with Thirza Schneider
Certified Consultant and Educator in Psychotraumatology (SIPT); Prenatal Bonding Analyst
Since 1995, my heart has been dedicated to children in need, and I have been working to address the traumatic experiences that can occur during childhood. From 1998 to 2002, as part of my work with Rainbows of Hope, I traveled to many countries to research street children, child prostitution, child trafficking, AIDS orphans and victims, child labor, and war victims, and in doing so, I was personally confronted with a great deal of suffering. In 2002, I traveled to Kyrgyzstan to establish a project there for street children, child laborers, orphans, so-called “care leavers,” and other children and adolescents in need. This project continues to this day (Oasis Kyrgyzstan).
During my travels and my work with traumatized children and adolescents, I learned a lot about trauma and recognized the symptoms, but I was missing the piece of the puzzle to truly help trauma survivors. For this reason, in 2012 I set out to learn more about trauma and possible ways to help, which ultimately led me to pursue various training and continuing education programs. I use this knowledge every day in my work with refugees and am very happy to share it with eager-to-learn helpers around the world through various seminars.
Truth and knowledge (= psychoeducation) can help integrate traumatic experiences into one’s life. Being able to talk about these experiences – and feeling heard and supported in the process -brings what has been avoided into the light, breaks through the darkness, and paves the way for healing.
My Career:
2026 – Continuing Education in Integrative attachment-based trauma therapy (IBT according to Boger)
2026 – Continuing Education in Attachment-based consultation and therapy (BBT according to Brisch)
2026 – Continuing Education in Prenatal Bonding Analysis according to Hidas and Raffai
2026 – Continuing Education as a SAFE mentor (bonding training for pregnant parents and the first year of life)
2024 – Continuing Education in Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET), NET Institute, Germany
2022 – Certified Consultant in Psychotraumatology, CAS with a specialization in children/adolescents and migration, Swiss Institute for Psychotraumatology (SIPT), Winterthur, Switzerland
2020–present – Expert consultant at Oasis Kyrgyzstan, a nongovernmental organization in Kyrgyzstan
2019–present – President of KAIRESH, a charitable organization in Bern
2017 – Master’s Diploma in Counseling, specializing in children and adolescents, Light University, Virginia, USA
2012–present – Trauma consultant and social worker for refugee families (volunteer)
2002–2011 – Founder and Director of Oasis Kyrgyzstan, a nongovernmental organization in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
2001 – Master’s degree in Children and Family Work, MA, Bethel University, Minnesota, USA
1998–2002: Editor and social worker, Rainbows of Hope, a nongovernmental organization in South Carolina, USA
1996: Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, Psychology, and Sociology, BA, City University, London, UK
truth2heal 