Matthias Albers
Trauma Therapist (MA postgrad.)
Registered German Naturopath (Heilpraktiker f. Psychotherapie)
Coach, Process Facilitator, Lecturer, Trainer
Treatment Focus
• Trauma, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTBD)
• Depressionen, Burn-out
• Attachment Disorder, Personality Disorder
• Anxiety & panic disorders
• Individuation processes & spiritual crises
• Victims Traumatic Narcissm, Ecclesiogenic Neuroses, Religious Narcissism
• Neurodiversity (especially Spectrum Disorders & ADS/ADHS in Adults))
• Stabilisation & Resilience Training
Academic Background
• Postgraduate Studies: Traumatology & PTDS, Integrated Cognitive Solutions, London/Bracknell
• Tibetan Medicine, Institute for Higher Tibetan Studies, Hüttenberg/Klagenfurt, Austria
• Chinese Medicine, University of Westminster, London
• State exam for a teaching career (equivalet to BA), University of Hamburg:
• Philosophy (specialized in Philosophy of Science, Epistemology, Ecological Ethics),
• Biologie (specialized in Physical Antropology, Cellular Biology) &
• Educational Science (specialized in Communication Psychology & Cybernetic Didactics)
Trauma Therapy Training
• Somatic Experiencing (SE), Heike Gattnar, Munich
• NARM, Michael Mokrus, ZIST, Penzberg, commenced training programme in 2026
• IFS Parts Work, Tom Holmes, Michigan, USA
• EMDR: Ewa Katarzyna Budna; Sandra Paulsen, Seattle (N.E.S.T.), Esly Carvalho, Brasília (EMDR for Insomnia)
• Image Rescripting Reprocessing Therapy (IRRT), Mervin Schmucker, USA
• Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PET), Lucia Hall, UK
• Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET), Lucia Hall, UK
• Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Lucia Hall, UK
• STAIR, Skill-Training Affective & Interpersonal Regulation, Lucia Hall, UK
• Intergenerational Transmission of Trauma, Heike Gattnar, Munich, Germany
• Healing Intergenerational Trauma, Tirzah Firestone, Colorado
Further professional training (selection)
• Registered German naturopath
• Client centered therapy according to Carl Rogers
• Buddhist Psychotherapy with various Buddhist teachers
• Hakomi, body orientated Psychotherapy
• Intervention methods in Communication Psychology, Prof. Friedemann Schulz von Thun, Hamburg
• Mediation accoding to Prof. Alexander Redlich (Sozial architecture of groups)
• Conflict Management, based on the Thomas Kilmann Method, Lucia Hall, UK
• Nonviolent Communication, Marshall Rosenberg, USA
• Nonviolent Communication & The Work, "Relation-Shift" & "The Compass" Arnina Kashtan, Tel Aviv, Israel
• Nonviolent Communication, "Embodied Spirituality of NVC", Robert Gonzales, Portland, USA
• Caroline Myss, "Anatomy of the Spirit", "The energetics of healing", "Archetypical Work", Chicago, USA
• Tibetan Energy Work (TE24), Michaela Bergmeier, Hamburg
• Intuitive Breathing, Karl Scherer, Freiburg
• Tai-Chi Teacher, Daniel Grolle, Wilhelm Mertens, Hamburg, Adam Mizner, Martin Inn, San Francisco
Trauma Psychotherapy
Introductory remarks: Why trauma therapy?
Studies show that two-thirds of all mental health issues originate from traumatic experiences—often in the form of complex trauma that can be deeply hidden within the body.
Trauma is therefore not the exception, but part of the reality of human life. Not every trauma immediately develops into post-traumatic stress disorder,
but many symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and compulsions, or physical complaints and syndromes, can be traced back to it.
Dealing with my own traumas with the help of traumatherapeutic and spiritual methods was a decisive path to growth and fundamental change for me. I combine this experiential knowledge with a sound and broad education in psychology,
communication psychology, psychotherapy, traumatology, Asian medicine (TCM, Tibetan medicine), philosophy, and the art of living.
I am happy to share this knowledge and my therapeutic experience with you with dedication and joy.
Guiding Principles
The main difference between a classic, more distant psychotherapeutic approach and my non-dual way of working lies in the attitude with which I approach my clients.
Instead of maintaining an objectifying distance, I shape the therapeutic relationship as a compassionate, empathetic, authentic space that enables closeness,
trust and thus healing. I am fully present at your side, take an interest in your experiences and do not shy away from exploring difficult or painful topics with you.
In doing so, I remain visible and approachable as a human being – on an equal footing with you.
Thus, I am your accomplice, not the expert who knows better than you.
Variety of trauma therapeutic methods
Every person is unique — and so is their nervous system. That's why there is no one method that fits all. My goal is to find a customized mix of methods for each client.
Trauma therapy methods can basically be divided into two categories: top-down (cognitively oriented) and bottom-up (emotion- and body-oriented).
In my work, I combine both approaches and rely on proven and efficient methods such as ...
Another important foundation of my work is...
All of my therapeutic approaches and actions are embedded within a spiritual framework without ever having to be explicitly mentioned during therapy.
Therapy is available both in-person and virtually via Zoom, Teams, or other messenger services.
I also use digital EMDR tools from psylaris.com to support the process.
Nondual Psychotherapy
What exactly is Nondual Psychotherapy?
The mystical traditions of all world religions such as mystical Christianity, Kabbalism, Sufism, Tibetan Buddhist Dzogchen, Hindu Advaita and Taoism suggest
that the fulfilment of human potential and liberation from suffering happens when the focus of attention rests peacefully in its source far before thinking.
This source could be called "nondual": non-judgemental, unbiased, accepting, present, empathic, compassionate, beyond right-wrong thinking.
Nondual psychotherapy aims to recognise the fact that ultimate trauma healing is not possible without at least some spirituality.
We can explore, understand, alleviate, control, etc. our traumas, but fundamental healing and integration includes the spiritual dimension.
Initially, one does not have to be religiously or spiritually interested. Sooner or later this dimension will emerge on its own and contribute to healing ...
... if you will stay tuned.
Science & Spirituality
There ipirical reason why we should cultivate the unprovable after all: It has proven to be beneficial.
Carl Gustav Jung
At first glance, science and spirituality appear to be polar opposites. However, if we understand them not in binary terms but in a larger context,
it becomes clear that both are part of complex networks of relationships, embedded in the living whole of nature and humanity.
In this connection, we find homeostasis, coherence, and convergence—and recognize that our existence is ultimately not determined by dualisms.
Even though our language is mostly dualistic, natural philosophy points us to a deeper truth: the supposed opposition between “I” and “environment” is only apparent.
We are not separate from nature – we are nature.
Understanding this non-dual dimension often only becomes possible step by step. With the help of an accompanying authority, such as in a therapeutic relationship,
it becomes possible to deepen this experience and consciously experience our embodied existence in all its humanity.
Resources
Diagnostics & Psychoeducation to Download
Assessment forms
International Trauma Questionaire according to ICD-11
Questionaire for Dissociative Experiences
Questionaire: Impact of traumatic Events
Questionaire: Patient's Health after Trauma
Information about Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
PTSD Symptom Cluster
Polyvagal Map - Arousal in the Nervous System
Arousal outside the Window of Tolerance
I Can: How to cope with stress, overcome challenges, and handle conflict
Guided Meditations & Podcasts
Available here soon.
Formalites
Online Therapy
Virtual screen sharing via Zoom, Teams, or another messenger is possible at any time. Virtual EMDR using additional digital tools works remarkabley well.
Time formats, frequency & costs of therapy sessions
I generally offer two time formats: 60min and 90min sessions. Other customised formats are possible.
Fee: 60min = 110-120 €/per session; 90min = 140-150 €/per session.
Trauma-sensitive Couples Therapy: 90min = 160 €/per session;
Introductory Session
An introductory session lasts 60 minutes and costs 50% of the normal rate, i.e. 50 EUR. The amount is to be paid in advance by bank transfer or paypal.
Cancellation Policy
Free of charge up to 24 hours before the start of the session. If you cancel less than 24 hours in advance, you will have to pay the full cost. This also applies to introductory sessions.
Self-payers & "Heilpraktikerzusatzversicherungen"
As a Psychotherapist with a naturopath licence I can only accept clients who are willing to pay for themselves. In other words, I'm not paid by average German health insurances.
I do have some postive experiences with English and Dutch health insurances
In rare cases, your "Heilpraktiker-Zusatzversicherung" will pay the bill, provided you have taken out such insurance some time ago.
Please contact your health insurance company for further information.
Talk to me about other financing options.
For further arrangements regarding alternative financing, please contact info(a)empathiehafen.de
Or use the contact form on this website under "Contact".
Advantages of a non-insurance financed therapy
If you have undergone therapy financed by the health insurance fund, you may encounter difficulties and restrictions when taking out disability insurance,
life insurance or switching to private health insurance. A review of your medical history by the insurance companies can also lead to you being categorised in a higher cost risk class.
In the case of self-financed therapy, no data is forwarded to official bodies. No entries are made in the relevant registers. All data collected remain confidential.
Somatic Experiencing (SE)
Somatic Experiencing, as developed by Peter Levine, is a body-oriented, “bottom-up” approach that uses mindful awareness
of bodily sensations to release interrupted stress and protective responses in the nervous system.
Trauma leaves its mark not only on thought and memory, but on the body itself: in chronic tension, in freezing,
in a nervous system that repeatedly switches to a state of alert. Somatic Experiencing works bottom-up—
through the awareness of bodily sensations, through movement, and through the gentle exploration of interrupted protective responses.
The goal is to help the nervous system release unresolved fight, flight, or freeze responses and return to a regulated
state.
Precisely because complex PTSD often originates in the preverbal stage, in early childhood or before language development, language and
understanding alone can reach their limits here. Somatic Experiencing complements cognitive and parts work with this physical dimension and, together with it, forms the basis for processing
that involves the whole person—not just the mind.
NARM
NARM (Neuro-Affective Relational Model) by Laurence Heller is an approach to treating developmental trauma that combines cognitive,
physical, and relationship-oriented elements and focuses on current patterns rather than on individual past events.
NARM was developed specifically for the treatment of developmental trauma — that is, injuries that arose in early attachment relationships
and continue to manifest today in patterns of self-worth, relationship dynamics, and identity. Instead of focusing primarily on individual traumatic events,
NARM turns its attention to present-moment experience: How do old survival strategies manifest in the here and now—in relationships,
in the body, and in contact with oneself?
The approach deliberately integrates cognitive, somatic, and relationship-oriented elements—making it particularly well-suited to an integrative
treatment approach for complex PTSD, where developmental trauma often forms the underlying dynamic. In my work,
NARM often serves as a connecting element between the more body-oriented and the more relationship- and identity-related aspects of therapy.
Parts Work (IFS & Ego-States)
IFS (Internal Family Systems) as developed by Richard Schwartz and ego-state therapy as developed by John and Helen Watkins view the psyche as a system
of inner parts, each with its own functions, feelings, and beliefs, which are accessed and integrated through therapeutic dialogue.
Following stressful or traumatic experiences, the psyche often develops inner parts, each with its own tasks, beliefs, and feelings —
a vigilant protector, a wounded inner child, a critical driver. In the IFS and Ego-State Therapy models
we view these parts not as disorders, but as meaningful attempts at resolution that often originated in the past.
The work involves making contact with these parts, understanding their concerns, and helping them transition from old protective functions
to a more relaxed coexistence.
Part work is particularly central in complex PTSD because it makes inner conflicts—such as those between the desire for closeness and the fear of it—
directly addressable. In the integrative process, it is closely linked to body-oriented methods, which also give these parts space on a physical
level, and to the non-dual perspective, which opens our view to the calm, undamaged Self behind all parts.
EMDR
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), as developed by Francine Shapiro, is a systematic method that proceeds in clearly structured steps,
in which distressing memories are reprocessed through bilateral stimulation—usually via guided eye movements.
EMDR uses bilateral stimulation — usually through eye movements — to reprocess distressing memories that are, so to speak, “burried” in the nervous system,
What was originally unprocessed and currently feels threatening can thus gradually lose its emotional intensity
and be stored as a closed chapter of the past. EMDR is considered one of the most thoroughly researched methods for treating traumatic memories.
In cases of complex PTSD involving multiple, often early-onset traumatic experiences, I rarely use EMDR in isolation, but rather integrate it into careful
stabilization and resource-building work beforehand—for example, using part-work or somatic techniques—to ensure that the processing proceeds in a sustainable
and not overwhelming. In this way, EMDR becomes a precise tool within a broader, individually tailored treatment plan.
Cognitive Methods
Cognitive approaches — including those from cognitive behavioral therapy or rescripting techniques on identifying, examining, and changing distressing
thoughts and core beliefs: a linguistically reflective, “top-down” approach to experience.
Thoughts, beliefs, and internal evaluations shape how we understand and cope with a traumatic experience today.
Cognitive methods address precisely this: They make distressing thought patterns—such as beliefs involving guilt or shame, which are common in
complex post-traumatic stress disorder—visible, verifiable, and changeable. As a “top-down” approach, they work through conscious understanding
and restore orientation, structure, and a degree of control to an inner state that is often experienced as chaotic.
On their own, cognitive methods are rarely sufficient for complex trauma, because trauma resides not only in the mind, but also
in the body and the nervous system. But they are essential for intitial high states of dissociation and disregulation in a client.
That is why I apply them specifically where clarity and understanding enable the next step —
embedded in a process that also draws on body-oriented and relationship-oriented approaches.
In this way, understanding becomes not an end in itself, but a solid foundation for deeper change.
Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)
Compassion-Focused Therapy, as developed by Paul Gilbert, is an approach that specifically strengthens the inner “compassion system” to balance
self-critical and shameful inner patterns through a sense of security and warmth.
Many people with complex post-traumatic stress disorder carry within them a relentlessly harsh inner critic—a logical consequence of early
experiences of shame or neglect. Compassion-Focused Therapy specifically addresses this: It helps to build and strengthen an inner “compassion system”
that can convey reassurance, safety, and warmth—often for the first time in a way that can be consciously experienced.
CFT combines elements from cognitive science, attachment research, and mindfulness practice and, in my work—similar to
Nonviolent Communication—serves as a unifying approach: It permeates the work with inner parts as well as the moments of stabilization
between more intense processing steps, thereby contributing significantly to the holistic nature of the treatment process.
Nonviolent Communication (NVC)
Nonviolent Communication, as developed by Marshall Rosenberg, is a communication model that consistently distinguishes between observations and evaluations,
genuine feelings and pseudo-feelings, and—most importantly between needs and strategies. Feelings and the underlying needs are
at the center of the interaction, rather than judgments and diagnoses.
NVC is only superficially a communication method and thus not a standalone “procedure” alongside others. In reality, it trains the attitude and language,
in which the therapeutic relationship itself takes place. It embodies unconditional empathy and presents a needs-oriented, compassionate worldview—one of healing and equality,
rather than domination or submission. In this way, NVC serves as a central source of safety, particularly for people with complex trauma, who are often especially sensitive to criticism and rejection.
NVC forms the foundation of my communication, upon which all other methods can become effective: whether it’s parts work, EMDR, NARM, or Somatic Experiencing –
all these processes succeed only within a relationship grounded in genuine, nonjudgmental contact.
Nondual Psychotherapy (NP)
Nondual psychotherapy, as developed by John Prendergast, applies insights from contemplative traditions—including Advaita and Buddhist practice—to the therapeutic context
and focuses on the unchanging, undamaged, and ever-intact awareness that lies behind all symptoms and aspects.
While most of the methods mentioned focus on changing, processing, and integrating, the nondual psychotherapeutic perspective
opens up a complementary space: the experience that behind all symptoms, aspects, and stories lies a still, undamaged core of being,
which has never truly been wounded. This approach—shaped by traditions such as Advaita or Buddhist contemplation and translated into a therapeutic context—
complements the active “working on it” with a “resting in what is already there.”
In my integrative approach, the nondual psychotherapeutic perspective consciously forms the overarching framework: It does not downplay the necessity of processing,
part work, or bodywork, but rather provides a broader context—the reminder that healing lies not only in repairing what is damaged,
but also in recognizing what has always been whole within a person.
Contact
Contact Details
Matthias Albers • Pinnasberg 72 • Hamburg, 20359 • Germany
E-Mail: info(a)empathiehafen.de
Phone: +49-40-31761748
Or you might also use the ...
Contact Form
Impressum
Inhaber und verantwortlich für diese Webseite:
Matthias Albers
Pinnasberg 72
20359 Hamburg
info(a)empathiehafen
Tel. 040-31761748
Steuernummer 02/151/14120
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