internalised meditation to such an extent that I can even practise it on the train: I close my eyes for three minutes, concentrate on my breathing, and the thoughts whirling around in my head settle down. I also pass on this experience in my therapeutic work.

8. How is your personal work-life balance?

I follow the principle of finding a balance in all things – that’s a concept that is particularly close to my heart. A colleague of mine meditates in the car, for example: when he arrives somewhere, he switches off the engine, closes his eyes and consciously enjoys the silence for a few minutes. This shows that work-life balance can also be achieved in small steps and through a regular focus. Such micro-balances in everyday life help to avoid getting too stressed and to break automated patterns, such as “this is a stressful day, I can’t do anything about it”.

After work, I mainly find balance through sport: swimming outdoors or cycling in the forest helps me to release serotonin, the so-called serenity hormone – another way to create balance and equilibrium in my life.