Personal growth, self-discovery and embodiment
A space for change, connection and vitality.
I’m Elsa, and I support you through times of change, loss, and the conscious shaping of you life. I offer you a space for whatever is moving within you, especially for what may still feel too big, too tender, or not yet fully expressible in words.
At the heart of my work is the body as a place of experience, memory, connection, and relationship. Through presence, mindfulness, and body-oriented approaches, I support you in deepening your connection with yourself, with your emotions, needs, boundaries and pleasure. This can open new possibilities for personal growth, meaningful relationships, and a greater sense of aliveness.
DR. ELSA MARIA CARDONA SANTOS
My practice
My work brings together Gestalt practice, bodywork, and support around grief and sexuality, while also drawing on my research on socio-ecological, and political transformation studies. My approach is trauma-informed, body-oriented, and grounded in sensitivity and care, creating spaces for presence, self-awareness, and the capacity to respond and act with greater clarity.
This is the right place for you if you…
are moving through experiences of loss, change, or transition,
are seeking a more conscious relationship with your body and sexuality,
long for greater intimacy, closeness, and deeper connection in your relationships,
want to deepen your capacity to feel, experience pleasure, and enjoy life,
wish to explore and better understand emotional or physical blockages,
want to experience more presence and connection in your life,
are looking to shape your life with greater awareness and freedom.
About me
I was born in Mexico City in 1989 and grew up there. Later, I moved to Germany to complete my studies. I hold a PhD in Economics and Political Science and work as a researcher and consultant in the field of social and ecological transformation.
At the same time, my personal path — including living with a chronic autoimmune condition and exploring my own relationship to intimacy — gradually led me toward therapeutic work and deepened my interest in the body, emotions, and processes of transformation at the personal level. I trained in Gestalt therapy, Sexological Bodywork, and grief support. My work is also shaped by practices that continue to accompany me personally, including movement, dance, ritual, and creative processes.
I am particularly interested in how transformation processes are shaped, experienced, and embodied: from institutions and governance systems to the ways we relate to ourselves, each other, and the natural world.
What I offer
Therapeutic Accompaniment
I offer both individual sessions and the accompaniment of therapeutic processes over shorter or longer periods of time — depending on your needs.
I work within two complementary areas that support and inform one another:
Sessions in person in Leipzig, Berlin or online
GESTALT THERAPY for personal processes of life, change, and loss. The focus is on your relationship with yourself and others, with your emotions, patterns, and key questions in your life.
SEXOLOGICAL BODYWORK for processes related to body awareness, embodiment, sexuality, and intimacy. The focus is on your body, your pleasure, your needs, and your boundaries.
I look forward to meeting you. If you have any questions or would like to get to know each other, I offer a free 20-minute introductory session online. This gives us a chance to explore together what kind of support and accompaniment feels right for you.
TRAININGS, WORKSHOPS AND OTHER EVENTS
BODIES IN CONTEXT Training in Berlin with a focus on somatic practices. Within a collective space, we explore, experience, and deepen our understanding of how context shapes us and how it affects our bodies and our way of being in the world. Together, we also make embodied inequality visible and tangible, exploring what it entails and how we can relate and respond to it. Currently offered in German, with plans to make it available in other languages in the future.
COMPOSTANDO (coming soon…)