Kinds & Cost of Services

The Five Kinds of Design Therapy

I take a systems approach to coaching and psychotherapy - meaning I understand you are embedded in a system of family, friends, work, culture and community. For individual work, we will also map your genogram (family tree) to learn about your family of origin and to better design your family of choice.

The emphasis in Design Therapy is both on understanding problems and crafting solutions. Designer's call problems optimistically “wicked challenges”, Gottman therapist’s the “gridlock” - either way, you are stuck in a context with a set of variables. That can make you feel alone, hopeless, and in need of help.

On the flip side, each challenge informs several solutions, or designs (Design Therapy) to that begin with a sketch, prototype and easy to test experiment. The Gottman therapist’s proposes conversations to loosen the gridlock on an issue between a couple. For instance, talking calmly and respectfully about a topic you disagree about - is a compromise and first step forward.

It is essential to balance both the problem talk and the solution talk, I think. This is carefully weighed case by case and session by session. The goal is to aim for more individual and relational well-being in systems, to achieve a desired degree of a positive perspective.

1. Individual Therapy - “Design Your Life”

These are guided conversations about where you’ve been in life — and where you’re going. Sufficient enough understanding of your background is necessary to craft a first life design. A genogram is often drawn on a real whiteboard or in a digital version to understand your family of origin 3 generations back (1 session) - a handy road map to your relations. Your mental health to date is discussed (attachment history) as well as your vision, fears & dreams, for your life ahead of you.

Expect for this kind of therapy to begin with weekly sessions or sessions every other week, and for assessment to last 2-4 sessions to prepare the intervention phase. At the same time, bodywork is an option to ground your work in your physical experiences. Sessions may start with brief breathing exercises or include on occasion a body sculpture to move beyond “talk therapy”. Several clients request these body scans at the start of sessions since they have built a habit of fully arriving on the couch.

2. Couples Therapy - “Design Your Future Together”

These are constructive conversations about the two of you—and where you’d like to take your life together. The method is based on the Gottman approach - an evidence based method with a rich toolbox of interventions. This approach focuses on emotions, teaches skills and is supported by books, and an initial assessment to allow for a thorough overview of your resources and challenges.

In addition, couples therapy is interspersed with design methods (think post-its, whiteboard, visioning). Your design therapist will meet you at your level of understanding of these creative tools, and ignite your creativity and can-do attitude. For instance, couples mounted white boards in their kitchen in response.

Lastly, emotionally focused therapy (EFT) concepts are shared where needed. This attachment-focused approach is also evidence based and ensures sessions evoke needed emotions, corrective healing encounters and sense-making thereof.

3. Group Therapy

A group setting that provides for social learning by seeing other people or couples reflect and interact in a safe space. Group participants are participating for longer stretches in a closed group and share openly yet also learn in small steps about new skills.

4. Small Teams & Start-ups

The world of work is notoriously stressful. Coaching teams and start-ups is about teaching people to be productive and balanced. Design Therapy for work teams connects with my work & organizational psychology services at “The Inner Office” (coming soon).

5. Training for Mental Health Professionals

People in the field of mental health—including Health Care Designers—are a vital part of the health-care ecosystem. That’s why I provide presentations and trainings to “care for the carers.” Need a keynote speaker or event moderator? Just reach out.

Cost per Single Session

60-minute session: 130,- Euro

90-minute session: 195,- Euro

Cost per Customized Group & Design Chapter

Custom pricing upon request

Session Protocols & Visualizations

*Your “Life Design” sessions yield valuable data for rich story-telling. If you are interested in an ongoing text- and image-based session protocol that aggregates to become like a journal - request this add-on service. Clients have praised this add-on feature highly! Protocols are shared digitally after each session within 1-3 business days.

** Regular sessions are followed by a brief 5-bullet summary email listing session notes & next steps - to make the journey transparent.

Upon Request

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