About Martina Famos, Counselor and Author

I was born in Engadine, a valley in the Swiss Alps, and grew up in a hotel surrounded by employees from various European countries and guests from around the world.

Growing up in a hotel gave me insight into understanding different cultures and their clashes and richness. This sparked my interest in human nature and the science of the mind.

However, it was only when I was in my early forties that I began working as a counselor.

By then, I had accumulated valuable life experiences that have been helpful in my social entrepreneurship since 2009.

Professional experience and approach

I studied and obtained my diploma in Individual psychology, also called Adlerian psychology, at a private Swiss Institution (AFI). I always work with the principles and theories of Alfred Adler, and include Adlerian methods such as the counseling concept of Rudolf Dreikurs, the art of encouragement by Theo Schoenaker, the REBT therapy methods by A. Ellis, the purpose of emotions by G. McKay and D. Dinkmeyer, the GPI Coaching by U. Bärtschi, Jane Nelsen's positive discipline techniques, and the STEP theory (Systemisches Training für Eltern und Pädagogen).

Adlerian psychology is a cognitive and holistic depth theory that considers linkages between behavior and achieved end-results and what conclusion and meaning the client takes from it in terms of their social environment, themselves, and a universal context. Go to the Alfred Adler page describing the foundational principle of Adlerian psychology.

Before studying psychology, I owned an action sports event company and later became a production manager of an international snowboard magazine printed in four languages. Driven by my interest in understanding human behavior, I took my diploma. First, I subleased a practice room in Zurich for four months to test the waters, which turned into eleven years of counseling individuals, couples, parents, and executives.

In 2009, right at the beginning of the globalization boom, my neighbor told me she couldn't find an English-speaking psychologist to help her with her marriage, encouraging me to offer counseling in English.

My native language is Romansh, the fourth national language of Switzerland, and even if my English was far from perfect, I jumped at the challenge. Thanks to my neighbor, an exciting journey as a counselor for internationals began.

In 2019, I decided to move to Scuol, where I offer Private Retreats and Online Counseling for Individuals and Parents.

When Covid made us stand still, I took advantage of the quietness to write my first book, Cultural Grief, which I self-published in 2022.

I enjoy writing short philosophical poems, which you can watch below, and if you would like to see more of my ideas, I welcome you to follow me on my social media channels.

Food for thought

Texts by Martina Famos, Video production by Serhii Presniakov @press_videographer

Equality

Belongingness is reflected in an individual's social interest. Those who do not care about the welfare of others lack a sense of belongingness and do not see themselves as part of the human family.

Feeling equal means not feeling inferior or superior but feeling on par with others.

Grief

If individuals knew how to express and process their grief when required, we would reside in societies with fewer mental health issues.

Grief is a natural mechanism that aids in emotional, mental, and spiritual healing and growth.

Self-Care

Self-care is an essential aspect of our lives. While activities like eating healthy, working out, and using health products are essential, we should broaden our understanding of self-care to encompass our entire being, essence, and soul. By taking care of ourselves on a larger scale and connecting with the universe, we can achieve a more fulfilling and satisfying life.

Faith and Doubt

After reading a book by Tomáš Halík, I understood that extremists fear doubting their faith, beliefs, and leaders. They attach to ideas even if those lead to pain and suffering.
And it is not different from self-imposed beliefs. Doubting our attachments can be scary and liberating if there is the courage to question and release them.

We Belong
The Self is our human existence, equal to every human, pure love, and free from choices and conditions. The person is the unique identity with which we choose to go through the earthly experience. The two separate but interconnected perfections are holistically connected to others and everything around us. We choose every step we make on this life's stage, how we play our roles, and what meaning we give to what we do.