Puma Höflich, born in 1969
I’ve been many things in my life. Currently I give Shiatsu treatments, do 1:1 bodywork sessions of different kinds. I teach Qigong, the “Wheel of Consent®” and other playshops.
I’ve also been a social worker, personal assistant for people with physical disabilities, “facility manager with special tasks” in refugee housing, feminist self defense trainer, pasta maker, server, part of a puppet theater, telephone counselor for the “Lesbentelefon” (a lesbian advice line), did research on so-called “Asoziale” (outcasts) under national socialism and I’m sure I’ve forgotten something!
Over the years I have repeatedly dealt with different forms of violence and different types of trauma, which has now become a focus of my work in Shiatsu and also in my individual sessions.
On the one hand, I would like to mention violence in queer relationships, which is often taboo and considered non-existent.
On the other hand, I would like to mention violence due to “race”, inflicted (often unconsciously) by white people on black people and/or people of color.
I am continuously educating myself on the latter, currently with Resmaa Menakem in the training course “Reparative Communal Consultations for White Bodies”.
Throughout my life I have lived different genders and have now arrived at “non-binary”. My pronoun is “Puma”.
In my work I refer to “Urban Tantra”, developed by Barbara Carrellas in the 1980s during the AIDS crisis.
And consent… my heart beats for consent.
Since January 2019 I have been training in the “Wheel of Consent®”, developed by Dr. Betty Martin. I have now been certified by Dr. Martin to teach the Wheel of Consent® and am part of the School of Consent.
For me, a great role model in terms of consent is a person of 1.5 years, whom I can accompany in the discovery of the word “no”).
Consent with ourselves and our environment, big and small, concerns us all, regardless of whether we live lust, sex, intimacy or not.
On my journey so far I have been inspired by many people. I would like to name a few here: Dr. Betty Martin, Barbara Carrellas, Charlotte Gareis, Christa Schulte, Mark Silver and all my friends who have been and are by my side in all my transitions so far.
And last but not least all the wonderful people I was able to accompany in private sessions and in group offers. You really rock!
I give courses in Germany and abroad.
My teaching languages are English and German.