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I am half British, half American. I grew up in England and have been living in Vienna since 2008. I am fluent in German.

I have firsthand experience of the complex emotional challenges involved in leaving one’s home country and establishing oneself in a new culture. Letting go. Putting down new roots.

Having been a lawyer in international firms in London and Brussels, and worked in a variety of other organizations, I know how it feels to work in a high-pressure environment, constantly being pulled in different directions and tested to the limit.

As a mother to three children, each of whom are bilingual, I am familiar with the highs (and sometimes lows!) of raising children in an international, bilingual household. 

And having undergone my own process of self-discovery, I have experienced firsthand the profound positive change, both short- and long-term, that psychotherapy can bring about. 

It is a privilege to be part of a profession that can be such a powerful force for good in people’s lives.

Erica Schenk – Photo by Agi Kormos

Psychotherapy training

  • Fachspezifikum für Personzentierte Psychotherapie (ongoing):
    FORUM, Vienna
  • Propädeutikum für Psychotherapie (completed):
    Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Personzentrierte Psychotherapie, Vienna

Clinical and practical experience

  • Therapiesalon im Wald (Peterhof) – Rehabilitation for psychosamoatic illnesses und burn-out, Edlach an der Rax, Lower Austria
  • Psychosomatisches Zentrum Waldviertel – University clinic for psychosomatic medicine, Eggenburg, Lower Austria
  • Grüner Kreis – Addiction rehabilitation, Lower Austria
  • REiNTEGRA gemeinnützige GmbH – Professional re-training and workplace reintegration for individuals with psychiatric difficulties, Vienna
  • pro mente, Trainingshilfe – One-to-one long-term support for individuals recovering from psychiatric challenges, Vienna
  • Allgemeines Krankenhaus der Stadt Wien – Former member of the hospital visiting team, Vienna General Hospital

Professional and academic background

  • Admitted as a solicitor to the Law Society of England and Wales
    – no longer practising, formerly a corporate lawyer in UK and American firms in London and Brussels
  • Former leader of a singing and crafts group for children aged 0-5, Vienna
  • Qualified teacher of business English
  • Cambridge University (Emmanuel College)
    – BA Hons, MA, German and French Literature
    – including a year abroad at Münster University, Germany

Memberships and Affiliations

  • FORUM – Personzentrierte Psychotherapie, Ausbildung und Praxis
  • VÖPP – Vereinigung Österreichischer Psychotherapeutinnen und Psychotherapeuten
  • PCE Europe – European Network for Person-Centred and Experiential Psychotherapy and Counselling
  • MIND – UK mental health charity
  • Carpe Diem Psychotherapie Linz & Schwechat – www.carpediem-linz.at