- Born July 23, 1953 in Südcoldinne (Ostfriesland, Germany)
- Student of protestant theology in Bethel, Kampen (The Netherlands), and Münster
- First examination in theology Hannover 1978
- Ministerial training (‘vicariate’) in Stockholm (Sweden) and Kirchweyhe (near Bremen)
- Second examination in theology Rotenburg 1980
- Ordination 1981
- Minister in the congregations of Steinau and Odisheim (region Cuxhaven) 1981-1985, and in Osnabrück 1985-1990
- Hospital chaplain (psychiatry) in Osnabrück 1990-1997
- Doctorate 1995 Marburg
- Habilitation 2003 Oldenburg
- Clinical pastoral training 1985 Hannover
- Training existential analysis / logotherapy 1985-1988 Hamburg
- (DGLE certificate 1988)
- Qualification as practicioner in the field of psychotherapy 1996
- European certificate for psychotherapy (ECP) 2000
- Certificate pastoral psychology (section depth psychology) German Society for Pastoral Psychology (DGfP) 2003
- Self-employed psychotherapist Oldenburg 1997-2001,
- in the same period post-graduate researcher and lecturer an Oldenburg University
- Assistant professor of practical theology Groningen (The Netherlands) 2001-2002
- Assistant professor of practical theology (esp. pastoral care, pastoral psychology, and homiletics) Kampen 2002-2013
- Private lecturer in the field of pedagogics of religion (focus on “religion in biography”) Oldenburg since 2003
- Full professor of practical theology at the faculty of practical theology at Brussels (Belgium)