For the things you can’t talk about with just anyone.

Anything on your mind where you lack an honest, independent outside view – personal and business alike. Typical topics: tension in the family, doubts about a marriage, an inheritance, adult children and money; the fresh start after retirement, a separation or a sale; settling into a new country; selling, keeping or handing over the company; a business partner or key employee who has let you down; a promotion, a change of role, a difficult board. You set the topic and how deep we go. Legal, tax, financial and medical questions belong with specialists – I will name the right one.

For people with something to sort out that they can’t discuss with just anyone – in the family, in a marriage, after an inheritance, in their own company or after selling it. Many own a business; many don’t. All of them need the same thing: an independent, discreet counterpart who sells nothing and is not part of the family. Whether it is personal or business matters little; often it is both. You can also come with a question that has no name yet – it is best sorted out before it turns into a dispute. The only requirement is that you can, and want to, decide for yourself.

Yes. The conversation is the same as for a business question – two people, confidential, no programme. Many people come with something that concerns only them or their family. You will find examples under What people bring; the note When you need a therapist, and when a sparring partner is enough explains where sparring ends and therapy begins.

Yes. You don’t have to know what you need before we talk. Sometimes there is no decision, just something you cannot say to anyone around you – because everyone is involved, or because there is no one. Then I listen, ask where it helps, and keep my opinion to myself until you want to hear it. Often the question only becomes visible in the telling. What sparring is not: psychotherapy. If you are in acute distress, call the Dargebotene Hand helpline on 143 (English line 0800 143 000, 6–11 pm); in an emergency call 144. For everything else, it starts with a confidential conversation.

I commit in writing to confidentiality – including the fact that we know each other, and beyond the end of our work. That applies towards all third parties: family, business partners, employers – including the person who referred you. If I already talk with someone from your family, your company or the other side, I decline, without naming anyone. I record nothing, keep brief notes and destroy them no later than 12 months after we finish. There are three limits: a legally binding order from a court or authority, an acute danger to life or safety, and a threat to a child’s welfare. Even then, I speak to you first wherever possible.

No. Sparring is for people who are fundamentally healthy and able to act, and who want an honest outside view. It is not psychotherapy or medical counselling and does not replace either. I do not diagnose and I do not treat. In Switzerland, psychotherapy is a regulated health service provided by licensed professionals; sparring is a conversation between two adults about a decision or a conflict. If it becomes clear that you need a specialist, I will tell you openly and help you find the right one.