Therapist for Expats, Internationals & Repats in Germany
Come as you are. Together, we’ll create a space where you feel safe to explore, reflect, and grow. I work with expats, internationals, and repats who are navigating cross-cultural transitions, identity questions, emotional overwhelm, and relationship challenges.
You already carry within you a unique set of strengths, resources, and abilities. My role is to help you reconnect with them, nurture them, and put them to work — so you can move toward clarity, resilience, and meaningful change.
My Therapeutic Approach.
I am a therapist grounded in systemic therapy, which understands individuals within the context of their relationships, family systems, and cultural environments. My work integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT), and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), using a trauma-informed and attachment-based approach.
I support adults and couples navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD, relationship challenges, and the emotional impact of living between cultures.
Together, we explore emotions, symptoms, and patterns of behavior to build insight, strengthen problem-solving skills, and deepen connection — both with yourself and with others.
My Journey.
Why I Work with Expats, Internationals & Repats
I was born in Münster, Germany, to a German mother and an Italian-Chinese father. From an early age, I experienced the world through a cross-cultural lens.
At 20, I moved to Los Angeles, where what began as a temporary adventure became the next 20 years of my life. I immersed myself in the performing arts, later transitioning into marketing and sales in the online media industry — before following my deep interest in human connection into clinical psychology and psychotherapy.
After two decades in the U.S., I returned to Germany and experienced firsthand the emotional and professional challenges of being a repat: reverse culture shock, identity shifts, and the feeling of living between worlds. These experiences deeply inform my work today and allow me to meet clients with both professional expertise and lived understanding.
Professional Background
I trained and worked as a psychotherapist in Los Angeles, providing therapy to children, teens, adults, couples, families, and groups from diverse cultural backgrounds. My clinical experience includes work with PTSD, anxiety, depression, ADHD, substance use, and relational challenges.
Upon returning to Germany, my U.S. credentials were not recognized within the German public health system. While this was a challenging and discouraging experience, it strengthened my commitment to supporting others who face systemic barriers, identity struggles, and feelings of not belonging.
Today, I offer online and in-person therapy in Germany, bringing together U.S.-based clinical training and European systemic therapy perspectives in my work with cross-cultural and international clients.
Qualifications & Memberships
Professional Qualifications
Heilpraktikerin (Psychotherapie)
Klinische Psychologin
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (California, USA)
License No. 111208
Education
MA Clinical Psychology, Marriage & Family Therapy
Pepperdine University, Los Angeles (2014)BA Communication Studies
University of California, Los Angeles (2008)
Memberships
AAMFT – American Association of Marriage & Family Therapy
DGSF – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Systemische Therapie, Beratung und Familientherapie e.V.
Working With Me.
What I bring into therapy is a combination of professional training, cross-cultural experience, and a deep respect for diversity and individual agency. I believe in empowering people to build emotionally balanced, connected, and fulfilling lives.
Testimonial.
“Mara helped me create healthy relationships with others — and more importantly, a healthy and compassionate relationship with myself.”