Prof. Dr. Esther Stroe-Kunold

Prof. Dr. Esther Stroe-Kunold is Professor and Head of Faculty of Social Work at HdWM. She is a psychologist, a licensed psychological psychotherapist qualified in individual and group psychotherapy, a certified supervisor (DGSv) and coach (DGSv), and a trained mediator. Her academic and professional work combines psychodynamic and systemic perspectives.

After studying psychology, she completed her doctoral research on complex dynamic systems in Heidelberg and Amsterdam. She subsequently worked in research and clinical care in psychosomatic medicine at Heidelberg University Hospital, with a particular focus on eating disorders and trauma therapy.

For ten years, she first served as Deputy Head and subsequenly as Head of a centre of expertise with cross-regional responsibility and professional oversight of the leaders of 13 psychosocial counselling centres. Together, these centres employed more than 100 professionals in multidisciplinary specialist teams and provided a broad range of psychosocial services. Her responsibilities included quality assurance, professional training, supervision, strategic and professional development, and cooperation with service providers, professional associations, and care structures at regional and federal level.

For her, education and studying are about more than acquiring knowledge. Through interactive, practice-oriented, and research-informed teaching, she supports students in developing not only professional knowledge and skills, but also a reflective professional identity and clarity about their future roles. Her aim is to prepare students for evidence-based professional practice and responsible positions in a complex and rapidly changing field of psychological and social care.

Key areasInternational and cross-cultural social work · Human–AI interaction in psychosocial care · Social leadership · Counselling psychology, including digital and blended counselling · Mental health prevention following war-related forced migration · Evaluation and effectiveness research · Professional ethics · Responsible innovation in organisations