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TRAINERS

Here you will find an overview of all trainers from the international IFS Institute who provide training for us in Germany.

We are very grateful and proud that these very experienced, wise and warm people are sharing their expertise with us 💛

Liz Martins

Liz Martins is a highly experienced and dedicated psychotherapist and a leading figure in the field of IFS. She is a certified IFS therapist, lead trainer, certified clinical supervisor and consultant to the IFS Institute. Her work is internationally recognized and she acts as a trainer for Level 1 IFS trainings worldwide.

 

Liz has over 30 years' experience in training, mentoring, coaching, facilitation and consulting. Her career began in social work with children and families, where she held leadership roles and served as an independent adoption committee chair for 15 years.

Liz runs a private practice in England where she offers both online and face-to-face therapy, as well as individual and group supervision. In addition to IFS, which is the main focus of her work, she is also a certified therapist in sensorimotor psychotherapy, EMDR and psychosynthesis.

 

Therapeutic Focus

  • Adults with a focus on trauma

  • Developmental trauma and attachment

  • Integration of IFS into supervision

 

 

Links

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Dr. Ann-Katrin Bockmann

"IFS provides a uniquely safe, effective, and respectful approach to trauma work—achieving outcomes unlike any other method."

Dr. Ann-Katrin Bockmann

Dr. Ann-Katrin Bockmann has a doctorate in psychology and is a licensed psychotherapist and speech therapist. She specializes in IFS and offers international training courses and workshops. She has many years of clinical experience working with adults, children and young people, parents, systems and organizations, as well as professionals in the helping professions and in the educational field.

 

She has conducted IFS trainings in various countries as a co-lead trainer and program assistant for the International IFS Institute (IFSI). She is a certified Somatic IFS therapist and works in Susan McConnell's team. Ann-Katrin is trained in IFIO - to use IFS with couples.

 

For Ann-Katrin, IFS is a paradigm that provides profound support to psychotherapists, has great potential to transform psychotherapy, and provides answers to the global crisis of meaning. As a lecturer and researcher at the University of Hildesheim, Ann-Katrin contributes to IFS research.

 

Other activities and projects

  • Management of the language support project KEA , which includes around 180 kindergartens

  • Lecturer, supervisor and self-awareness provider for psychotherapists at the Society for Behavioral Therapy

  • Co-founder of the “ Leyla Project ”, which supports traumatized children in refugee camps by stabilizing their mothers with IFS

  • Since 2019 she has been giving IFS trainings with Tom Holmes in Egypt and Jordan

 

Links

 

Mariel Pastor

Mariel Pastor is a licensed marriage and family therapist living in Portland, Oregon. She has been a long-time member of the international IFS trainer community and has worked closely with Richard Schwartz since 1998. She is the lead author of the official Level 1 manual. She also developed the "Unburdened Internal System" model, which now reflects the logo of the international IFS Institute.

 

Her therapeutic approach is integrative and systemic—with a special focus on inner aspects, emotional processes, body awareness, and interpersonal dynamics. Mariel is also trained in EMDR and sensorimotor psychotherapy.

 

With Character Mapping, she has developed a creative method that combines therapeutic knowledge with artistic self-exploration – especially for people in the narrative and performing arts.

 

Mariel is co-founder and clinical director of the IFS Telehealth Collective, a cross-country network of IFS-oriented therapists in the USA.

 

 

Therapeutic focuses

  • Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

  • Additional training in EMDR and sensorimotor psychotherapy

  • Close collaboration with Richard Schwartz since 1998

  • IFS trainer for over 14 years

 

 

Links

  • Homepage Mariel Pastor

  • Mariel Pastor's self-introduction (video)

  • Interview with Mariel Pastor

  • Youtube channel of Mariel Pastor

  • Podcast episode with Mariel Pastor on self-like parts

  • Podcast episode with Mariel Pastor on IFS & language

  • IFS Telehealth Collective

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"As long as we live, there is always more to discover about who we really are."

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Carolina Abreu

Carolina accompanies people with great presence, keen sensitivity, and a deep trust in their inner strength. In her therapeutic work, she creates a space in which even challenging inner experiences can be seen and held – with warmth, clarity, and respect for the uniqueness of each person.

 

Carolina is a trained psychologist specializing in neuropsychology. During her psychotherapeutic training, she focused on constructivist and experiential approaches that emphasize inner processes, self-awareness, and personal development. She has been influenced by, among other approaches, Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), AEDP, ACT, Coherence Therapy, and Polyvagal Theory.

 

During her IFS trainer training, she was trained by numerous IFS luminaries, including Richard Schwartz, Susan McConnell, Cece Sykes, Frank and Chris Burris.

 

 

Therapeutic focuses

  • Studied psychology with a specialization in neuropsychology

  • Psychotherapy specialization for constructivist psychotherapies

  • Lead Trainer for the IFS Institute since 2024

  • Many years of experience in private practice with a focus on psychotherapy, supervision and counselling

 

 

Links

  • Homepage Carolina Abreu

  • Podcast episode with Carolina Abreu (Portuguese)

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