Everything essential in life is simple. Only what is simple can we remember, apply regularly, and sustainably change our lives. Step by step, your path unfolds as you walk it. And when you look back after a while, you'll see how far you've come on your journey, a path no one else walks in quite the same way as you, because it's your very own path.
If you wish, I can accompany you for part of your journey while hiking or through live coaching in Berlin and its surrounding area, or through online coaching anywhere in the world so that you can find your own answers to life's challenges and your own path. Every step is a step away from what was and towards what will be. Change begins with the first step; walking is only learned by walking.
I am a long-time communications expert, certified coach, mentor, and hiking guide, and I can help you—both on actual hikes and metaphorically through coaching on your life's journey—to climb steep mountains, strengthen your self-confidence, navigate crossroads, or overcome obstacles that suddenly appear in front of you. Go forth into the unknown without fear. Trust your steps. The path unfolds as you walk.
You have just finished your training, and you're wondering: Is that all there is? You want more—more meaning, more self-confidence, more clarity about your own path, and you want to get started and build your career. But instead of security, you feel doubt, pressure to compare yourself to others, and fear of making the wrong decisions.
Or you're a working mother, overwhelmed by the double and triple burden of job and career, household, and family. Expectations are high, breaks are short, there's hardly any time left for your own needs, you're keeping everything running—except yourself.
As a professional, exciting young woman who's just taken control of her life and landed squarely in the throes of motherhood and double-burden burnout, I'm sharing with you my treasure trove of serenity and life experience. My treasure trove is very personal. It contains the essence of my experiences over 60 years as a woman, a mother, and a full-time executive, which might serve as a guidepost for you on life's rocky terrain. Tried and tested by myself and found to be effective.
I'll empower you to help yourself. Because often, no one comes to rescue you. Far more often, you have to pull yourself out of the mire, like Baron Munchausen in the famous story. Self-rescue isn't about drama but about strength and self-efficacy. I'll inspire you not to lose courage, to seek, find, and follow your path, and to claim and live your half of the world.
Holistic 1:1 coaching live and online, as well as group coaching on stress resistance and resilience, life planning, career and professional development.
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Hiking together helps to organize thoughts and see and aim for new horizons.
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Setting the right course at crossroads: I will guide and accompany you for a part of your journey.
Learn moreSolution-focused coaching is one of the most frequently used coaching methods in Germany. It focuses less on identifying the root causes (why something is the way it is) and more on finding individual solutions based on existing strengths and resources. The coaching looks at what already works and what can and should change in the future, starting with the first small step. Another key element is the coachee's self-responsibility: as a coach, I don't prescribe solutions, but rather aim to open up new perspectives and insights through specific questioning techniques, as well as to raise awareness of existing resources so that you can develop your own solutions to a problem. My coaching is therefore future-oriented support for self-help. This approach requires personal responsibility and a willingness to engage honestly with oneself. Coaching is not therapy and does not replace it. Coaching supports personal and professional goals such as career planning, self-management, and decision-making. Therapy, on the other hand, addresses mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, or trauma and also examines their underlying causes. I work in a solution-oriented and future-oriented manner. If there are signs of a need for therapy, I strongly recommend seeking professional therapeutic help.
Women often face different expectations, role models, and structural challenges than men, both in their private and professional lives. The world is still male-dominated, and it has been and continues to be made by men for men: cell phones are designed for men's hands, medications are tested on men, and shelf heights are standardized to male dimensions. Artificial intelligence already has a male bias. Women's coaching creates a safe space that takes women's specific experiences and realities seriously. Individualized, empowering, and on equal footing. Motherhood, re-entry into the workforce, separation, menopause, or reorientation—women's lives unfold differently than men's. With my life experience as a woman and mother working full-time, as a leader, and as someone who reinvented herself after leaving the workforce, I offer you tailored support that takes your female reality seriously and empowers you to navigate your transitions with strength and forge your own path: clearly, courageously, and with self-determination.
Hiking coaching combines individual coaching with movement in nature. Walking activates thought processes, fresh air promotes thinking and creates mental clarity, allowing topics to flow more easily. Walking side by side is less confrontational than sitting opposite each other—this facilitates honest reflection. We discover new perspectives around bends in the road. In this way, life paths can become clearer as we hike trails. Step by step. We learn quite vividly that, just like on a hiking trail, life's journey also needs breaks, changes of direction, and trust in the next step. Hiking and hiking coaching are a celebration of distance from everyday life, of slowing down, of mindfulness, of observing and absorbing, but also of tuning into oneself. Unlike traditional coaching (in a room) or online coaching, hiking coaching requires more time and organization (travel, parking, determining the start and end points). As symbolic as new landscapes can be, they can also distract from the actual coaching goal. Rain, heat, or difficult terrain can complicate scheduling and comfort, and not everyone can hike long distances. Since I am also a hiking guide, I can choose routes that perfectly match your fitness level.
Coaching fosters self-reflection and initiative. Mentoring offers experience and guidance. Both complement each other but have different focuses. Coaching is goal- and solution-oriented. As a coach, I support you in finding your own solutions, developing skills, and achieving concrete goals—without giving advice. The relationship is time-limited and structured. Mentoring is much more experience-based: as a mentor, I share my own knowledge, offer advice, and can support you over the long term, often in a professional context. The relationship is more personal and hierarchical.
A coaching session lasts one hour. The session is completely client-centered: At the beginning of each session, you, as the client, define the topic. As your coach, I will guide you through the hour with a series of questions. The goal is to be able to define a next step by the end of this time. With my questions, I see myself as a catalyst; you will find the answers yourself. Only what you discover and do yourself is lasting. Self-rescue is not a drama, but rather self-efficacy and power. Even the Bible knew: Seek and you will find. Sometimes it takes several hours over a period of several weeks or months to address an issue. You decide how much time you need. As a general guideline, I charge €150 per individual coaching or mentoring session. That's a significant amount. But you're also doing something good: I donate a portion of my coaching/mentoring proceeds to the Pai Lennart Schmidt Fund (fondspaischmidt.com). My husband and I established the fund after the death of our son. It supports tolerance and integration projects for young people in the Brussels region, as well as nature and bird conservation on the island of Föhr.
Simply contact me via the contact form or email below for a free 30-minute online initial consultation. You can also use Calendly. We'll schedule follow-up appointments together.
Payment can be made either in cash or by bank transfer.
a year ago
Thea's thoughtful questions challenged me to step out of my comfort zone and reflect deeply on some of my long-held assumptions that hold me back. I really appreciate her ability to create a safe space to explore issues like my career path, my leadership style and my challenges as a working mom. Her support and encouragement have helped me to stay focused on my goals and to take actionable steps.
a year ago
Thea's open and warm manner creates a psychologically safe space that makes it easy to share and discuss confidential matters. She has a genuine interest in allowing the coachee to find their own inner key through her questions and to open their own inner doors. At the same time, she maintains a professional distance, which, in my view, is an important foundation for a coach-coachee interaction.
a year ago
The mentoring experience with Thea was highlyeffective. I felt connected, heard, understood and it motivated meto press on in pursuing my goals. Her mentoring style was subtleand gentle at the same time. Communication flourished easily, thequestions asked were thoughtful and well timed. Her coaching washighly effective and efficient for me and provided a lot of peace,stability and comfort to me.
3 months ago
Thank you so much for supporting me through a time of motherhood burnout! I felt heard, supported, and cared for. With you, I was able to separate the essential from the non-essential, reset my priorities, and refocus on myself and what is important to me and my life.
a year ago
Being coached by Thea feels warm and light. I felt heard and welcomed to explore my obstacles. She held space for me to think about things from different perspectives. She is patient, but direct, to the point, and guided me towards more clarity about my struggles in such a way that it felt natural and effortless. I felt very safe in the coaching sessions, which helped me go through important changes in my life.
