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CB Consult was founded by Christiane Berker in 1997.

I am a Namibian psychologist with a Master of Psychology degree from Ludwig-Maximillian Universität, Munich Germany. From an early focus on industrial and organisational psychology, I have gravitated towards teaching / training lay people in such topical areas as HIV counsels and self-development as well as providing capacity building workshops, curriculum development and training manuals to NGO and CBO staff.

For bigger projects I can rely on the collaboration with other companies. I can call upon several colleagues for specific projects to perform reliable work teams that present a lively mix of languages, cultures and diverse academic backgrounds.

I strongly believe in capacity building and hope to employ and train many more Namibians, encouraging them to facilitate trainings, develop workshops, evaluate projects and feel comfortable with project management techniques.

I offer a highly professional and dynamic consultancy service drawing upon over two decades of work experience, passion and knowledge.

CB Consult occupies a large well equipped office space in Swakopmund. I often travel to Windhoek for meetings and regularly run workshops and quality assurance interviews throughout Namibia. I maintain a high standard of quality and am flexible, responsible and reliable, meeting deadlines and staying within agreed budget lines. My highly professional and dynamic consultancy service is drawing upon over two decades of work experience, passion and knowledge. As computers are my passion, I have the latest computer technology available as well as excellent knowledge of all commonly used software programs.

Intimate knowledge of the Namibia's cultural diversity allows me to design my services for the specific needs of my clients. If necessary, I can draw upon my network of local language speakers in order to provide translations into the major Namibian languages.

I am dedicated to assisting the Namibian people, in a culturally sensitive, empowering manner, whether the issue is gender, HIV/AIDS, or any other critical topic.

 
Coaching: Due to my many years in the corporate and NGO world, I have worked with many, many people and again and again was asked during workshop breaks to assist with or advise on a personal problem someone had. This encouraged me to offer Life Skills counselling. This will help individuals to make better choices, develop a stronger self-image and pursue realistic goals in a competent manner.

Training: I have extensive experience in training participants from all walks of life, whether the participants are CEOs, at-risk youth or members of remote village communities. Training topics include HIV / AIDS, group facilitation and counselling, gender equality, domestic violence and sexual assault, Critical Incident Stress Debriefing, mental health, peer supervision, leadership training, management skills, customer service, assessment centres, conflict resolution and team building for Namibian NGO's, to name but a few.

My workshops are based on experiential learning. This refers to learning from experience and reflecting on what has been learned; experiential learning is participatory; it is a shared activity, where everyone has something to teach and something to learn; the focus is on building on existing strengths and on life experiences of all participants; this type of learning acknowledges, welcomes, values and uses the knowledge and competence of every person in the group.

Business Coaching: I have been a consultant to businesses and NGOs for many years. I have been contracted to implement organizational structures, personnel selection, development of organizational handbooks (job descriptions, grievance procedures, performance evaluations, competency rules to enhance transparency and bottom-up / top-down communication etc.). I played a key role as a psychological consultant and trainer in the start-up of the New Start VCT centres where, amongst other tasks, I implemented Peer Group supervision to address the recurring problem of burnt out lay counsellors. In the complex arena of multi-tiered partnerships involving local CBOs, national NGOs and international donors, I have been invited to clarify and strengthen expectations and communication systems in order that the partners can be reunited in focussing on their common goal - the combat of HIV/AIDS.

Curriculum Development: I am an accomplished writer who has authored dozens of reports, operational procedures, training programs as well as a variety of comprehensive, well organized curriculum manuals. The layout and graphical content of my manuals will maximize the reader's attention and comprehension. Great care is taken to ensure that all the training information is scientifically accurate yet presented in a manner that translates well into culturally appropriate verbal pictures.

Evaluative Research: I have been involved in the evaluation and improvement of a well established personnel selection tool for an industrial psychology institute. I have performed numerous on-site quality assurance visits where recommendations have led to increased service and work performance. As a highly skilled practitioner, I have developed numerous standardised and half-standardised interview tools. Together with a team, I have conducted a quantitative and qualitative study report for UNICEF's Window of Hope school-based program. I also conducted the mid-term evaluation of the Africa Groups of Sweden Namibia programme 2009 – 2011.