Persona - Michael Kelber, M.A.

I have been working in my own psychotherapy practice since 2016, first in Berlin, and since 2023 in Vienna. a psychotherapist in Vienna. After having finished my psychotherapy training in Germany in 2021, I wanted to further develop my scientific and occupational skills, which is why I decided to enlist for postgradual studies in Vienna. At MedUni Wien, I am actively researching ways of facilitating deeper self-explorations for clients and how persons can feel themselves more.

I have always been interested in thinking about psychotherapeutic challenges and how methods and techniques can be developed further. Many people consider therapy a last bastion of hope. That in itself brings about high responibilities in the job. Science-based approaches as well as constant evaluation are important. I regularly undergo supervision and further trainings. LGBT- and intercultural sensitivity are self-evident. Please, see the major steps of my professional development in the following segments:

Professional Experience

since December 2024: fully registered Psychotherapist in private practive in Vienna
2023 - 2024: Psychotherapist in Training under Supervision in private practice in Vienna
2016 - 2023: Counsellor and Therapist in private practice (non-medical practitioner) in Berlin
2015 - 2022: Counsellor in the educational field in Berlin-Pankow

University Studies

since October 2023: Master studies (MA) in Person-centered Psychotherapy at Universität Wien
since October 2022: Master studies (MSc) in Psychotherapy Research at MedUni Wien

Practical and Theoretical Training

2023-2024: Psychotherapy "Fachspezifikum" as second part of the Austrian psychotherapy training at FORUM and work in private practice as Psychotherapist in Training under Supervision, Vienna
2021 - 2023: Psychotherapy "Propädeutikum" as the first part of the Austrian psychotherapy training at Verein für Personzentriertes Lernen (VPL), Wien
2017 - 2021: Four-year training in Person-centered Psychotherapy with the Society for Scientific Person-centered Counselling and Psychotherapy in Germany (GWG, Prof. Dr. Hans-Jürgen Luderer)
2015 - 2017: Three-year training as Person-centered Counsellor with the Society for Scientific Person-centered Counselling and Psychotherapy (GWG, Dr. Peter Tossmann)
2012 - 2015: Training as Non-medical Practitioner of Psychotherapy registered with the Health Authority Saarbrücken, Saar

Additional Further Trainings

since May 2023: Additional training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with the Austrian Federation for Behavioural Modification (AVM), Vienna
2023 - 2025: Additional Training in Emotion-Focused Therapy with the German Council for Emotion-Focused Therapy (DeGEFT), Berlin
2020 - 2021: Additional training in Humanistic Psychotherapy with the German Federation for Humanistic Psychotherapy (AGHPT)

Conventions

September 2024: SPR-Congress “Psychotherapy in a Fast-changing World”, Brno - Presentation
April 2024: DPGG-Convention “Forum Person-Centered Psychotherapy – The Pain Compass and Further Markers through the Process of Emotion-Focused Therapy“, Hamburg
April 2024: SPR-Convention “Methods Workshop of the Society for Psychotherapy Research”, Valencia
June 2023: GWG-Convention „Integrating Stressful Life Events: Person-centered Answers to Trauma and Crises”, Mainz
April 2023: DPGG-Convention “Forum Person-Centered Psychotherapy – About the Future of Person-Centered Psychotherapy“, Hamburg
June 2021: GWG-Convention “The Personal Encounter as a Common Factor – the Person-Centered Approach Today”, online
June 2014: Convention of the Berlin Chamber of Psychotherapists „Reform of Psychotherapy Training: Ways – Risks – Side Effects“, Berlin

Additional One- to Three-Day-Trainings

2024: Current Person Centered Topics (FORUM)
2022: Personality Disorders according to ICD-11 (Prof. Dr. Peter Fiedler, AVM)
2021: Competence in Mental Health Diagnoses and Treatment: Addiction Disorders and Substance Abuse, Personality Disorders, Impulse Disorders (Prof. Dr. Hans-Jürgen Luderer, IGB)
2021: Competence in Mental Health Diagnoses and Treatment: Psychotropic Modes of Treatment, ADHD, Addiction, Neurocognitive Disorders (Prof. Dr. Hans-Jürgen Luderer, IGB)
2021: The Basics of Psychological Evaluation (Martin Aßmann, MA, Hogrefe)
2020: Diagnostics of Psychological and Psychiatric Diseases with SCID-5-CV/-PD (Dr. Katrin Bruchmüller, Hogrefe)
2020: Helpful Encounters in Extreme Moments - Support in Emergency and Acute Situations of Crisis (Dipl-Psych. Florian Stoeck, GWG)
2020: Professional and Vocational Regulations in the Field of Counselling and Psychotherapy (Dr. iur. Annette Oberhauser, GWG)
2020: Competence in Mental Health Diagnoses and Treatment: Anxiety Disorders, Compulsive Disorders, Stress-Disorders and Trauma, Dissociation, Sexual Disorders (Prof. Dr. Hans-Jürgen Luderer, IGB)
2020: Person-centered Couples Therapy (MAS Renata Fuchs, APG-IPS, Austria)
2020: Authentic Encounters and Counselling in Cyberspace (Dr. Gisela Steenbuck, GWG)
2020: Competence in Mental Health Diagnoses and Treatment: Schizophrenia, Psychoses and Affective Disorders (Prof. Dr. Hans-Jürgen Luderer, IGB)
2017: Combining the Person-centered Approach and System Theory (Prof. Dr. Jürgen Kriz, GWG)
2017: Person-centered Couples and Family Therapy (Dr. Charles O'Leary, GWG)
2017: Ressource-oriented Person-centered Couples Therapy (Dipl-Päd. Lisa Große-Runge, GWG)
2015: Person-centered Couples Therapy (Prof. Dr. Anna Auckenthaler, GWG)

Internships

09/2023: Internship in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) at SHG-Hospital for Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, Saarbrücken
08 - 10/2014: Internship at Hedwigshöhe Hospital for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Treatment, Berlin
08 - 10/2013: Internship at SHG-Hospitals for Child and Teenage Psychiatric and Psychotherapeutic Treatment, Merzig, Saar

Memberships

Society for Psychotherapy Research (SPR) - European Chapter
Arbeitsgemeinschaft Personzentrierte Psychotherapie, Gesprächsführung und Supervision - FORUM/Austrian Federation for Person-centered Psychotherapy and Supervision (FORUM.APG), Austria
Gesellschaft für Personzentrierte Psychotherapie und Beratung/Society for Person-centered Psychotherapy and Counselling (GWG), Germany
Deutsche Psychologische Gesellschaft für Gesprächspsychotherapie/German Psychological Society for Person-centered Psychotherapy (DGPP), Germany

Michael Kelber, M.A.

Psychotherapist - Research Officer FORUM - Program Coordinator MSc Psy MedUni Vienna