Dr. med. Sabine Schonert-Hirz

Businesswoman, TV presenter, speaker and trainer since 1983


Further training:

  • Sports medicine
  • Relaxation techniques
  • Systemic solution-focused coaching and supervision (NIK, Norddeutsches Institut für Kurzzeittherapie)
  • Business mediation

My credo: Stress balance!

We are not smartphones that can simply be recharged. We are biological miracles. Humans need billions of living brain cells to process our emotional and mental activities. And trillions of other organ cells to keep us alive. Each brain cell requires an adequate supply of nutrients and oxygen to synthetize hormones, neurotransmitters and other molecules that coordinate our physical functions. Each cell needs time to grow, work and die, to be decomposed and recycled.

This is why we need stress balance. The harmony between activity and rest is crucial. It is the biological basis for happiness.

How I became Dr. Stress

During my time as a physician in Cologne, I encountered overworked, exhausted and dispirited patients every day. Typical symptoms of what we now call burnout. The conventional therapies and treatments of the time were of little help, and longer talks were impossible with a crowded waiting room. I was very dissatisfied with my work. After two years, I decided to press the reset button and switch to counselling. I wanted to help people preventively – before they suffered from an overdose of stress. As my doctoral thesis examined stress hormones and cardiac arrest, I was familiar with the field of stress and its possible outcomes, and began creating my own stress management programmes. It was hard work at first to build my own company, to find clients (without the internet), and secure projects. Fortunately, I was selected as a TV presenter for the new medical programme “Medizin Magazin”. This covered my costs and gave me access to valuable insights about the world of TV and media, allowing me to further establish my company “Medizin und Training”. Soon I wrote my first book on stress.

On one of my radio interviews, the host, Anke Engelke (now a famous German actress and comedian), introduced me by saying, “And here she is again, Dr. Stress!” Suddenly, I was Dr. Stress – easier to remember than Schonert-Hirz!

My personal stress challenge

My life picked up speed: More projects, marriage, children, building a house, taking care of my parents. It was the usual madness. Each day started with hunting for childcare and ended with planning the next evening’s menu. The constant travelling. The sleepless nights. The pressure to be a perfect mother. It’s easy to imagine that I was sometimes very close to burnout myself.

Luckily, my work was a constant reminder of balancing stress. I adamantly applied my own stress management tools and pulled through.

How I work with clients today

What I love most is giving lectures! I thrive on the expectations of visitors and organizers. That’s why I work closely with my listeners – before and during the event. This way, I understand their moods, needs and culture, and can offer them a tailor-made program. The same dedication and collaboration also applies to my seminars, consultations and coaching programmes.

I focus on your needs in order to offer unique and personalized lectures, seminars and consultations.