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Bio
Background In Design
Freda's academic training started with a preliminary internship in design crafts to get enrolled in Design Techniques, a pilot program for vocational teachers at the University of Duisburg-Essen GER
Her major coursework and work as student assistant was with sculptor and Folkwang teacher Prof. Franz Rudolf Knubel (research area Sensual Design)
Freda was a participating artist at the International Stone Sculptur Symposium Kaiserslautern (1982) when her career took a turn. Inspired by art burt, she took up studies in Human Sciences as requirement for a university program in art therapy
Career and Clinical Training
Freda teaches helping professionals (psychosocial, educational, pastoral, therapeutic) at communial and national training centers online and in presence. Her teachings on Focusing-informed therapeutic arts for growth and healing are embedded in the pluralistic-humanistic approach
She also presents her approaches of Expressive Arts Focusing ExAF and Creative Compassion Practice CCP at national and international conferences, offering an experiential setting
Freda holds two Pre-Bologna graduations from the Free University of Berlin (Clinical Psychology BA, MA 1992) and the Eberhard Karls University Tübingen (Adult Education MA 2010).
In her second thesis 'The Significance of Corporality for Educational Processes with Special Consideration of Focusing as Method' she pioneered by crossing educational salutogenesis and embodiment with experiential First Person Science
Freda enrolled in the Scientific Program in Art Therapy of the Catholic University of Freiburg and graduated as Art Therapist in 2022 (Diploma of Advanced Studies, DAS). Her thesis 'The Experiential Third: Focusing Concepts for Art Therapy' was again an academic pioneering work
Freda passed a postgraduate seven-year-program in person-centered training, undergoing two certification procedures at the Person-Centered Institute AGB Berlin (depth-oriented, 1998) and the Person-Centered Institute IGB Stuttgart (behavioral-oriented, 2004). The program was performed by 18 clinical teachers including Prof. Reinhard Tausch, founder of the German Person-centered Psychotherapy approach
From 1994 - 2002 she was trained in Focusing by 14 German and Swiss Focusing pioners and practitioners. Her long-term Focusing training was backed up by two prior basic trainings in body-psychotherapy (Biosynthesis with David Boadella, Biodynamic with Gerda Boyesen)
After years of working in publich health care institutions (1989 -1996), Freda took her professional expertise to teaching (1994) and to private practice (1996). In 2016 she founded the Tübingen FOCUSZ Center for Focusing and Therapeutic Arts, from 2022 on: FOCUSZART The Focusing Studio
From 2022 - 2024 Freda was guest lecturer for Focusing and the Expressive Arts at the Department of Clinical Curative Education of the Catholic University Freiburg
Expertise In Focusing
Freda started her career as a Focuser in 1994. In 2004 she certified as FN Focusing Teacher being member of the FN leading team and FN co-teacher since 2001
In 2013 Freda certified as Certifying Coordinator of The International Focusing Institute TIFI, in 2020 she certified as TIFI Focusing Oriented Therapist
To complete her FN training, Freda took classes in Integrative Focusing with René Maas (1997), Wholebody Heartfelt Conversation (Kevin McEvenue) with Katrijn van Look and Lara Peumans (2015), Dynamic Expressive Focusing/Being Seriouosly Playful with René Veugelers (2019) and Focusing-Oriented Relational Psychotherapy with Lynn Preston (2023)
Additional training programs in Existential Wellbeing Counseling with Prof. Mia Leijssen (2016), Focusing with the Whole Body with Astrid Schillings (2016-2017), and Focusing Oriented Expressive Arts FOAT® with Dr. Laury Rappaport (2017-2020) took Freda's Focusing teachings to new levels
Expertise In Therapeutic Arts
International conferences and programs in Continuing Education in therapeutic arts guarantee excellency of Freda's professional skills as art therapist and creative arts educator
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Trauma and Creative Arts in Therapy: A Person-Centred Perspective, 2. International Online Conference Trauma and the Person-Centered Approach, 2024
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Advanced Training in Person-Centred Creative Arts, APCCA, 2024
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Course Art and Activity - Interactive Strategies for Engaging with Art, Museum of Modern Art MoMA, New York, 2024
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Fast Track to Mindfulness: Art Therapy for Psychotherapists, Class with Regina Lord, 2023
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Creativity as a Therapeutic Technique. Working with Boundaries, Rejection and Shame. Workshop Series, Awakening Creativity for Counsellors and Coaches, 2023
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15. International Expressive Arts Therapy Conference 2023, International Expressive Arts Therapy Association IEATA, 2023
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Trauma and Creative Arts in Therapy: A Person-Centred Perspective, International Online Conference Trauma and the Person-Centered Approach, 2023
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World Art Therapy Conference 2023, Creative Arts Therapies, Columbian College of Arts and Sciences Canada
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14. International Expressive Arts Therapy Conference IEATA 2022
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Expressive Arts - Ancient Restorative Practices Grounded in Modern Neuroscience, Lecture Series, Colorado Resiliency Arts Lab, University of Colorado, 2022
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Courses in Trauma Informed Practise in Counceling and Expressive Arts Therapy at Pesi Health Care and Caldwall University, New Jersey/US, 2021
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Course Healing with the Arts, University of Florida/US, 2020
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Training in Healing Trauma with Guided Drawing® (Certified GD® Practitioner), Institute for Sensorimotor Art Therapy and School for Initiatic Art Therapy, Apollo Bay/ AU, 2019