Resilience training, an EAP hotline, a mindfulness course. Most large companies already have these in place. And most people responsible for workplace health management know: it’s not enough. Because even when individual initiatives are well designed, they can easily have little to no impact without the right structural foundation.
Many companies are doing something for mental health. It’s not always the right thing.
I advise companies at the intersection of training and organizational structures.
With the expertise of a licensed psychotherapist—and the perspective of someone who knows the realities of corporate life from the inside.
Why conventional workplace health management often falls short
Where companies often start
Several well-known German companies have asked me to review their annual workplace health management plans—simply to get an outside professional perspective and learn from best practices at other organizations. What I usually see is a thoughtful, well-intentioned plan that nevertheless misses the realities of the workplace in several important ways.
I say that so directly because it’s true for most companies. When planning internally, it’s easy to lose the broader perspective that an experienced external professional can bring. At the same time, most external consultants have little understanding of the internal processes and demands of a large corporation.
The real problem
Workplace health programs tend to reach the people who would participate anyway. Someone who signs up for a mindfulness course was probably already aware of the topic. Someone who is truly in crisis—or too proud to seek help—is unlikely to be sitting in a training session.
HR professionals sometimes ask me, “How do we get the skeptics into these trainings?” But the real question behind that is: What kind of corporate culture, leadership mindset, and processes do we need to make health more than a niche issue?
Very often, the first step is building awareness and buy-in among a range of stakeholders. What do they actually need? How should workplace health management be designed to deliver real value? That’s exactly where I come in.
My approach
I don’t work with standard packages. I look at what’s actually needed—and then we decide together what makes sense.
That might be a one-time strategic review. A training program spanning several months. Or a retainer that ensures I’m actually available when urgent situations arise. Most engagements start with a conversation where we assess the situation and clarify the needs, expectations, and parameters.
When needed, I draw on my network to bring additional perspectives and expertise into the process.
Formats: a modular approach, not a catalog
Workplace health management consulting
An outside perspective on your existing initiatives. Gap analysis. Concrete recommendations on what works—and what merely looks good on paper. For companies that take their mental health strategy seriously and need a perspective grounded in both clinical expertise and business experience.
Return-to-work management for leaders
Return-to-work management for leaders is a special case. The process is defined by German law—but designing it for someone who carries significant responsibility while also needing support is an art in itself. I guide companies and leaders through this process: structured, discreet, and attentive to both sides.
Psychological first aid: leadership and HR development, plus train-the-trainer programs
My own training program for people in key roles within organizations: HR, workplace health management, leaders, works councils, and others. Most psychological first aid training programs originated in community mental health and aren’t designed for the German corporate environment. Mine is.
The program can be booked directly through me or through my contracting partner, Haufe. If you’re looking for a customized program, it’s best to contact me directly. If an open program with participants from other companies sounds more interesting, you can book a spot in one of my Haufe training sessions.
Typical content, tailored to your needs: Foundational seminar (mental health crises, mental health conditions, employment law basics, and communication skills) + at least three of five deep-dive modules (burnout/depression, life crises & grief, anxiety/trauma/OCD, addiction & harmful substance use, neurodivergence) + an individual consultation.
Keynotes & panels
For conferences, internal leadership events, and HR events. Topics include mental health as a business strategy, neurodivergence in the workplace, and leadership under pressure. With one important advantage: I don’t just know the research and clinical practice—I know corporate life from the inside.
Emergency psychology & crisis intervention
When something serious happens within an organization—a suicide, a death, a traumatic event. As an emergency psychologist, I support companies through acute crises: What needs to happen? Who talks to whom? How should you communicate internally? How do you support a team through what comes next?
Learn more about crisis support
Neurodiversity in the workplace
This is an area I care deeply about—and one that continues to grow. For one-on-one coaching within your organization, you can work with me directly. For group formats and workshops specifically focused on neurodiversity and neurodivergence (ADHD, autism, giftedness, and more) in a team context, I recommend DragonRiders | Academy for Neurodiversity. DragonRiders is a partnership I co-founded with Axel Konrad in 2024.
Visit the DragonRiders Academy
My book, “Recognizing and confidently addressing mental health challenges in the workplace”
A practical guide for leaders and HR.
I wrote this book because leaders keep asking many of the same questions, and there needs to be a practical reference that addresses them: What do I do when an employee starts crying? Can I ask someone if they’re having suicidal thoughts? How do I conduct a return-to-work meeting when I’m also under pressure from the company?
This isn’t a guide for therapists. It’s for people who carry responsibility within organizations, who don’t have clinical training—and who still deal with these and similar situations every day.
Who this support is for
I work primarily with large corporations and larger mid-sized companies—organizations with established HR structures that want to think beyond isolated initiatives. With workplace health professionals who know that a yoga class isn’t a health strategy. With CHROs who understand that mental health is a strategic issue that can strengthen productivity and cohesion across an organization. With executive boards that see their company losing leaders—and want to reverse that trend. But I also enjoy working with start-ups and scale-ups that want to take a different approach and are looking for fresh perspectives.
What I’m not
I’m not a traditional workplace health provider with a catalog of courses. Not a high-volume EAP provider with a call center. And not a coach selling resilience workshops without clinical expertise.
Next step
The best place to start is with an email and/or a brief conversation—so I can understand what you and your organization actually need right now. Pricing available upon request.