meet theres kirisits — certified grief counselor
Before I became a grief counselor, I spent eleven years at Booking.com. I know both sides: the one where you have to keep functioning, and the one where nothing works anymore. Since 2020 I've been volunteering as a family companion at the children's hospice Berliner Herz, and I'm a certified grief counselor (BVT), trained at the Björn Schulz Stiftung in Berlin.
what led me to this work
I grew up in a small village called Stinatz in Burgenland, Austria. Later I moved to Vienna, and then on to Berlin. For over eleven years I worked at Booking.com. And through all of it, something else never let go of me: how we live with grief and death.
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The moment that changed everything
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The death of my godmother Tina, when I was seven years old, shaped me early on. Not only her loss, but also the silence around it, the helplessness, the not knowing what to do. Later, personal experiences pushed me to my own limits. A time when I no longer knew how to keep going. I started really engaging with myself. With my feelings, my circling thoughts, and what carries me.
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That's where I found what I wanted to do
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That path led me to the children's hospice, where I volunteered as a family companion. There I understood how important it is to have spaces where everything is allowed to be present. Spaces where we can talk about what connects us all. And I realized how natural it feels for me to accompany people in their grief. I completed my training as a grief counselor and started my own practice.
how people experience me
"I experienced you as incredibly empathetic, alert, and present. You notice so many subtleties and manage to meet people exactly where they need it."
"You have a very warm and at the same time clear way about you. People feel safe, seen, and genuinely heard from the very first moment, without it ever feeling heavy or overwhelming."
"What makes you special is your presence. Even when you say nothing, you can feel that you're there. That gives grounding. That builds trust."
professional background
â‹„ 11 years of international experience in Sales, Account Management, and Business Development at Booking.com (2012 to 2023)
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â‹„ Training as an end-of-life companion at Berliner Herz children's hospice (2020), with ongoing volunteer work there as a family companion
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â‹„ Certified grief counselor according to the quality standards of the Bundesverband Trauerbegleitung e.V. (German Federal Association for Grief Counseling), trained at the Björn Schulz Stiftung in Berlin (2021)
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â‹„ Active Consciousness Meditation Teacher Training with Dr. Punnu Singh Wasu (2024)