Anna Punda

Not everything we call stress needs more stress management. Sometimes, we need to understand what we’ve been carrying, make space for what is really there — and learn to carry less.

I’m Anna — an integrative therapist (licensed Heilpraktikerin für Psychotherapie) and VFP-certified psychological counsellor.

I work with people experiencing anxiety, emotional overwhelm, difficult transitions, and work-related psychological strain., or the feeling that they have simply been carrying too much for too long.

Sometimes, what feels like stress, anxiety, tension or exhaustion is also connected to what we have been carrying emotionally — disappointment we moved past, anger we held back, fear we tried to control, worry we keep returning to, or simply too much that accumulated while we kept going.

My work is about becoming more honest about what is actually there, understanding the patterns around it, and learning how to work with difficult emotional experiences differently — so they do not keep taking up the same amount of space in your life.

I bring together emotional, cognitive and somatic approaches, because emotions are rarely only thoughts, only feelings or only something happening in the body. They interact.

My approach draws from CBT, ACT, mindfulness-based approaches, self-compassion, psychoeducation and body-based regulation practices. I adapt the work to the person rather than following one method or framework.

And while a lot can happen in a therapeutic conversation, I have become increasingly interested in what happens beyond the therapy room.

Because that is where the patterns actually show up: in the next difficult conversation, the familiar wave of self-doubt, the worry that returns, or the moment when your body reacts even though your mind already understands what is happening.

My own path into this work has been interdisciplinary from the beginning. My background includes psychotherapy and psychological counselling, anthropology, mindfulness, movement and body-based practices, alongside years of working with people and organisations. This shapes how I see emotional wellbeing: not as something that exists in isolation, but within the wider context of our relationships, work, culture and everyday lives.

I work particularly well with international and cross-cultural clients, drawing on years of living, working and researching across Europe and Latin America. Sessions are available in English, German, Spanish and Polish.

My approach is integrative, bringing together emotional, cognitive and somatic work — because what we feel, how we think and what happens in the body are constantly influencing one another.

Sometimes we understand very clearly why something is happening, yet the same anxiety returns. The tension remains. The same emotional reaction appears again.

Rather than treating *stress*, *anxiety* or *overwhelm* as the whole story, I’m interested in what is happening underneath — the emotions, patterns, thoughts and bodily responses that may be keeping the experience in place.

My work is grounded in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), integrated with emotion-focused and compassion-focused approaches, mindfulness and somatic work including breath, movement and body awareness.

There is no single technique or formula I apply to everyone. We look at what is actually happening for you and work from there.

Ways we can work together

There isn't one right way to begin. Depending on what you are struggling with and how much structure or support you would like, there are several ways we can work together.

• Individual therapy sessions
We can begin with a free 15-minute introductory call and continue with individual 60-minute sessions. This option offers more flexibility, with sessions shaped around what feels most important for you at the time.

• Learn to Carry Less — Emotional Wellbeing Program

Sometimes what feels like stress is actually what has been accumulating — emotions, thoughts, tension, and patterns that keep taking up energy.
Learn to Carry Less is a structured 1- or 3-month blended program combining individual sessions with support beyond the therapy room. We work on emotional, cognitive and somatic levels — exploring what you feel, the thoughts and beliefs that shape your experience, and how stress and emotion show up in the body.
Short audio lessons, reflections and practical exercises help you bring the work into everyday life, where these patterns actually happen.
The aim is to notice them earlier, respond with more flexibility, and gradually spend less energy carrying what weighs you down — leaving more space for your life.
We can start with a free 15-minute introductory call to see whether this format feels right for you.

• Emotional Reset — a focused short-term package
Sometimes you may not be looking for longer-term therapy, but you know that something has accumulated and you need a more focused space to understand what is happening and find practical ways forward.

The Emotional Reset begins with a 90-minute Emotional Mapping Session, where we explore what you have been carrying, recurring emotional and behavioural patterns, triggers and what may be keeping you stuck.

This is followed by three 60-minute sessions focused on practical emotional regulation strategies and techniques that you can begin integrating into your everyday life right away.

This format can be particularly helpful during periods of emotional overwhelm, heightened anxiety, difficult transitions or when several pressures have accumulated at once.

There is no single format that works for everyone — the aim is to find the level of support that makes sense for what you want to work on.

Learn to carry less — and make space for what you want more of.