TRANSFORMATIONAL Teaching
IN English OR German lanGuage
An understanding heart is everything in a teacher, and cannot be esteemed highly enough. One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feeling.
Carl Gustav JunG
Teaching & Professional Education
I design and teach research-informed courses, seminars, and workshops that connect psychological knowledge with lived experience and professional practice. My teaching combines depth psychology, somatic psychology, interpersonal neurobiology, adult education, and experiential learning.
I work with graduate students, professionals, educators, therapists, leaders, and other adult learners, adapting the depth and format of the material to their experience, professional context, and learning goals.
ACADEMIC TEACHING
In 2026, I designed and taught Clinical Skills IV: Existential and Transpersonal Psychology in the Master's in Integrative Psychology. I developed the course curriculum, video lessons, digital learning materials, interactive live sessions, practical exercises, and small-group learning activities. I also provide individualized feedback and assess written work.
I have also been invited to lecture in the Executive Master of Public Administration program at the Hertie School in Berlin, where I brought psychological and trauma‑informed perspectives to questions of leadership, power, and public policy.
Clinical SKILLS IV: Existential and Transpersonal Psychology 2026
INTEGRATIVE PSYCHOLOGY INSTITUTE, USA
MASTER IN INTEGRATIVE PSYCHOLOGY
SPRING & FALL 2026 SEMESTER
Clinical faculty, lecturer, and course creator, Master in Integrative Psychology.
Executive Master of Public ADMINISTRATION PROGRAM 2024
Hertie School, Berlin (professional school for public policy)
October, 2024
Lecturer for the Executive Master of Public Administration Program.
Seminars & Professional Education
We start with your needs. The seminars presented here are examples of my teaching and can be adapted, combined, or expanded to meet the specific interests, learning objectives, and professional needs of your audience. Courses are offered in person, online, or hybrid, combining psychoeducation, somatic exercises, reflective inquiry, and facilitated group discussion in a small-group learning environment. They are designed for therapists, coaches, educators, care professionals, leaders, and others interested in psychological and mind-body approaches. Course duration typically ranges from 3–4 hours.
Embodied Presence: The Art of Being Fully Here
Course Description:
Explore the transformative potential of embodied presence. This immersive seminar guides you to cultivate deep awareness of your body and mind, enabling you to stay grounded and non-reactive amid life’s challenges. Through somatic sensing, compassionate inquiry, and psychoeducation, you will develop greater awareness of your inner resources and explore how presence can support more authentic connection with yourself and others. This practice supports emotional resilience, clarity, and the capacity to remain present in challenging situations and relationships. Rooted in somatic psychology, depth psychology, and interpersonal neurobiology, this seminar offers an evidence-informed approach to presence and practical tools for personal and professional development.
Learning Goals:
Recognize reality beyond past conditioning and judgments.
Cultivate grounded awareness of body, mind, and heart, and develop non-reactivity.
Deepen self-awareness and clarify personal experience through reflective inquiry.
Foster non-judgmental presence with self and others.
Strengthen embodied self-regulation and healthy interpersonal boundaries.
Explore somatic practices to deepen connection with inner resources.
What Participants Take Away:
Greater calm, clarity, and emotional regulation in challenging situations.
Strengthened empathy and authentic presence in relationships.
Practical tools to support personal and professional resilience.
Shared reflection and connection through experiential group learning.
Duration: 4 hours
Interpersonal Neurobiology 101: Foundations for Connection
Course Description:
Explore key concepts in interpersonal neurobiology and how relationships, attachment, and experience shape brain development, emotional regulation, and well-being. Examine the connections among brain, mind, relationships, and experience, with particular attention to attachment, resilience, and emotional regulation. Through engaging lectures, reflective exercises, and group dialogue, you will learn how to apply neurobiological principles to foster connection, healing, and growth in personal and professional contexts.
Learning Goals:
Understand basic brain structure and function in relation to relationships.
Explore the neurobiological foundations of attachment, empathy, and emotional regulation.
Examine how stress, trauma, and healing affect brain connectivity.
Apply interpersonal neurobiology principles to enhance communication and connection.
Develop awareness of mind-body integration and co-regulation in relationships.
Cultivate skills to nurture resilience, relational safety, and emotional balance.
What Participants Take Away:
Foundational knowledge of how relationships shape brain development and emotional health.
Enhanced skills for empathy, communication, and emotional regulation.
Practical tools to support clients, teams, or personal relationships.
Greater understanding of stress, trauma, and healing processes.
Duration: 4 hours
Awakening Embodied Courage: Cultivating Presence AND Inner Strength
Course Description:
This experiential course explores courage, authenticity, and ethical action through somatic and depth-psychological perspectives. Participants examine how fear, self-judgment, learned protective responses, and relational dynamics can influence the ability to act with clarity and integrity. Through somatic practices, reflective inquiry, and group dialogue, participants develop practical ways to strengthen embodied presence, self-awareness, boundaries, and courageous action. The course focuses on moral and civic courage: the capacity to stand up for what you believe is right, even when fear, pressure, or adversity is present. Integrating psychological and spiritual perspectives, the course supports sustainable personal growth and ethical leadership.
Learning Goals:
Cultivate embodied courage and mindful presence grounded in self-awareness.
Develop moral and civic courage by standing up for ethical values and integrity.
Explore embodied practices that support vitality, presence, and self-regulation.
Explore vulnerable parts of the self through compassionate inquiry and somatic practices, transforming self-judgment into greater self-compassion and clarity.
Build healthy boundaries and relational resilience in personal and professional settings.
Integrate psychological and spiritual perspectives into courageous, ethical action.
What Participants Take Away:
Greater confidence to act with courage and integrity, even in challenging situations.
Strengthened emotional regulation and embodied presence.
Practical ways to approach self-criticism with compassion and clarity.
Skills to support resilience and healthy relational boundaries.
Experience of supportive group dialogue and shared reflection.
Duration: 4 hours
Understanding the Dark Tetrad: Navigating Narcissism, Machiavellianism, Psychopathy, and Sadism in Professional Settings
Course Description:
Develop an understanding of the Dark Tetrad. Narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism as subclinical personality traits. This course explores how these traits manifest, influence group dynamics, and affect leadership and organizational culture. Through case studies, psychological insights, and communication strategies, participants will learn to recognize harmful interpersonal patterns, protect their well-being, and promote healthier professional environments. Ideal for leaders, HR professionals, coaches, therapists, and anyone interested in difficult interpersonal and organizational dynamics.
Learning Goals:
Identify key characteristics and behaviors of narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism.
Understand how dark tetrad traits affect workplace culture and interpersonal dynamics.
Develop skills to set boundaries and respond effectively to these challenging traits.
Explore strategies for ethical leadership and building resilient, accountable teams.
Recognize signs of manipulation, deception, covert aggression, and cruelty.
Identify ways to support personal and organizational well-being in difficult interpersonal environments.
What Participants Take Away:
Greater awareness of harmful interpersonal patterns and personality-related dynamics.
Practical techniques to maintain psychological safety and boundaries.
Tools to foster integrity, transparency, and ethical cultures.
Greater confidence in navigating difficult interpersonal dynamics while maintaining professional boundaries.
Duration: 3 hours
Workplace Bullying Awareness and Empowered Response: Healing, Boundaries, and Transforming Culture
Course Description:
This course offers a trauma-informed, psychologically grounded approach to understanding and addressing workplace bullying. Drawing on depth psychology, Somatic Experiencing®, doctoral research, and more than 25 years of professional experience across corporate, educational, and psychosocial settings, participants will learn to recognize bullying dynamics, understand their psychological and interpersonal effects, and develop clear, constructive responses. The course emphasizes cultivating inner clarity and boundaries, fostering psychological safety, and promoting organizational cultures rooted in integrity and respect. Through compassionate inquiry and practical strategies, this course is relevant to both people affected by bullying and leaders and professionals seeking to prevent harmful dynamics and strengthen respectful workplace cultures.
Learning Goals:
Identify subtle and overt forms of workplace bullying and their psychological effects.
Understand trauma responses related to bullying and how they impact individuals and teams.
Cultivate personal boundaries and assertive communication to respond to bullying.
Explore somatic and depth-psychological perspectives on the effects of bullying and approaches that may support recovery and self-regulation.
Identify organizational strategies to prevent bullying and foster respectful, accountable environments.
Develop resilience through compassionate self-awareness and supportive relationships.
What Participants Take Away:
A clearer understanding of workplace bullying as both a psychological and systemic issue.
Practical tools for setting boundaries and communicating assertively.
A deeper understanding of bullying's emotional and psychological effects.
Strategies to contribute to safer, more respectful workplace cultures.
Connection with like-minded professionals in a supportive learning environment.
Duration: 4 hours
Power and Responsibility: Exploring Ethical Leadership
Course Description:
This course explores the multifaceted nature of power, including how individuals, relationships, and organizations exercise, share, challenge, and abuse it. Drawing on depth psychology, group dynamics, and trauma-informed inquiry, participants will examine their own relationship to power and learn to identify subtle and overt forms of power abuse. The course examines how power dynamics operate differently depending on who wields power and the social context, including patterns such as laissez-faire leadership, which can enable harm through inaction. Through reflective inquiry and practical dialogue skills, you will build strategies to engage with power ethically, communicate effectively across differences in authority and influence, and foster environments where responsible power use promotes trust, safety, and collaboration.
Learning Goals:
Explore different forms of power and their psychological and social functions.
Reflect on your personal relationship with power, authority, and influence.
Identify subtle and overt dynamics of power abuse, including group and organizational contexts.
Examine how laissez-faire leadership can enable or mitigate harm.
Develop skills to communicate effectively with power holders and navigate complex power dynamics.
Foster ethical leadership and collective responsibility in professional and personal settings.
What Participants Take Away:
Gain greater insight into personal relationships with power and the dynamics that influence others.
A deeper understanding of how power abuse operates and affects individuals and groups.
Practical communication strategies for navigating power differences and addressing power responsibly.
Greater awareness of leadership styles, including laissez-faire, and their effects on organizations.
Practical ways to contribute to ethical, accountable, and psychologically safer professional environments.
Duration: 3-4 hours
MEET Dr. KERSTIN HECKER
Dr. Kerstin Hecker is a depth-oriented psychologist, educator, and researcher whose work explores the interplay between psyche, body, relationships, groups, and organizational life. She designs and teaches experiential courses that connect psychological knowledge with lived experience and professional practice. Her teaching spans existential and transpersonal psychology, Jungian depth, somatic psychology, interpersonal neurobiology, relational dynamics, power, leadership, and workplace bullying.
In her graduate teaching, she guides students through experiential work with existential concerns, Jungian depth, and somatic and symbolic experience. Students often describe this process as transformative. Teaching continues to deepen her own understanding of how psychological and embodied experience can be explored with care.
Her professional education brings these perspectives into practical settings, helping therapists, educators, leaders, and other professionals navigate relationships, stress, power, difficult interpersonal dynamics, psychological safety, and resilience.
She holds a doctorate in Depth Psychology with a specialization in Integrative Therapy and Healing Practices from Pacifica Graduate Institute and is a Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner (SEP™), holistic counselor (SIAF), and board-certified holistic health counselor (AADP). Her training includes Interpersonal Neurobiology, attachment and trauma resolution, Family and Systemic Constellations, and other body-oriented psychotherapy approaches.
With more than 25 years of experience in corporate America across consumer and market research, finance, management, sales, operations, and marketing, she brings an understanding of organizational life and professional realities to her teaching and education.