Of Wolves and Bears

Verena Karl

born 1978, licensed social worker, systemic therapist
I am mom to two wonderful children and enjoy country life on the Lower Rhine with my family. My passions include traveling, music and flea markets. I am sometimes a bit crazy and at the same time down-to-earth. This alone shows me how much diversity there can be in a single person. How exciting does it get when I look at my fellow human beings?
The separation of my parents showed me at an early age how unique family life can be, with the associated challenges, but also opportunities. The ideas of tolerance and charity were of fundamental importance in my family. That shaped me a lot. The diversity of people has always enriched and fascinated me. And also the courage with which many people deal with things, even though they may be disregarded by others. People on the margins, different cultures, different lifestyles, different images have always sparked my interest and never frightened me.
A little Miss Marple lives inside me
I am simply curious about people. Why does someone see the world the way they do; why do they have a particular view, and what consequences does that have for them? I always want to understand, with the desire to accept, respect and, in the best case, connect. This was also a motivation for my profession. As a licensed social worker with additional training as a systemic family therapist, I have mainly worked in outreach work to support families in crisis situations and help them regain their self-efficacy.
I am infinitely grateful that people trust us and that they entrust us with their lives and their stories. I always learn so much about others and about myself at the same time! What makes me uneasy is not the diversity of people, but the prevention of diversity. That is what I am working against with all my heart.

Eddy Sadzakov

Born in 1959, licensed social education worker, systemic therapist
Grew up in Saarbrücken. My roots are in the Balkans: my mother is Croatian, my father Serbian. I have two brothers and am the father of three children. I have lived and worked with my family in North Rhine-Westphalia on the beautiful Lower Rhine near the Dutch border since 1982.
Border is one of my biographical keywords: parents from a different culture, growing up with two languages. I lived right on the French border and spent two and a half years in a foster family as a small child. A child of separation and divorce from the age of eleven. Life has made me a border expert.
Early on I learned the meaning of "foreign" and "familiar". And that what is foreign is sometimes closer to me than what is familiar. The question of who I am and where I belong, who belongs to me and who doesn't, has been with me for as long as I can remember. All of this has probably led me to my professional orientation as a systemic family therapist. Dealing with people, supporting them in crises, developing an understanding for their borderline experiences and encouraging them to face their everyday challenges is what I can do and what fulfills me. I am grateful that I have not forgotten how to love and trust. Because it allows me to share this energy with other people.
In 2009, we founded the Zaunkönig network together with other colleagues. As a duo of freelance systemic family therapists, we work in the context of youth welfare for families in crisis. We also offer supervision, coaching and training on the topics of "Sensitive Perception, Autism, ADHD & Co" for daycare centers, schools, institutions and companies.