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International Episode 25: Sophia (Germany)
01 August 2026

International Episode 25: Sophia (Germany)

Social Work Spotlight

About

In this episode I speak with Sophia, a social worker, sexologist, and relationship counsellor from Germany. She has worked in child protection and youth services in both Germany and Australia, including child and family welfare services, therapeutic residential crisis care for children and young people, and specialised crisis support for girls who have experienced sexual violence and abuse. Sophia has worked as a lecturer in sexology, and is the founder of Sexology Hub, where she offers sexuality and relationship counselling, individual coaching, as well as educational programs, workshops, and professional training for diverse audiences.


Links to resources mentioned in this week’s episode:

Trauma-informed work and recovery

    Sanctuary Institute - https://www.thesanctuaryinstitute.org/

    Creating Sanctuary by Sandra Bloom - https://sandrabloom.com/book/creating-sanctuary-toward-the-evolution-of-sane-societies/

    Trauma and Recovery by Judith Herman - https://openlibrary.org/books/OL1563764M/Trauma_and_Recovery

    The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk - https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/resources/the-body-keeps-the-score

Practical resources and research on sexual violence

    RAINN - https://rainn.org/

Caste-based discriminination

    International Dalit Solidarity Network - https://idsn.org/

International Cooperation Work

    Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire - https://fsi-ebcao.princeton.edu/sites/g/files/toruqf1411/files/media/freire.pdf

    Decolonizing Methodologies by Linda Tuhiwai Smith - https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/decolonizing-methodologies-9781786998125/

Social Work Crisis in Berlin

    AG Weiße Fahnen, DBSH Berlin, GEW BERLIN "Die Berliner Jugendhilfe befindet sich im Kollaps" | GEW - Berlin - https://www.gew-berlin.de/presse/detailseite/ag-weisse-fahnen-dbsh-berlin-gew-berlin-die-berliner-jugendhilfe-befindet-sich-im-kollaps

Sexuality and relationship counselling/therapy

    A Clinician's Guide to Systemic Sex Therapy by Gerald Weeks et al. - https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781315817392/clinician-guide-systemic-sex-therapy-gerald-weeks-katherine-hertlein-nancy-gambescia

    Principles and Practice of Sex Therapy by Hall & Binik - https://www.guilford.com/books/Principles-and-Practice-of-Sex-Therapy/Hall-Binik/9781462543397

Personal / Professional Resources

    Sophia’s open-access publication on Problematic Porn Consumption among Men: Males’ Lived Experience with Self-Perceived Pornography Addiction: A Qualitative Study of Problematic Porn Use - https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/2/1497

    Sophia’s website - https://sexologyhub.com/


This episode's transcript can be viewed here: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vmORcM52JnAuYjakfttLbPmLQHqEH2JH5fOPG8AmOC8/edit?usp=sharing


Thanks to Kevin Macleod of incompetech.com for our theme music.