Hello. My name is a-l [pronounced either “al” or “ay-el”] punkt [.]

I am a facilitator, relationship & psychosocial counselor, and researcher.

I work with individuals, people in various forms of relationships, and groups. I hope to accompany people as they find ways through the unknown and uncertainty, navigating what lies ahead at their own pace and ways. Furthermore, I am part of the Collaboration Platform Wir sind auch Wien (WsaW) and a longterm volunteer at the Counseling and Documentation Center for Islamophobia and anti-Muslim racism, Dokustelle Austria.

My practice is grounded in an ongoing commitment to and continual attempt at (power-)reflexivity: reflecting on how my experiences, positionality, limitations, the systems that I am part of, shape me and my work. I attempt to facilitate processes with care and accountability, while remaining attentive to the possibility of causing harm and to the need for ongoing learning. Among other teachings, bell hooks’ “theory as a liberatory practice,” adrienne maree brown’s “loving corrections,” Gabor Maté’s “compassionate inquiry/curiosity,” Linda Thai’s somatic, trauma-informed, and body-based practices, and Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian’s explorations of queer ecology, non-binary nature, and the abundance of ways of being in the living world, significantly inform and accompany my day-to-day practice.

I grew up in Styria, Austria, surrounded by forests, the lushness of spring time, the fresh air, and the changing colours and textures of autumn. The landscape was an important part of my childhood: I remember the fields of arnica and, in particular, a large stone on a nearby hillside that became a place of safety, imagination, and quiet.

I grew up with offers of warmth, care, and love, while also often experiencing life and my surrounding as highly unsettled, unsettling, uncertain, and frightening. Some of the fears and stress responses shaped by those experiences continue to accompany me today. I am grateful to be accompanied by therapy and supervision as I continue to meet, understand, and take responsibility for my own wounds, patterns, and reactions.

I now live in Vienna, where I feel grateful for the warmth of my surroundings and for the people and relationships that give me a sense of belonging. I am a loving, and sometimes complicated, friend, partner, and caretaker. I love the smell of herbs and flowers. I love herbal teas, shakshuka, rice… I love singing, puzzling, and, very much, sleep. Every day I attempt to practice the art of doing less, maybe sometimes even nothing, without falling into the trap of learned guilt tied to it…

I understand my own life and practice as intertwined: This ongoing process of learning how to stay with myself, and with others, amid uncertainty, while remaining attentive to the systems I contribute to and/or participate in, is part of what I bring into my practice.

Education & Professional Training

Certified Life & Social Counselor – In Training Under Supervision (LSB i.A.u.S.)
05/2025 – 03/2027

Professional training in psychosocial counseling, crisis intervention, counseling methods, supervision, and systemic coaching. It includes supporting individuals in personal, professional, and family-related challenges, decision-making situations, and life crises. My particular areas of focus are anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practice, as well as addressing and reducing structural harm in counseling contexts.

MA in Peace and Conflict Studies
9/2020 – 06/2023

Master’s Thesis:
Accountability and the Courage to Transform. Theory and practice of “hegemonic reflexivity” as a way of reducing harm in contexts of “good intentions."

Train-the-Trainer Programme in Moral Courage & Anti-Discrimination
11/2019 – 07/2020

• Workshop facilitation and hosting methods

• Sensitisation methods and experiential learning

• Critical diversity principles and critical whiteness

Additional Training & Continuing Education

Spring 2026 | Linda Thai’s Certificate in Somatic Embodiment & Regulation

Digital completion of this 12-session certificate training in somatic embodiment and nervous-system regulation, focused on how trauma, attachment, and survival responses affect the body and behavior.

Spring 2025 | Starting Fresh – Workshop with Dr. Gabor Maté & Daniel Maté

Digital completion of this 10-part workshop exploring the transformation of stuck parent–adult child dynamics through self-reflection, somatic inquiry, and compassionate coaching.

Spring 2026 | IFS Online Circle - with Crystal Jones, Pamela Krause, and Richard C. Schwartz

Digital completion of this IFS Online Circle is a six-month introductory online program by the IFS Institute that provides a comprehensive overview of Internal Family Systems® through self-study videos, clinical demonstrations, and live Q&A sessions.