University Education
1983 – 1989 Undergraduate Diploma in Psychology (Dipl.-Psych.), University of Münster
2000 Doctor of philosophy in Psychology, University of Jena. Dissertation: The Effect of Psychological Intervention on the Recovery of Heart Transplant Patients
Professional Experience
1985 – 1990 German Society for the Protection of Children, Münster; Volunteer and paid consultant
1990 – 1995 Clinic for Addiction Disorders “Die Fähre,” Essen; Relational therapist and assistant lead therapist; coordinator for the Juvenile Detention Facility Essen
1995 FSU Jena, Institute for Psychology; Instructor
1995 – 2003 Clinic für Orthopedic and Psychosomatic Rehabilitation “Saale I” in Bad Kösen; Psychologist, then psychotherapist and director of the department of psychology
2003 – 2008 Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, University of Jena; Institut for Psychosocial Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Clinic of the University of Jena; Psychotherapist
Since 2/2009 Department of Medical Psychology, Clinic for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Heart and Diabetes Center NRW (Clinical Director: Prof. Dr. med. J.F. Gummert); Psychotherapist and director
Professional Qualifications and Memberships
1986 – 1987 Course in child-centered interviewing; German Society for the Protection of Children, Münster
1989 – 1993 Course in client-centered psychotherapy; Society for Person-Centered Psychotherapy and Consulting (GwG), Cologne
Since 1989 Member, Federation of German Psychologists (BdP), Bonn
1994 Certification in clinical psychology; Federation of German Psychologists (BdP), Bonn
1995 Certification in naturopathy
1997 – 2000 Course in clinical hypnotherapy Milton H. Erickson Society for Clinical Hypnosis
Since 2000 Member, Milton H. Erickson Society for Clinical Hypnosis´
1999 License to practice psychotherapy as regulated by the German Psychotherapy Law
Since 2004 Membership, Working Group 11 of “Thoracic Organ Transplantation” of the Cardiology Society
Since 2005 Membership, German Transplantation Society (DTG), Active Member in the Commission on “Psychology and Psychosomatics in Heart Transplant Medicine”
Since 2011 Membership, German Society for Thoracic, Heart and Vascular Surgery; Currently Chair of the Working Group “Psyche and Heart”“
Since 2018 Membership, German Society for Medical Psychology
Areas of Professional Activity
- Directorship of the Department of Medical Psychology, HDZ-NRW
- Preoperative diagnostics and psychological evaluation of heart transplantation and VAD patients
- Perioperative psychological treatment and psychosocial care of heart transplant and VAD patients
- Crisis intervention, short-term psychotherapy
- Development and evaluation of heart-specific psychotherapeutic interventions
- Discussion of cases in interdisciplinary care teams
- Supervision und coaching
- Development and offering of courses on topics in psychology
- Initiation and participation in expert networks
- Teaching in the fields of medicine, psychology, and nursing
- Direction of scientific research projects especially for the development and evaluation of psychological interventions in heart surgery