Testimonials

Ms. Berger presented specialized trauma therapy for children at our conference in March 2023! Her high level of expertise — particularly regarding very young children — was impressive; she presented the approach in a clear and comprehensible way! In retrospect, this presentation was a highlight of our conference.

As a participant in the curricula Specialized Psychotraumatology C&A and EMDR:

Andrea Berger taught several trauma-focused seminars as part of the core curriculum in my training. Her teaching is structured, academically grounded, and at the same time engaging, accessible, and closely connected to therapeutic practice.

Andrea possesses outstanding teaching and supervisory abilities. She not only meets the highest professional standards, but is also a very authentic person, with deep knowledge and a respectful, attuned way of working with others. I fully recommend Andrea for any teaching, training, or supervisory role in the field of psychotherapy, trauma work, and EMDR.

As a participant in the continuing education courses Specialized Psychotraumatology CY and EMDR:

I had the pleasure of getting to know Ms. Berger during my training in “Specialized Trauma Therapy (DeGPT)”, which she conducted with great dedication and outstanding professional expertise.

I experienced Ms. Berger as exceptionally competent, empathetic and inspiring. She conveys complex content in a structured, accessible way with a strong practical focus. In her role as a lecturer and supervisor, Ms. Berger creates a safe, stimulating and professional learning environment that encourages reflection, development and open exchange. Her feedback is always appreciative, nuanced and grounded in solid professional knowledge.

Professionally, she impresses with a deep understanding of trauma-therapeutic processes as well as broad expertise, which she shares with openness and humor. On a personal level, she is distinguished by integrity, warmth and mindfulness.

I therefore recommend Ms. Berger without reservation as a lecturer, supervisor and therapist, and am very grateful for the opportunity to have learned from her.

We commissioned a two-day training on the topic of trauma for professionals in children’s and youth work and are thoroughly satisfied. The content was exceptionally well-grounded professionally, while being conveyed in a way that was clear, practical and directly applicable in everyday work. Particularly impressive was Andrea Berger’s calm, clear and appreciative manner of delivery. She provided a great sense of security and created a good framework in which questions and examples from practice could be raised openly. Overall, it was an informative, engaging and inspiring training that noticeably strengthens one’s own practice and professional outlook. A clear recommendation.

We have had the pleasure of working with Andrea Berger on several occasions — both in a shorter online format and in a full-day on-site event. Ms. Berger has a talent for presenting complex subjects in a vivid and relatable way. Her passion for her topics is contagious, and she excels at actively involving participants through her experiences and examples.

Truly informative, engaging and inspiring events — enriching both for one’s own work and professional outlook, as well as on a personal level.

As a supervisee and participant in the continuing education courses Specialized Psychotraumatology C&A and EMDR:

I have known Andrea Berger since the beginning of my trauma therapy training in 2020. She has continuously accompanied me as a lecturer and EMDR supervisor in both individual and group supervision.

Within the two-year curriculum “Specialized Psychotraumatology with Children and Adolescents” — as well as in the EMDR children’s curriculum — she has consistently impressed me with her outstanding professional expertise and her exceptional ability to convey content in a structured, practical and engaging way.

Andrea’s dedication, authenticity and therapeutic approach have had a lasting influence on my work with traumatized patients and serve as a model for my further professional development.

I was able to engage well with the self-experience process. I clearly noticed how I pushed past my own boundaries when opening up to the group. I am proud of myself and truly grateful for this experience!

Trauma and Trauma-Related Disorders:

At the Sociopediatric Center (SPZ) in Wesel, an increasing number of children in residential youth care (foster children) are being referred — not only through a dedicated clinic but more broadly across the center. They differ in their behavior from children without experiences of child endangerment. In the in-house seminar, our team received training on the topic of childhood trauma-related disorders, with a focus on psychoeducation and counseling, delivered in a highly informative yet engaging and accessible way. The trained perspective and professional attitude our team developed following the training has strengthened our competence in handling this subject. Ms. Berger is highly recommended as a presenter.

The Clinic as a Safe Place:

In the SPZ and early intervention departments, we work with children who are known to have had experiences of child endangerment (foster children), as well as children and adolescents where such experiences may be suspected. To provide a sense of safety to both groups — and to support them in processing traumatic experiences to some degree, as well as disclosing them during the diagnostic process — a supervision process was initiated. With Ms. Berger’s support, we worked on creating greater security both for ourselves as staff and for our patients and their caregivers. Ms. Berger was able to inspire us on this subject through her exceptional professional expertise as well as her empathetic manner, and to set processes of change in motion.

Following an excellent introduction to the basics of trauma, Ms. Berger succeeded — through her high level of expertise and exceptional empathy — in opening up access to the topic of “ritualized violence”. Through explanatory models of trauma, what is done to children and adolescents in the context of ritualized violence became tangible, comprehensible and imaginable. Keep it up!

A completely safe feeling — I felt seen by you, you were always positive and non-judgmental, your calm and composed manner helped me to open up in a relaxed way. You are a therapeutic role model for me. Thank you!

For the two-day annual conference 2025 of the Bundesverband für Werkpädagogik e.V., we were able to welcome Ms. Andrea Berger as a lecturer on the topic of “Dealing with Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders in Adolescents and Young Adults”.

The event was aimed at professionals from youth social work and from pre-vocational and vocational training programs.

Ms. Berger succeeded in captivating the participants with her presentation in an outstanding way, conveying a wealth of important information. As a result, both the understanding of trauma and its consequences, as well as the handling of traumatized young people, became clear and comprehensible for the participants.

Ms. Berger’s presentation included many examples from everyday life through which a professional approach to working with traumatized individuals was illustrated.

In the concluding evaluation, both the presentation and Ms. Berger’s delivery of the topics were consistently rated “very good” by the participants.

We extend our sincere thanks for the excellent training and recommend Ms. Berger without reservation.

A clear thread throughout, a safe space created without judgment, attentive to much that one hadn’t noticed oneself, meeting people where they were, addressing resources and very appreciative.

Ms. Andrea Berger has been working as a lecturer at our institute since 2016.

Ms. Berger demonstrates outstanding dedication, a high level of professional expertise and excellent didactic skills across all her professional roles (as lecturer, supervisor and continuing education director). Her seminars are carefully prepared, scientifically grounded and engagingly structured. She creates a supportive and motivating learning environment. Feedback from participants is consistently very positive; ratings across all criteria of the Psychotherapist Chamber of North Rhine-Westphalia are generally in the “very good” range, confirming the high quality of her work.

Overall, we rate Ms. Berger’s performance as very good and recommend her without reservation as a lecturer and supervisor.

Many heartfelt thanks, dear Andrea, for your empathetic and professionally competent manner! You are a wonderful role model and have given me a lot to think about.