Bettina Eckert in a counseling session offering meaning-centered logotherapy and holistic counseling in Dübendorf near Zurich.

About Bettina
&
my approach

Who I work with – and why

Many of the people I work with are women – often expat women – who are highly responsible, sensitive and reflective. They carry a lot, support others, function well – yet inside they feel that something essential is missing:

clarity,
self-worth,
a sense of meaning,
a feeling of belonging.

Some have moved between countries, cultures and roles, some are in leadership positions or caring professions, some are quietly holding families together. What they share is a sense of inner disconnection: the life they are living and the life that would truly fit them are not the same.

I know these questions from my own life. That is one reason why I do this work – and why my practice has a special focus on women in life transitions, especially expat women.
At the same time, everyone who resonates with this way of working is welcome.

My path: between countries, roles and questions of meaning

For more than twenty years I have been walking a path that connects:

human development and education,
consciousness work and meditation,
practical psychology and social work.

I have lived and worked in different countries, including Canada, India and Spain.
Several times I stood at points where the familiar no longer carried me –

and a new direction was not yet visible.

These experiences taught me that inner stability is not about perfection, but about

having an inner compass that can guide us even in difficult times.

Over the years, a red thread became clear in my life:

a deep love for people and relationships,
a strong orientation towards meaning and inner integrity,
a wish to bring awareness, dignity and compassion into everyday life.

Since 2005, I have been practicing a contemplative, mindfulness-based path that is buddhist-inspired but non-dogmatic. It is not about belief, but about learning to stay present, to pause,

and to act from freedom rather than from fear.

All of this flows into my work today – with respect for each person’s unique path and

with confidence in the inner capacity for growth and healing that lives in all of us.

Qualifications & experience

In short:

Diplom-Pädagogin (University degree in Educational Science and Social Pedagogy)
Logotherapy & existential analysis – multi-year further training
Holistic health counseling – with a focus on the connection between body, psyche and life themes
Many years of experience in:
- education and counseling,
- the social and non-profit sector,
- leadership and project development,
- accompanying people in crisis, transitions and role changes.

I work with clients in German, English and Spanish, in my practice in Dübendorf near Zurich and online.

How I work in sessions

My approach to meaning-centered counseling brings together three core areas:

Logotherapy & existential analysis

We explore your values, sources of meaning and inner freedom.
Logotherapy assumes that we cannot always choose what happens to us –

but we can choose our attitude and our way of responding.

Together we look at:

what your current life phase is asking of you,
which values want to be lived more,
what a meaningful next step could be.

Mental training & self-reflection

Thought patterns can either make life heavy or open space.
With gentle, structured exercises you can:

recognise and question inner critics and harsh beliefs,
develop a kinder, more realistic view of yourself,
strengthen focus, calm and confidence in daily life.

Contemplative presence

Meditative and contemplative elements help you slow down inside.
In a quiet, attentive space you can hear yourself more clearly again –

beyond noise, expectations and roles.

From there, new perspectives and decisions become possible.

The goal is not to become perfect, but to become freer, truer and more at home in yourself.

A holistic perspective on health and crises

I work from a holistic understanding of health: body, psyche and spirit interact constantly.
Symptoms and crises are not just “problems” to get rid of. They can also be messages –

signs that something in our life wants to be seen, honoured or changed.

I am familiar with symbolic approaches to the body, but I do not work with rigid interpretations.

Instead, I invite you into:

mindful self-perception,
listening to your body,
integrating physical experience into your development process.

Healing, for me, is not just the absence of symptoms.
It is a movement towards greater awareness, self-responsibility and vitality.

"Sometimes the symptom is the only healthy part of a life that is being lived in the wrong way."

– Viktor E. Frankl, The Doctor and the Soul

Are we a good fit?

We are likely a good match if you:

are willing to look honestly at your life,
want to understand what truly carries you from within,
are open to reflection and new perspectives,
are ready to take responsibility for your path – step by step.

My work is less suitable if you:

are looking for a quick fix or a ready-made recipe,
are not willing to change your thinking or behaviour at all,
are in an acute psychological crisis that requires medical or psychiatric treatment

or emergency support.

If needed, I can help you consider what kind of support would be more appropriate in such situations.

I deeply believe that every person has the capacity to develop clarity and strength.
Sometimes, we simply need a trustworthy companion for part of the way.

Next step: let’s talk

If something in you feels touched and you sense that something in your life wants to change, we can clarify in a first conversation whether my way of working is right for you.

In our 30-minute initial call: