Training

Both the basic training as a salutogenic counselor and, even more so, the advanced training as a SalKom therapist were a journey for me toward greater self-regulation skills, full of healing experiences and profound expertise in applied salutogenesis. With his consistently calm manner, Theo Petzold succeeds in guiding the participants in their (learning) processes with wisdom, compassion, and appreciation. In my work as an occupational therapist, SalKom helps me maintain a health-oriented mindset, pass this on to my clients, and thus carry it out into the world.

By asking specific questions, I got to the root of the problem much more quickly. And I now have the means to communicate with the patient from that point onward to find the best solution for them. For me, letting patients find their own solution is also very resource-efficient – and more sustainable and satisfying.

During the exercises and discussions, I am always amazed at what happens when I discuss a problem with someone who treats me with respect, kindness, and takes the time to ask the right questions.

I feel less at the mercy of biographical influences, more aware of my autonomy—and, moreover, trust that things that happen have a purpose. I consider the development process in conversation with clients to be the most important experience for coaching.

I've found that salutogenic communication solves problems more sustainably. This gives me a new quality of life. My wish would be for all nurses to acquire the ability to shape patient relationships through salutogenic communication.

Thanks for the enlightening time, the experience of courage and confidence, and the appreciative and loving interaction in and with the group. "But where there is danger, there grows the saving power," said Friedrich Hölderlin. True! And: "A truly good idea can be recognized by the fact that its realization seems impossible from the outset" (Albert Einstein).

Theodor Dierk Petzold, specialist in general medicine and naturopathy, director of the Center for Salutogenesis, and founder of Salutogenic Communication (SalKom®), managed to convey the essential building blocks of his complex model to us in just under two days. In a calm and pleasant manner, he shared his expertise and extensive practical experience with us. It also became clear how significantly the salutogenic approach complements the pathogenic approach of conventional medicine.

"Salutogenic communication – energy flows where attention goes... If one in five citizens today already belongs to a so-called chronic care program, everything should be done from a medical and social perspective to enable these patients to live independently despite their illness. The salutogenic approach, in particular, offers hope that the sense of coherence will give patients more strength to cope with their daily lives."

"Experiences of coherence ... promote people's ability to establish health... salutogenic communication ... is a methodological orientation. Through it, physicians, therapists, and health educators should enable their patients, clients, and trainees to perceive lost and/or underdeveloped abilities, such as (need) signals ... and to process them in a mutually acceptable and, therefore, self-regulatory and communicatively competent manner."

Salutogenic communication of the future according to Petzold... "Communication that is designed to simply do us and others good and lovingly 'wake up' our hearts is salutogenic, meaning simply and simply health-promoting. ... This leads to both the experience and the creative design of a harmonious life that sets self-healing processes in motion... With his salutogenic communication, Petzold also links self-healing with harmonious communication... 'A successful approach is the result of a good interaction of our approach and avoidance behavior. This concerns the core function of healthy and creative self-regulation.'"