Kolya Schweppe, HPP

I have a multicultural background and grew up accordingly: my father is German from Osnabrück, and my mother was American (from Maine), so I have both German and American citizenship. I was born in Calcutta, India, but spent the first two years of my life in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The next four years, my kindergarten years, were in Trieste, Italy. My family and I then spent seven years in Manchester, England and eight years in Berlin, Germany, where I earned an American high school diploma ("Class of '95") and the German Abitur at the John. F. Kennedy School.

After that I went to Durango, Colorado, where I studied theater and minored in "Sociocultural Anthropology" because the different cultures and religions of the world have always interested and fascinated me. And through my international identity, my understanding immediately formed that we are all citizens of the world, or, as a famous Persian who was exiled from Persia in the 19th century stated it, "The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens" (Bahá'u'lláh).

Through living in the south-western United States (and thereby making friends with the locals) and through the Sociocultural Anthropology courses I got to know several Native American cultures more intimately, but especially the Navajo (Diné) Native American culture. I have always wanted to learn more about Native American cultures, as I am partially descended from the Iroquois Confederacy of tribes through my American mother's maternal line of ancestors. It has always been a matter close to my heart that the different ethnic groups and cultures of the world get to know and appreciate each other.

My first adult leadership experience came when I directed my own theater production of "The Lover and Mountain Language," two one-act plays by Harold Pinter, in college. After that I did a period of volunteer service as an office aide at the National Center of the Baha'is of the United States in Chicago and at the "Native American Baha'i Institute" on the Navajo (and next to the Hopi-) Reservations in Arizona. After that, I taught English and learned Taiji Quan (Tai-Chi) and Taiji Qi Gong (Chi-Gong) for a total of almost ten years in three different Chinese cities, including two years spent running my own language learning center/translation company in Baotou, China. Plus, about two years in Denver, Colorado, where I worked in customer service, studied for, and received my T.E.F.L. certificate and learned Aikido, even spending a month as an “Uchideshi” (live-in student) at Denver’s famous Nippon-Kan Aikido Dojo (also a Japanese folk museum and including the “Domo” restaurant). I then taught English in China again for half a year at a university. My last time in America was my one year and a half in Olympia, the capital of Washington State, where I simultaneously taught EFL English, helped out at a Preschool and worked for "Harlequin Productions" at the State Theater both backstage and as a professional theater actor.

After working some years as an EFL English Teacher I was inspired to take the Masters level course "Adult Learning and Global Change" through Linköping University (in Sweden) in collaboration with the University of British Columbia, University of the Western Cape and Monash University, from 2010 to 2012.

After my last five year stay in China, in Qingdao (a former German colony), I moved to Osnabrück, in north west Germany, in 2014 with my Chinese wife and our first child to be near my parents. Two more children soon followed.

In Osnabrück I participated in two tandem projects of the German-Syrian Exchange (DSA) in 2020, to help refugees practice German and continued my practice of Aikido at the Osnabrück Aikido Dojo on Liebigstr. 25.

The first years in Osnabrück, after we moved here from China, I worked in contract management for EWE, SWB and Osnatel, then in customer service for Ecotel, JPC, Mavi, Gewoba, Scala, HSD and others. Through my work, I met a wide range of people on the phone. I often noticed that sometimes they don't just call because they want to order something, but they are often lonely people looking for contact. 
 

In this day and age of addiction to smart phones and social media and the stress of work and relationships, climate change and now the war in eastern Europe on top of that, there are more and more people who would benefit from psychotherapy. In fact, every person can benefit from Psychotherapy, just as our bodies benefit from going to the gym. There are already several HPPs in Osnabrück, but with my unique background, native English language and partial Chinese language skills, multicultural experience, and through the special system of Positive and Transcultural Psychotherapy, I feel I could reach other people than are currently being helped.

Therefore, between 01.2019- 10.2019 I attended the exam preparation course to become a naturopathic healer for psychotherapy in the Heilpraktische Gemeinschaftspraxis Linde. After that, in 2020, I completed an introductory course in Client-Centered Therapy and the Person-Centered Approach according to Carl Rogers, followed by the English language 200 hour "Basic Consultant for Positive and Transcultural Psychotherapy" course, with certificate of attendance dated April 19, 2021. The permission for the professional practice of naturopathic medicine limited to the field of psychotherapy was granted to me on May 25, 2022, by the city of Osnabrück, Germany. Finally, I completed the German language "Consultant and Life Coach of Positive and Transcultural Psychotherapy" course, with another 200 hours, with the certificate of attendance dated April 1, 2023. Also in 2023 I completed the Extensive Training in the application of the Wiesbaden Inventory for Positive Psychotherapy and Family Therapy (WIPPF).

On February 04th, 2024, I completed the 22 hour Fundamentals of Classical Hypnosis training in Holistically Oriented hypnosis (HOH) at the Hypnose-Akademie Dohmann in Germany.

I am, of course, committed to continuing the advance of my skills and knowledge through annual seminars and further trainings in various aspects of Positive Psychotherapy and other psychotherapeutic practices and methods.

Although based in Germany I also provide psychotherapy online internationally via platforms like Zoom, Skype, Telegram, WhatsApp, etc.

My hobbies are chinese Qigong (chi gung), parapsychology, interfaith studies, shamanism, adult learning, meditation, hiking and Aikido.

I am a member of:
the Association of Independent Naturopaths e.V. (VUH #: 10025)
of the German Association for Positive and Transcultural Psychotherapy e.V. (DGPP e.V.)
of the World Association for Positive and Transcultural Psychotherapy e.V. (WAPP #:2619)

and of the Exceptional Experiencer Empowerment Initiative (E³)