Dr. Heiner Molzen

A few years ago I was asked, if I would do psychotherapy sessions in English, too. After a short moment of hesitation I decided to give it a try. My first client was a student from India. She suffered from panic attacks, which kept her from continuing her studies. This disorder can be treated quite effectively by cognitive behavior therapy. We agreed to do five preliminary sessions at first. In these sessions I outlined the treatment approach and interviewed her on her biography and current life situation. While we were talking I began to take notes as I usually do during sessions. I took these notes in English at first. Surprisingly I wasn't quite able to write down a proper sentence, while I was having a conversation in English at the same time!

After a while I gave up this approach and started taking my notes in German. This turned out to be much easier! Was I discovering a new psychological phenomenon here? It seems to be a lesser task load for the brain to take notes in one's mother tongue, while having a conversation in a foreign language. Anyway, the Indian student continued to see me and she successfully recovered from her panic disorder. Since then I have been treating many patients from different countries with cognitive behavior therapy in English. I enjoy this work and I am finding it very interesting to meet all these people from different countries and cultures. If you are looking for a psychotherapeutic treatment in English, feel free to contact me by email or phone.