counseling that will move you
out of chaos & uncertainty
& into clarity & connection.

welcome

hi, I'm Molly

MSW & Licensed Clinical Social Worker (USA)
State-recognized Social Worker (Germany)

I'm an international counselor and social worker, state-recognized in Germany and licensed in the USA (LCSW). I'm also an American immigrant to Germany.I offer warm, affirming socio-therapeutic support for queer and trans folks, neurodivergent people, immigrants and expats, and others who live and love outside the box.As a queer, neurodivergent person and migrant myself, I've walked the nontraditional path too. I know personally how transformative it is to be deeply understood and connected. Over the years, I've accompanied hundreds of people on their own journeys toward feeling happier, safer, more connected and whole. I'd love to walk that path with you as well.

• more about me

the essentials

what to expect

I'm here to help you get out of survival mode and into your life.My offer to you:

I've had the honor of helping hundreds of people over the years. My clients have expressed feeling:

I'd love to help you too! Book a free, confidential 30-minute call and we can see if we're a good fit.

• meet with me

an American perspective

a fresh approach in a system
not built for us

The way German health care and social systems regard mental health and wellbeing is very different from the primary approaches in the U.S.German culture and law separate the act of psychotherapy from the act of counseling. "Psychotherapy" in Germany (Psychotherapie) is focused on the "treating", "curing", and "healing" of mental illnesses. It may be done by people with a medical license and specific German training (psychologische Psychotherapeuten), or by people with no medical license but rather a "healing practitioner's license" (Heilpraktiker).In contrast, counseling and therapeutic support is a non-medical service that may be offered by social workers and people of other backgrounds as psychologische or psychosoziale Beratung. Such services are not "curative", but rather, supportive services that help people navigate complex life situations and identities or connect them to further care.You might notice this split between "curative" and "supportive" care, both in how professionals market their services, and also in the actual care you receive. I did.For American and other immigrants/expats, as well as people who have multiple intersecting identities that affect their lives and their mental health—queer and neurodivergent folks, for example—this divide can be very frustrating and painful. Some folks in traditional psychotherapy in Germany feel that their complex identities and experiences go unseen, or like they're a disorder to be "treated" or "cured". Others never manage to get therapeutic support at all due to language barriers or very long wait times for German psychotherapists.I am familiar with the different mental health systems in Germany and the U.S.—both as a client and as a practitioner: in addition to being a U.S.-Licensed Clinical Social Worker, I am also a state-recognized social worker in Germany (staatlich anerkannte Sozialarbeiterin). And as a social worker in both countries, I'm committed to the holistic care, the psychological and social and environmental wellness, of underserved communities.I offer my flavor of counseling services as a conscious alternative to the often pathologizing approach of traditional German psychotherapy.Years of experience as both therapist and client have taught me that it is inherently therapeutic and transformative to view and address each person's situation holistically—to see, appreciate, and work with each person's intersectionality, not just their pathology.We don't exist in a vacuum, and my approach reflects this: I believe firmly that the holistic nature and full complexity of each person's challenges need to be recognized in order for them to feel seen, heard, valid, and better.

• more about my approach

what I offer

services

I offer individual psychological counseling and socio-therapeutic support for residents of Germany and internationally.Counseling is online. You can join the video-call from the comfort of your own home, and I meet with you from my office space._{In the U.S. and looking for support?
For residents of Connecticut, I can work with you as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). This is a separate service. Visit my American website here.}

• book a free intro call with me

booking

book a free intro call

I offer a free introductory call to help determine if we're a good fit.We'll have 30 minutes to chat confidentially about what brought you here and how I can best help you, and I'll answer any questions you have.Book your call easily:

• message me
• email me
• book on my calendar

FAQ

frequently asked questions

I'll answer all your questions about my qualifications, services, insurance, fees, policies, and how to get started.

• FAQ (Germany & international)
• fees

Contact

send me a message

Note: I do not monitor my email consistently and am not a crisis support resource!
If you're having an emergency and need help now, please contact your local emergency service or national crisis hotline. Take care.

welcome

nice to meet you!

Hi! I'm Molly (they/them), queer American therapist and U.S.-Licensed Clinical Social Worker now based in Germany.I've been in the business of helping people since 2010. I've served diverse communities in the U.S. and Germany as a therapist, counselor, social worker, sex educator, youth worker, community organizer, and more. Along the way, I've gained knowledge, skills, and lessons learned from many sources: intensive graduate-level training and continuing education, experiential learning, supervision, community wisdom, lived experience, and my own therapy.My approach draws from relational and psychodynamic therapy and a systemic, intersectional lens: I believe that our relationships and the systems we're in shape how we live and love, and that deep, genuine, attuned connection helps us heal from relational wounds and live our most authentic, fulfilling lives. (More on this here.)I've personally experienced the transformative power of therapeutic connection, both as a therapist and as a client, and I am deeply grateful to each client who's decided to share their world with me over the years. I hope you'll consider doing the same!

how I got here

my story

My drive to work in mental health blossomed out of need. I grew up in the U.S. in a low-income family, a queer, gender-confused kid with undiagnosed neurodivergence and an inclination toward alternative lifestyle practices. I quickly realized that the world was not built for people like me, but I was driven to try to change that.After college, I worked in the world of sex education and youth development until shifting to mental health work. I completed a rigorous master's degree in clinical social work at Smith College School for Social Work, where I studied psychodynamic psychotherapy with a social justice lens and completed nearly 2,000 hours of supervised clinical experience. I then dedicated myself to serving low-income, immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities as an outpatient therapist and social worker. (Click here for an overview of my education, training, and experience, from mental health work to sexual health counseling and education.)Community mental health demands that you face the realities of injustice affecting the most vulnerable in society, and that you play every helping role: therapist, social worker, care coordinator, mediator, community organizer, fierce advocate and ally. Making mental health support more accessible, relatable, and human became part of my fight for social justice.I moved from the U.S. to Germany in 2021. As an immigrant, foreign language speaker, and queer neurodivergent person in Germany, I was an outsider on many levels. It was so challenging to find mental health care in my language with a cultural lens that I could relate to. I also wanted to continue helping my communities back home.I decided to do something about it. I opened my private practice in counseling and now help people in both the U.S. and Germany to work toward their goals with me as their counselor, collaborator, and co-conspirator in healing and growth.

lived experience

a personal connection to my work

I'm an outsider myself. I'm an immigrant, queer, they/them, neurodivergent, and am no stranger to alternative lifestyles and relationships. I understand what it's like to be the odd one out, to feel the pressure of expectations from society, culture, family, religion, to hit up against professional and educational and political and legal barriers to being you.Personally and professionally, I also know how difficult it is to find mental health providers who are both comfortable and competent in working with folks outside the mainstream, and the awkwardness and frustration of having to explain your "unusual" identities or practices to your therapist—especially in a different country or a foreign language. I get how hard it can be to connect and (let yourself) be seen.I also know how liberating and joyous it is to feel seen, accepted, respected, and supported. If you're ready to start your own journey toward greater connection and wholeness, I'd be honored to join you.

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now let's get personal

a little more about me

My top hobby is specialty coffee. Give me a gooseneck temp kettle and the funkiest beans you got and let's caffeinate.I love goth music and subculture—and spooky artwork. Show me your favorite dark art!I got into tarot reading and alternative personal practices as a child, and doing daily readings has become an important ritual for self-care and self-reflection. I'm a little witchy and I embrace clients who are a little woo, too.I travel as much and as cheaply as possible. I love train travel.I enjoy DIY and am learning to make chainmaille jewelry.My wardrobe is 99% black and 1% leopard print or Barbie. (You've been warned!)

how I work

my approach

Here's what my approach looks like:Affirming.
I am open, accepting, and welcoming of your diverse identities and life experiences, from gender and sexuality to neurodivergence and culture.Trauma-informed.
I have extensive experience working with folks with trauma histories. I understand that today's emotional struggles were often once adaptive responses to difficult life experiences and relationships. You won't be pathologized. I prioritize creating a safe and collaborative environment, with transparency and respect for boundaries. We move at your pace.Systemic.
Your wellbeing is not just thoughts and feelings inside a body! It's affected by the systems we move through, the laws governing us, our physical wellness, society, culture, finances, oppressions. I'm not afraid to bring the "big picture" into the therapy room.Strengths-based.
We'll explore the strengths and wisdom you already have, figure out the gaps, and expand your existing toolkit for navigating life's challenges.Relational and psychodynamic.
My therapeutic approach grew from my training in relational and psychodynamic therapy. This approach is about personal healing through connection, both in the therapy room and beyond. It requires vulnerability, authenticity, collaboration, and really showing up—both counselor and client!

• more about relational work

theoretical deep-dive

a relational approach

What's hurt in relationship, heals in relationship.Humans are wired for connection. Connecting, being in relationship with others, allows us to get the support we need, to co-regulate, to move through difficult emotions and isolation and distress and toward healing. And by "relationships," I mean all sorts! Our relationships with our caregivers in childhood; relationships with family, friends, partners; our relationship with ourselves and how we see ourselves, talk to ourselves, treat ourselves.When we build deep emotional bonds with our caregivers as children, we develop mental blueprints for how the world works that we carry into adulthood—blueprints that tell us what relationships can or should look like, what is reasonable to expect from others, how to interpret others' behaviors, how to get our needs met and protect ourselves from pain or abandonment, and so on.People who were neglected, abused or chronically let down by their caregivers or important figures in their lives can struggle more to feel safe and whole when they're in relationship with others, or to experience relationships that are nourishing for them.People who must struggle to live as their authentic selves due to social norms, family or cultural pressures, or oppressive religious or political systems can also have a difficult time feeling safe and developing trusting relationships with others or with themselves. And some folks have never experienced feeling seen and accepted unconditionally.So how does relational work help folks get un-stuck, feel better, connect, and heal?

A relational approach says that healing happens through experiences of safer, healthier, more secure attachment and connection—and the therapeutic relationship is what drives this healing.So relational work isn't about analyzing and changing your thoughts and behaviors from the top-down—it's about creating a space to experience something different.As someone who works relationally, I'm not trying to fix something broken inside you. (P.S. You aren't broken!) I'm focused on building trust over time to create a warm, accepting space where we can explore thoughts, feelings, and patterns and experiment with new ways of relating that better serve you.So what would that look like in practice?

In our counseling sessions, we might be:

There will inevitably be "ruptures" between us (misunderstanding, misattunement, conflict, feeling angry or frustrated or let down)—and that is part of the process. We're both human! And we're doing the work when we show up again and allow for the opportunity for a "repair".I am trained psychodynamically, so I look to the past and to the unconscious for information and insight on the hows and whys. To avoid getting stuck in reflecting and ruminating, I also ground us in the here-and-now and focus on creating new experiences in the present that help your brain re-wire itself for healthy, safer relationships.Finally, relational work means joining you as a collaborator rather than an authority—and this means bringing myself and my personality into the work too. I am not a "blank slate", and I will show up more fully in session than traditional talk therapists or analysts. Laughing, crying, cursing—we're in this together!All feelings are welcome.

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get answers

frequently asked questions:counselingfor clients in Germany & internationally

Jump to a section:
Qualifications
Counseling
Insurance, Fees, Policies
Privacy
How To Get Started
Additional Services
Legal Note

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sliding fee scale

When available, I may offer a reduced fee. This is reserved for people who live in lower-income countries, make local wages, and would be unable to afford therapy at rates typical for Germany. I do not offer special rates for clients living in Germany.

Any fee reductions are determined on a case-by-case basis after we chat. Please email me about any financial limitations before booking an intro call.I charge rates that allow me to sustain myself and to continue to show up fully and effectively for my work with clients. Please reflect honestly on your financial situation before requesting a fee lower than my standard fee.This graphic by Alexis J. Cunningfolk may help you assess your situation.

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specialization

migration & culture

Are you grappling with life as an immigrant, expat, or cultural outsider?People deal with changes every day, but some changes shake the foundations of who we are and how we're used to living. You may be adjusting to a new country or a new culture after a big international move, grappling with culture shock and making sense of life as an immigrant/expat, or struggling with being the "perpetual foreigner". Perhaps you relocated your family or moved to a new city or country for a job or university. Whatever it is—your life has changed, and you need some stable ground.I can support you with:

I've been supporting migrants and the children of migrants for nearly two decades, and am an immigrant and foreigner myself. I'd love to support you on your own journey to finding solid ground.

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specialization

gender, sexual & relationship diversity

Are you someone whose gender, sexual identity, or sexual or relationship practices fall outside the mainstream?You may be grappling with identity, belonging, and (non)conformity as someone who is LGBTQIA+ or someone with "alternative" sexual or relationships. You might be a "late bloomer" discovering your queerness or interest in kink later in life. Isolation, rejection, discrimination, or the political climate might weigh on you. Perhaps you're just starting to question, or coming to realizations that you know are about to shake up your life and relationships. Or you feel torn between different identities, communities, or desires, and are struggling to feel legitimate or find your place.Whatever it is—it's a lot! And it's hard to find someone who understands and doesn't judge or put you into rigid boxes.I can support you with:

I love working with folks who are grappling with these topics and providing an affirming, accepting, non-pathologizing space for them. Whatever's on your mind, I welcome you to come explore it with me.

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specialization

neurodivergence

Are you someone who "ticks differently" or is grappling with the challenges of being neurodivergent?You might be diagnosed (or self-diagnosed) as autistic, ADHD, AuDHD, or bipolar, and are trying to make sense of this in the context of your past and present struggles and interpersonal relationships. Perhaps you're struggling to accept this new diagnosis or identity and what it means for your life. Or you were late-diagnosed and feel struck by anger, grief, and loss. Maybe you're already well-versed in life as a neurodivergent person but still struggle with daily functioning, relationships, getting "un-stuck" from rigid patterns that don't serve you, communication, self-esteem, or connecting and finding community in a way that feels good to you. Add society's expectations and a world that wasn't quite built for you and it can become overwhelming.I can support you with:

I've worked with many neurodivergent folks and can relate to the struggles (and joys) myself. It is possible to not only survive, but thrive. Wherever you're at in your journey, I'd be honored to accompany you.

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