Reflexive praxis means continuously and compassionately examining how our own bodies, emotions, experiences, social locations, and assumptions shape the way we move through this world, understand and produce knowledge.

As a method, reflexivity can involve introspection and “reality checks” that connect embodied experiences to theoretical reflection. Mandy Henningham’s autoethnographic work, for example, shows how attention to body, feelings, kinship, community, culture, land, spirituality, and ancestry can create a deeper and more situated understanding of identity and experience.

As a principle, reflexivity challenges the idea of detached or “disembodied” knowledge and recognises that knowledge is always produced from particular social and historical positions. In this sense, reflexivity can be applied as a continuous practice of engaging with inquiry around how we perseive ourselves, others, and the structures that shape our realities.

A way to find out whether a counselor (or facilitator, coach, therapist, etc) feels like a good fit for you can be to start with a few reflective questions, both for yourself and for them.

You could sit with these on your own, or bring them into an initial consultation / vibe check to sense how it feels in real time.

Choosing someone to support you is not just about their qualifications, but about how safe, seen, positively challenged, and understood you feel in their presence. Taking a moment to reflect on the following questions could offer clarity and support you tune into what you might need.

Questions for Yourself

• Do I feel that this person can genuinely empathize with me?

• Do they recognize and respect my lived reality?

• Are they willing to learn alongside me, to acknowledge mistakes, stay curious, and remain open?

• Can I voice my concerns honestly without fearing negative consequences?

• Do I feel a sense of safety? Can I imagine my nervous system relaxing over time in their presence?

• Does this person offer the kind of support I need at this point in my life?

Questions You Might Ask a Counselor

• How active are you in sessions? Do you tend to guide the conversation, ask questions, hold space for reflection, or process emotions?

• Will you offer feedback and challenge me when you notice patterns? If so, what are your approaches to feedback and confrontation?

• How do you balance reflective conversation with practical tools or strategies?

• How do you adapt your approach to different access needs, communication styles, sensory needs, and ways of processing information?

• How do you embed awareness of power dynamics, privilege, and structural violence into your work?

• How do you approach topics like sexual desire, kink, and polyamory?

• How do you handle mistakes or moments when hurt or misunderstanding occurs in a session?

• What is your approach to trauma and nervous system regulation?

• What do you do if I feel shut down or overwhelmed during a session?

• Is it possible to create an aftercare plan for sessions?

• How often would you recommend we meet?

• What are your session rates, cancellation policy, and options for communication between sessions?

• How do you continue your own learning and growth as a counselor?

These questions can support you in making a more informed and embodied decision. Ultimately, a “vibe check” can help you sense whether the connection feels right—not just intellectually, but relationally and emotionally.

These questions are inspired by, among others, Jennifer Mullan’s work on “Decolonizing Therapy” and social media work of The Expansive Group.

Psychosocial counseling might be right for you if you’re seeking a reflective, process-oriented space to explore personal, relational, or professional questions, challenges, or stressors. It can be especially supportive if you want to strengthen your sense of agency, unpack social dynamics that shape your life or work, and discover ways to care for yourself and your surroundings.

Counseling is not about “fixing” things. It’s about accompanying your process, supporting you in navigating challenges with awareness, clarity, and compassion.

The focus of psychosocial counseling lies in resource-oriented, non-therapeutic accompaniment, creating space for clarity, awareness, and growth within everyday and professional contexts. For me, it is about accompanying individuals and groups through processes of reflection and transformation, with care and attentiveness to the social contexts in which we live and work.

While therapy often focuses on deep inner psychological healing processes and potentially also treatment, psychosocial coaching or counselling works more with the intersections between the personal and the social. It invites reflection on how social power relations, norms, and contexts shape our experiences and relationships. Counseling is typically aim- and process-oriented, and less clinical than therapy. It can, however, deeply support personal growth, expansion of one’s agency, and self-understanding—especially in relation to systemic and structural influences.

Yes. Everything you share in our sessions is treated with confidentiality. I do not share personal information or session content with anyone outside of our constellation without your explicit consent. The only exception, as required by principled standards, would be situations where there is a serious and immediate risk of harm.

Confidentiality creates the trust and safety needed for honest reflection, exploration, and growth.

In order to uphold the integrity of my work, I also take part in intravision with e.g. the Wir sind auch Wien team and in external supervision. These spaces support me in reflecting on my practice and maintaining professional accountability. Everyone involved in these processes is also bound by confidentiality agreements. When I bring in elements from my work, I paraphrase, keep details anonymous, and refrain from sharing personal or identifying information.

I work with a 48-hour cancellation window for all appointments. Cancellations or rescheduling requests made less than 48 hours before the scheduled time are usually charged at the full price. At the same time, I understand that unexpected things can happen and plans sometimes need to change.

So please always reach out and let’s talk about it; we can find out together what is and feels feasible and fair for everyone involved.

“Theory as a Liberatory Practice” is the title of an essay by writer and thinker bell hooks, first published in 1991 and later included in her book Teaching to Transgress. In it, hooks challenges the idea that theory belongs only to the academic or intellectual realm. For her, theory can emerge from lived experience and can help us make sense of what is happening within and around us, question what we have come to accept as “normal,” and imagine different ways of being.

This essay, together with bell hooks’s work overall, has fundamentally shaped how I approach my practice. I strive to bring critical theory into the different layers of my work—from how I design group processes, to how I hold space, to how I navigate conflict and complexity. I try to draw from both theory and lived experience to question what has become normalized and to imagine freer, more caring ways of being in relation. For me, theory is also inseparable from emotion, care, and embodiment. As Grada Kilomba reminds us, emotions are part of knowledge production, and I aim to honour these ways of knowing in how I think, listen, and work.

Transformation refers to meaningful change—on personal, relational, and systemic levels. It’s about shifting not only behaviours or outcomes, but also the underlying patterns, assumptions, and structures that shape how we relate to ourselves and others.

Transformative justice is a framework that seeks to address harm without reproducing punishment or exclusion. It focuses on understanding root causes, centring the needs of those affected, and building collective accountability and healing. In my work, this means creating spaces where change is guided by care, justice, and the possibility of repair, rather than blame or coercion.