Foundation and Executive Board

The foundation was set up by Heinke Sofka in 2020 with the support of the Caritas-Community Foundation in the archdiocese of Berlin (Caritas-Gemeinschaftsstiftung im Erzbistum Berlin).

The foundation’s main purpose is to establish and promote Somatic Experiencing as a form of trauma therapy. It supports children, adolescents and young adults who have experienced trauma and would otherwise have no access to therapy.

Heinke Sofka's experience as an occupational therapist working with children, especially children who have experienced developmental trauma, has motivated her to establish a foundation to overcome developmental trauma. Her understanding of the polyvagal theory as proposed by Dr. Stephen Porges’ has also had a tremendous influence on her intentions. Both of these aspects contributed to her interest and research on the topic of trauma.

 

Together – more

No-one can act or exist alone in this world. In order to grow and become an independent person, we are always dependent on the help and support of others. Even as an independent person, we still need other people. Our security also always depends on the other person’s security. Together, we always represent more than when we, as individuals, act in our own self-interest. The results and consequences of our actions are always greater if we include others in our thoughts and actions and put ourselves in their service.

It is therefore Heinke Sofka's greatest wish to help those who have experienced a trauma – by finding a trauma therapist for them so that they can regain a foothold in life, improve their ability to get in touch with themselves and develop self-regulatory mechanisms, or simply experience such skills, perhaps for the first time ever, and in this way become individuals who are capable of interaction and bonding.

Setting up her own foundation was a long-cherished desire:

“In particular, it was my wish to channel my energies and entrepreneurial skills into building a foundation and my wish to shape civil society that prompted me to set up the foundation.”