Background
About me
Licensed as a psychotherapist in Germany, at home on the Cornish coast. I work online from here, in German and in English.
Who I am
My name is Carolin Plankl.
I’m a German state-licensed psychotherapist (Approbation), with a specialist qualification in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and a Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Psychology. My four-year postgraduate training, completed in 2022, gave me clinical experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Since then, I’ve worked as a licensed psychotherapist in outpatient practices in Frankfurt and Hamburg, within the German statutory healthcare system — treating adults individually and in groups. In the summer of 2026, life brought me to Cornwall, and I’ve lived here by the sea ever since.
My work starts with you as a person — your history, the patterns in how you think, the way you experience emotion. I see therapeutic support as a shared journey: clear in its goals, concrete in its strategies, and attentive to the patterns that are hardest to step out of alone.
What matters most to me is that you feel safe, and genuinely seen. I want to help you become the expert on your own inner world, and leave you with tools that hold up in everyday life.
- Approbation (Germany)
- CBT-trained
- M.Sc. Psychology
- BACP Registered
I believe deeply that the possibility of change is always there, even if it doesn’t feel like this right now. That conviction has shaped my own life too, and it is one I bring into the therapeutic work. Change begins with honestly looking at what is really going on, even when that is painful.
“You can't stop the emotional waves, but you can learn to surf them.”
What matters most is how we treat ourselves and our feelings when the waves come.
How I work
My approach is evidence-based, goal-oriented, and structured. What matters most to me is a genuine connection with you, working as equals, built on the strengths you already bring.
Resource-focused
Together we uncover what already carries you, and make it usable in daily life.
Structure & clarity
My approach is structured and evidence-based. You'll get concrete steps and exercises you can apply in everyday life.
Genuine & warm
I don't take a distant role. I aim for a real encounter, as equals.
Self-compassion
Alongside ACT, self-compassion is central to my work — real change often starts with how gently, not harshly, we relate to ourselves.
Training and practice
Training, clinical work, research and the years in practice: the path to the German state licence and beyond.
April 2013 – March 2016
Psychology (B.Sc.)
Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
October 2016 – July 2018
Psychology (M.Sc.)
Goethe University Frankfurt am Main
September 2018 – September 2022
Postgraduate psychotherapy training
Department of Psychology and Sports Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main
Postgraduate training in cognitive behavioural therapy, completed with the German state licence (Approbation).
September 2018 – August 2019
Inpatient clinical work
Markus Hospital, Frankfurt am Main
Open ward for affective and personality disorders with a focus on dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT).
During the training programme
Outpatient psychotherapy
Centre for Psychotherapy (training clinic), Goethe University Frankfurt am Main
636 supervised treatment hours of individual CBT as part of the postgraduate training requirements.
January 2020 – September 2022
Study therapist, PROGRID trial
Centre for Psychotherapy, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main
Trial on the treatment of prolonged grief.
January 2020 – July 2022
Study therapist, RESCRIPT trial
Centre for Psychotherapy, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main
Trial on treating the consequences of trauma in refugees; trauma-focused psychotherapy using Imagery Rescripting.
2023
Publication
Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 30(4), 646–656
Lechner-Meichsner, Ehring, Krüger-Gottschalk, Morina, Plankl & Steil (2023): “Using Imagery Rescripting to Treat Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Refugees: A Case Study”.
January 2023 – August 2024
Licensed psychological psychotherapist
Practice for Psychotherapy, Couples Therapy and Coaching, Dr. rer. nat. Serkan Het, Frankfurt am Main
Focus: anxiety disorders, affective disorders and PTSD, alongside group therapy drawing on ACT and self-compassion.
October 2024 – June 2026
Licensed psychological psychotherapist
Practice for Psychotherapy and Sex Therapy, Dipl.-Psych. Olga Kaczmarek, Hamburg
Focus: PTSD as well as ADHD assessment and treatment.