Vera Rommeswinkel

Psychotherapy, LGBTIQ* affirmative psychotherapy

Welcome!
I‘m a behaviour therapist specialized in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT is an evidence-based psychological intervention aimed at increasing psychological flexibility.
When we hit a crisis in our lives or when we suffer from a mental illness our world shrinks. The range of our feelings, thoughts and behaviour is restricted. We might be unable to handle our everyday life, we might feel disconnected from the people we love and the things that matter to us.
In ACT you will learn how to adopt more flexible and gentle ways of relating to your inner world, of relating to yourself. You will gain more clarity about who you are and what you want. I will support you in exploring what really matters to you, what constitutes a full, rich and meaningful life for you, and we will map out plans and strategies to realize your goals.

Respect, empathy, humour and authenticity are qualities I wish to embody in my work. These lay the ground for a stable alliance between us and for an atmosphere in which healing and growth is possible.
Psychotherapy should be a safe space and a place for growth for everyone. Unfortunately, there are only a few psychotherapists in Cologne who offer LGBTQ affirmative psychotherapy. Being queer myself, I wish to bridge this gap.

About me:
Following my master’s degree in Behavioural Science at the Radboud University Nijmegen, I started my training as a behaviour therapist at the AVT Cologne. As part of my training I worked at the crisis intervention ward of a psychiatric clinic (Alexianer Köln), followed by a teaching employment at a school for psychiatric mental health nursing.
Since 2015 I work as an outpatient psychotherapist. During the past years I have specialized in ACT, following numerous workshops (with Dr. Steven C. Hayes, Dr. Russ Harris, i.a.).
During my training as well as during a stay in India, I have explored issues of inter- and transcultural psychology. A culture- and gender-sensitive approach is fundamental to my work.