About
Karen Julia Korfmacher
Systemic Coach · Strategic Sparring Partner · Mediator · German Attorney · People & Organizations · Career & Leadership · International Perspective
I am Karen Julia Korfmacher — systemic coach, strategic sparring partner, mediator and German Attorney with a focus on People, Leadership, Career and Organization.
I support people, teams and organizations in professional transitions, change processes and moments where clarity, reflection and concrete next steps are needed.
My work combines systemic coaching, strategic thinking and a trained eye for roles, structures and dynamics — with appreciation, clarity and a safe space for honest reflection.
My story
My professional path was never purely linear — and that is exactly what shapes my work today.
I understand professional development as a process: searching, sorting, deciding, realigning and moving forward.
From my legal and business background I bring analytical sharpness, structure and a good sense for responsibility, complexity and decision-making.
At the same time, working with people, organizations and professional transitions has repeatedly led me to what matters beyond the "right solution": fit, stance, self-leadership and impact.
Today I work at the intersection of coaching, career development, leadership and organization — for people who want to shape their professional path more consciously, and for organizations that want to support their people responsibly.
International
California Perspective
Part of my story takes place in California. Another part in Germany.
Living and working between Germany and California has broadened my perspective on career, change, self-leadership and personal development. I move between two cultures that think about professional paths differently: Germany often with strong structure, depth and long-term planning — California often with more openness to movement, experimentation, new beginnings and the next courageous step.
This combination shapes my work: not either security or change, not either grounding or a sense of possibility — but a conscious balance of both.
My own experience of arriving in a new country and navigating between systems also flows into my work. It has made me even more aware of how much clarity, self-leadership and inner stability are needed when external circumstances shift — through a relocation, a new role, self-employment, a leadership move or a professional reorientation.
For my clients this means space for reflection, shifts in perspective and new possibilities — grounded in structure, realism and concrete implementation.
- international perspective
- more agile understanding of career
- self-employment · courage · development
- German-English work
- shifting perspective between systems and cultures
Background & Experience
I bring experience from different professional contexts that shape my work today:
Law & Responsibility
As a German Attorney I learned to structure complex situations, analyse them precisely and prepare decisions with care.
Coaching & Sparring
As a systemic coach I accompany people through professional development processes, role questions, career decisions and change situations.
Career & Newplacement
Working in professional reorientation, applications, positioning and outplacement, I support people in shaping next steps consciously and strategically.
People, Leadership & Organizations
I work with professionals, leaders, HR and organizations on topics such as role clarity, collaboration, communication, leadership, retention and professional transitions.
Mediation
As a certified mediator, I support people in developing constructive solutions for the present and shaping the future consciously.
German & English
My work takes place online in German and English — for people and organizations that think internationally or work in multilingual contexts.
My way of working
How I work
My work is clear, structured and appreciative.
I don't believe in standard advice or quick, one-size-fits-all answers. Instead, the focus is on making patterns visible, widening perspectives and developing next steps that genuinely fit the person, the role and the context.
What you can expect from me:
- systemic questions that sort and go deeper
- strategic sparring at eye level
- clarity without pressure
- structure without off-the-shelf solutions
- honest reflection instead of coaching-bullshit-bingo
- concrete next steps instead of abstract insights
- a safe and trustworthy space for demanding topics
At the centre isn't only the question: "What is your next step?"
But also: "What makes this step feel right for you — and how can you carry it through in a sustainable way?"
Selected qualifications & professional standards
My work combines systemic coaching, strategic sparring, mediation, personality tools and my professional experience across law, People & Change, HR and organization.
The following qualifications and memberships form part of that professional foundation:
Systemic Coaching
Certified Systemic Personal & Business Coach
European Coaching Association (ECA) · Coaching Akademie Berlin (CAB) · Coaching training with 376 training hours · Bundesverband für Qualität in der Systemischen Arbeit (QSA)
Training in systemic coaching, solution- and resource-oriented process facilitation, personal & business coaching and strategic sparring. The coaching training at Coaching Akademie Berlin (CAB) spans 376 training hours and is certified by the European Coaching Association (ECA) and the Bundesverband für Qualität in der Systemischen Arbeit (QSA).
Business, Strategy & People
Master in Business · experience in consulting, startups and organizational contexts
My business background combines strategic thinking with a deep understanding of people in organizations. Through my Master in Business as well as my experience in international management consulting, in the startup environment and in People & Change contexts, I bring a clear view of structures, decision-making, growth, change and organizational dynamics. In my work this means coaching does not stop at personal reflection. It also takes the professional context, strategic options, organizational realities and the question of what is concretely feasible into account.
LINC Personality Profiler
Certified LINC Personality Profiler Coach
Work with the LINC Personality Profiler as well as complementary profiles such as Career Profiler, Team Check, Partner Check and Candidate Check. The LPP is based on the Big Five model and captures personality holistically through character traits, motives and competencies.
Mediation
Certified Mediator under ZMediatAusbV · International Mediation Institute (IMI) Qualified Mediator
Training in professional conflict clarification and mediation with national and international recognition. The German ZMediatAusbV regulates the training and continuing education of certified mediators — including coursework, practical exercises, supervised mediations and ongoing continuing education. The International Mediation Institute (IMI) sets an international quality standard for mediation.
Legal background
German Attorney (Rechtsanwältin), licensed in Germany
Rechtsanwaltskammer Düsseldorf (Düsseldorf Bar Association)
My legal background shapes my work through structured thinking, analytical clarity and a careful approach to complex situations. The Rechtsanwaltskammer Düsseldorf is responsible for the admission of attorneys in the Higher Regional Court district of Düsseldorf.
Systemic couples counseling
Certified Systemic Couples Counselor
Internationale Gesellschaft für Systemische Therapie Heidelberg (IGST)
Further training in systemic couples counseling and relationship dynamics with the Internationale Gesellschaft für Systemische Therapie Heidelberg (IGST). This perspective complements my work particularly where communication, relationship patterns, needs and conflict dynamics play a role.
Continuing education & development
Professionalism, quality and continuous development matter to me. Additional trainings include mindset and belief work, The Work of Byron Katie in professional coaching, and systemic competence development. ICF PCC Credentialing in preparation, expected Q1 2027.
At a glance
| Systemic Coaching | Certified Systemic Personal & Business Coach · systemic, solution- and resource-oriented |
| Business, Strategy & People | Master in Business · consulting, startups, People & Change and organizational contexts |
| LINC Personality Profiler | Certified LINC Personality Profiler Coach · personality, motives, competencies and team dynamics |
| Mediation | Certified Mediator under ZMediatAusbV · International Mediation Institute (IMI) Qualified Mediator · conflict clarification and mediation |
| Law | German Attorney licensed in Germany · analytical clarity and a structured approach to complexity |
| Systemic couples counseling | Certified systemic couples counselor · communication, relationship patterns and conflict dynamics |
| Development | Continuous education · ICF PCC Credentialing in preparation, expected 2027 |
Selected collaborations
I work with partners and organizations that accompany people in professional development, reorientation and change.
JuraMIND →
Coaching and support in the legal context — especially for people in demanding training and professional situations.
Restart Career →
Coaching and support in newplacement, professional reorientation and career development.
heymediation →
Conflict management and mediation in private and professional contexts.
MMM-Stiftung →
Member of the foundation board; coaching and support for grantees on professional orientation, personal goal clarification, challenging life situations and conscious next steps.
I am happy to add further cooperations and projects where they fit professionally and thematically.
Personal
My own path has taken me through different systems, cities and professional contexts — from Düsseldorf via Berlin to San Diego, from law and strategy into coaching, People & Change and career development.
One red thread runs through all of it: an interest in people in moments of change. In communication when things get complex. In conflict, when something wants to become visible. And in transitions where not everything is clear yet, but where you can already sense that development is possible.
It moves me when people regain access to their own clarity, strength and capacity to act — not because everything suddenly becomes easy, but because they understand themselves, their role and their next steps more consciously.
That's why my work is guided by the conviction that development is more than the next step. It's about clarity. About fit. About courage. About self-leadership. About good decisions in complex situations. And sometimes about pausing for a moment before moving on.
I support people and organizations in creating exactly this space — reflective, structured, and with an eye on what becomes possible next.
FAQ – About
Chemistry Call
Let's start with a conversation.
In a no-strings-attached Chemistry Call, we clarify what's on your mind, which format could make sense, and whether working together feels right for both sides.