Author’s Bio

I grew up in Berlin, Germany, where my developing years were had been completely overshadowed by adverse childhood experiences (9 out of 10 ACEs). My young adulthood and adulthood was overshadowed by the long-term consequences of my complex trauma and completely controlled my life, which was my main reason for deciding to leave Germany behind. I arrived in the U.S. in 1985, where had my very first therapy session within a year. My own recovery process from complex trauma inspired me to return to school and study the field of Clinical Psychology. In 1999, I became an LMFT, received my doctoral degree from Pacifica Graduate Institute in 2003 (in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Depth Psychology), and became a Licensed Psychologist, in 2012.

With years of frontline experience working in an Emergency Room, on medical floors, in in-patient and out-patient mental health facilities, and in out-patient psychiatrists offices, it became crystal clear that complex trauma and its long-term consequences are, unfortunately, too often completely misunderstood. I learned firsthand how adverse childhood experiences impact people’s lives long after the original abuse subsided, through my own experience and through treating many patients with complex trauma histories over the past 25 years. I have learned that sharing narratives and providing education specific to the topic of complex trauma and its long-term consequences, is a powerful avenue for effective communication among survivors, the supporters of survivors, and the involved professionals and often times can help avoid unnecessary re-traumatization.