Clara Thumm (she/her)
As a coach, I support people through crises, transitions, and their desire for change. I provide a space where clarity, security, and courage can develop, enabling transformation processes. I have dedicated many years to engaging with feminist theory and practice, as well as exploring the topics friendship, romantic relationships, and self-love.
Qualifications
- Certified Feminist Coach
(Feminist Coaching Academy, Berlin) - Certified Systemic Coach & Mediator
(Institute for Management Consulting, Berlin) - M.A. Sociology and Cultural Studies, with a focus on Feminist Theory
(Free University Berlin)
(University of Pennsylvania, USA) - Co-founder of theater improv group and performance collective
My Motivation
During my studies, I delved deep into feminist theory for several years. I knew I wanted to work in this field after graduating, but I didn’t know how. It wasn’t until I experienced coaching myself that I realized, for the first time, what I truly wanted in all the contexts I had been in: to support and empower people; to talk with them about their feelings and relationships so they could better connect with themselves and others. And so, my journey as a coach began.
During a restless phase with both major and minor heartbreaks, the idea of the Heartbreak Club came to me: individual and group coaching programms for people in crisis, providing space for healing, connection, transformation, as well as newfound strength, courage, and hope.
Today, we enjoy theoretical freedom in the way we shape our relationships. Yet, in practice, the ultimate ”promise of happiness“ still lies within heteronormative partnerships. And then there’s the reality of dating in Berlin. It’s the same way in many other areas of life where societal expectations and promises of certain paths clash with our personal experiences.
That’s precisely why it’s so important for us to become clear on our needs and values in order to consciously shape our lives and relationships – with ourselves, our friends, and our romantic and sexual partners.
Society hasn’t taught us how to love – neither ourselves nor others. That’s why we are allowed to learn how to love together.
What does feminist coaching mean?
Feminist coaching means exploring and processing personal experiences and placing them in a structural framework. Many of us suffer from similar issues in this society, so they should not be individualized but rather viewed structurally. The pain we experience is often an understandable reaction to our experiences in this system. Feminist coaching aims to empower us and give us new courage by taking personal responsibility and challenging restrictive societal norms around gender roles and life paths. It allows us to uncover how we can live and love authentically.
Especially in the community of group coaching sessions, we can experience a sort of feminist utopia where we engage with each other with radical openness, acceptance, and tenderness – making feminist principles tangible in practice.
What does feminism mean?
We live in a patriarchal and unjust society. Feminism, for me, means fighting against structural exclusion, oppression, unequal power dynamics, and unjust distribution of resources, while fostering solidarity among people. This involves acknowledging the commonalities and differences of their experiences in this society while preserving their individuality and autonomy.
Feminist practice includes acknowledging both structural discrimination and one’s own privileges. As a woman, I experience discrimination in this society. At the same time, I benefit from privileges that have paved the way for my life journey thus far, including the founding of the Heartbreak Club.
Photo: Angelika Pientka
To process pain and create loving connections is a profoundly radical and feminist act in this society.
Friendship
Friendships allow me to experience long-lasting and ever-expanding bonds of love. I challenge hierarchies that prioritize romantic relationships above friendships.
Radical Tenderness
Radical tenderness empowers me to engage with others on equal terms and determine consciously how I want to live my relationships.
Freedom
To me, freedom means being able to pursue a path not based on how much value it brings me in the eyes of others, but on how much it strengthens my inner self.
Learning & Personal Growth
Through education and dialogue, I can identify, address, and challenge unfair societal conditions. I am committed to continuous learning and personal growth.
Social Responsibility
I see social responsibility as reducing power, hate, and pain, supporting people, and creating equal and loving connections.
Photo: Angelika Pientka
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Contact
hello@heartbreak-club.com
+49 157 5782 9902
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