MindBar Mindfulness Center

MORE LIVING, LESS EXISTING. ACHIEVE PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL GROWTH & CLARITY WITH MINDFULNESS & COACHING.

PERSONAL & CAREER TRANSFORMATION.

MINDBAR® exists to help you move out of your own way and start prospering!

HAPPINESS STARTS IN THE MIND

We know that happiness (and unhappiness) begins in the mind. Our mission is to help you get out of your own way. You can choose which thoughts and feelings you want to pay attention to, and which hold you back from achieving your goals in life. Learn to stay calmer in stressful situations, make better decisions, and simply be happier. We use a variety of techniques: mindfulness-based mental training, coaching, cognitive behavioral techniques, and meditation.

ABOUT YOU

You might be a high achiever. I work with people who are successful or on their way to becoming successful. You might often hear from others how great your life is, but you feel like something is missing. You are constantly striving for growth, success and often perfection, and wonder if you’ll ever feel satisfied.

You are ambitious, sensitive, driven, intellectual, smart, strive for personal growth and success. You also care deeply for concepts, ideas and have a very vivid and active mind. You might tend to obsess sometimes and be a bit perfectionistic too. Sometimes, you feel like you aren’t as good as people think you are.

My clients have strong personalities and often can feel like they are smartest person in the room. Many of my clients come to me wondering whether anyone can really help them because of the way they are – not many people are at their level.

My clients have included a global leader in artificial intelligence, a top journalist working at national newspapers and news channels, the CFO of a large corporation, the CMO of a global Fortune 500 corporation, various entrepreneurs, among others.

I know you’re complicated. Your high level of intellect, analytical ability, drive and ambition make you different from most people. I also understand that you’ve got things to do and places to go, and thus, I will help you achieve the best results as quickly as possible using my signature approach. That approach includes an almost spooky level of intuition and empathy, combined with razor-sharp logic and analysis. I’m not going to lie, several of my clients have suspected me to be a mind-reader and one has even called me a “mindreading witch”.

I understand at a level that most don’t. I love complicated individuals and I love the challenge that comes with it. If you are used to no one challenging you because they can’t keep up, you’ve met your match with me. I feel things, I know things and I make sense of them with my analytical mind. At the same time, I believe that everything done with compassion is most effective.

You might have a dirty little secret you’ve been carrying around for a long time: you doubt yourself. Despite all your success and ability, you doubt yourself. It’s ok because I will believe in you for the both of us until you do too.

You believe that this life is short and fast, and you want to make the absolute most of it while you’re here. I live life that way too.

ABOUT ME – KERRI CUMMINGS

My high school quote in my senior yearbook was:

You’re never given a wish without being given the power to make it come true. (Richard Bach)

I was 16 years old. I knew that if I had an idea in my head, a wish, a goal, I could and WOULD make it happen. And I always did.

In my 20’s I went around saying that I can get whatever I wanted. I believed that, and I DID get whatever I set my goals on. Eventually, though, after all my ambition, and skill at achieving my goals, I realized something:

NONE of all that goal-getting was making me happy or fulfilled.

I felt empty and burnt out. So, I quit my 6-figure management consulting career and started over.

I had NOTHING. People probably thought I had lost my mind!

Maybe I did? I did stop desperately grasping to my mind’s thought. I decided to follow my intuition instead.

I was home for a few months with nothing but my savings and time. I started a business and quickly took it from zero to serving many Fortune 500 companies – all from my living room. After a while, though, I got that nagging feeling again: This wasn’t it either.

Then I realized – again – that I was good at making decisions and going for it. And I was great at being successful at it.

I was so good at setting goals, making decisions, achieving things that all of that striving and ambition covered up my actual purpose and true desires.

I wasn’t listening to any of it. In fact, I didn’t even hear it.

I was too busy achieving things.

I didn’t realize this until I started “feeling” it. I felt like I was just functioning and existing, and wondered, “Is this all life’s about?” I wondered why I was busting my ass when it wasn’t making me happy.

It took me years to get to where I am now, but I did it. I started listening to my inner voice and eventually found what I needed to do to feel fulfilled, happy and alive. And the cool thing is: I’m STILL busting my ass and achieving goals, but it is now in ALIGNMENT with what I actually want!

QUALIFICATIONS

ACADEMIC BACKGROUND

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Doctoral student (PhD), clinical psychology Prof. Dr. med. Dipl.Psych. Robert Bering, University of Cologne, and chief physician of the Center for Psychotraumatology Krefeld, Alexianer Krankenhaus GmbH.

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Master’s (M.Sc.) clinical psychology and psychotherapy sciences, University of Witten-Herdecke, Witten. Master’s thesis (summa cum laude) with Prof. Dr. Johannes Michalak and Prof. Dr. med. Dipl.Psych. R. Bering.

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Master of Business Administration (MBA), Schiller International University, Heidelberg.

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Bachelor of Arts (BA) Clinical Psychology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA

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Bachelor Science in German Professions, East Carolina University, North Carolina, USA.

ADDITIONAL TRAININGS

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Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher (by Jon Kabat-Zinn) - Mindfulness Institute Ruhr (Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction).

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Certified Kundalini Yoga teacher.

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Certified Co-counselor - Co-counseling is a self-help method to activate and strengthen our emotional health and our life force. House Kloppenburg, Münster.

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

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Clinical Psychologist, Center for Psychotraumatology Krefeld, Alexianer Krankenhaus GmbH, DiPT (German Institute for Psychotraumatology). Psychotherapy for patients with post-traumatic stress disorder, Co-Leader Trauma Recovery Group (Judith Herman, Harvard University).

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Project Manager EUNAD (European Network for Psychosocial Crisis Management - Assisting Disabled in Case of Disaster), Alexianer Institute for Psychotraumatology, Alexianer Hospital.

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Owner, Wordstyle Editing (editing and translation) - Clients: METRO, ECC Kohtes Klewes, EXPO REAL Messe München GmbH, NUON, BBDO, Handelsblatt, Wirtschaftswoche, and others

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Management Consultant (Manager) - BBDO Consulting (now: Batten & Company).

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Management Consultant (Strategy Consultant) - Accenture.

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FAQ

WHAT EXACTLY IS "COACHING"?

Nowadays everyone seems to call themselves “coach”. I don’t know about you, but I think it’s getting to be too much, since the term is not protected, there are of course no quality standards. I am a clinical psychologist (M.Sc.), and in addition to my work at the MINDBAR®, I also work as a therapist/counselor in a clinic for psychotraumatology. My approach there is also mindfulness based. I also have a Master Business Administration, so many years of experience in the “business world”. My coaching approach is therefore not only mindfulness-based, but goal-oriented and pragmatic. My goal as a coach is to send you on your way as soon as possible, equipped with your own tools and skills. This is important: I believe you already have all the answers within you. My job is to accompany you and help you to find the answers that are already within you. Mindfulness helps by paying less attention to our unhelpful, superfluous thoughts so that you can find the real answers, and start making the right decisions in your job, career, and life.

HOW DOES THE FIRST SESSION GO?

First, it’s very important that you feel comfortable with me. In psychotherapy research there has been a large study to find out which therapy methods are most effective. The results: All methods were equally effective. The only criterion that is significantly effective is the therapeutic relationship. This is no different in coaching. That’s why we always have a free 15-20 minute preliminary talk in advance, either by phone or Skype/Zoom. This way you get an impression of me, can feel if the chemistry is right and can ask questions. If you then decide to take part in a coaching session, we will discuss how to proceed. There are several options, which depend on various factors: Which topic you bring to coaching, your goals, and much more. Therefore, a first preliminary talk is good to discuss all of this. If you are interested in a free preliminary talk, you can call me or write an email to: kerri.cummings@mind-bar.de

CAN I DO COACHING ONLINE?

YES! If you want to continue after the first preliminary talk (via Skype/Zoom or by phone), we will make appointments directly!

HOW DOES COACHING WORK?

In the first coaching session you talk a lot! I want to understand your topic(s) accurately and completely and get to know you as a person. My goal for the first 1-2 sessions (this varies depending on the topic or complexity of the topic) is to define a coaching goal together with you. That means, what do you want to have achieved when you are “done” with the coaching? Goals should be SMART (Specific Measurable Achievable Reasonable Time Bound). For your coaching, we want to define your coaching goal together, so that you actually achieve it! In the subsequent sessions, we will then work on the goal. However, it is important to know that your goal can change during the coaching process. If this is the case, we will discuss openly and transparently whether your timing for the coaching might need to change (maybe more or less sessions) and how we will proceed.

HOW DOES THE COACHING WORK?

1. MINDDUMP… Through a free and open discussion and certain mindfulness exercises, you learn to distinguish the relevant from the irrelevant thoughts in your mind. 2. MINDGAPS…Only when you have sorted your mind, can you then pay less attention to the harmful and unhelpful beliefs, drivers and thoughts. At this stage we identify any inner stumbling blocks that stand in your way. 3. MINDDRIVERS … It is also important to become aware of where your strengths and motivations are. What drives you? What activities, environments, etc. give you energy? We want MORE OF THIS! Only then can you recognize which goals are meaningful and which thoughts will lead you closer to a fulfilled, happy life. 4. MINDTRAIN… With specific and focused training, you can strengthen and refine your mind to put your new goals into practice.

DO YOU OFFER BUSINESS COACHING IN COMPANIES?

Yes! I offer business coaching in individual settings and in companies. Due to my academic and professional qualifications and experience, I am ideally suited: I am a former management consultant (MBA) with years of experience in strategic marketing with Fortune 500 companies, and I am also a clinical psychologist (M.Sc.). I round out these skills with my personal mindfulness practice and certification as an MBSR teacher. ARE YOU INTERESTED? Schedule an appointment in person or on the phone/video for a (non-binding) interview. Alternatively, I can come to you and give a 30-minute presentation/lecture on the topic of mindfulness and my work as a coach. In this way you (or your employees) can experience me “live” and can also ask questions directly. MINDBAR SERVICES FOR COMPANIES Individual coaching for employees. The topics vary according to requirements and are defined after the initial interview. In this case there are two initial meetings: 1) with the client, and 2) with the coachee/client. Team coaching and workshops. The topics vary according to your needs and are defined after the initial meeting. This can be classical business coaching, but also seminars and workshops for burnout prevention. MBSR for companies. MBSR is an 8-week mindfulness training for stress management. That means 8 times, á 2.5 hours each, plus a day of mindfulness (6 hours).

WHAT SEMINARS AND EVENTS DOES THE MINDBAR OFFER?

MINDBAR® always offers a range of seminars and events:

Happy Hour – An evening at the MINDBAR with impulse lectures, drinks, snacks and exchange of ideas in a relaxed atmosphere.
Theme evenings: Various seminars on special topics, such as “Digitization and Children”, “Mindful Communication”, etc. (Dates will be announced in the calendar & under “News”)
Impulse lectures and workshops in companies, for companies
KEYNOTE/MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKING in companies and at congresses, trade fairs, and other major events.

See “News” for current & upcoming events

NEWS

MBSR (MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION)

BSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) is an 8-week program, developed in the 1970s by Prof. Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn (University Massachusetts Medical Center), that uses mindfulness to help people with various problems such as stress, pain, or other problems. MBSR uses exercises such as meditation, body awareness exercises, etc. to learn and cultivate mindfulness.

Upcoming Classes: