Some things repeat until they are understood.
Psychodynamic psychotherapy and contemporary psychoanalysis in English, in central Vienna. A space to understand what shapes, holds, or constrains you – and what might change.
I work with adults of all genders, backgrounds, and ways of living – through crises, transitions, and open questions. Psychodynamic, relational, collaborative.
Understanding what repeats
Psychodynamic therapy is interested in what isn't obvious: the wishes, fears, and conflicts that are hard to name, but also the motives and tensions that quietly shape how we live. It assumes that how we relate today – how we seek closeness, express needs, set boundaries, see ourselves – has a history.
Together we trace the hidden meanings and patterns in your experience. The aim isn't advice from the outside, but a fuller, more layered understanding of yourself – and, through that, more inner and outer freedom. Therapy isn't a program. It's a shared space in which experience can become understanding, and in which what holds you back can begin to shift.
Therapy across languages
Working therapeutically in a second language – yours, mine, or both of ours – isn't something to work around. It's part of the material. Sometimes a mother tongue carries the weight of shame or old injury, and another language offers just enough distance to begin speaking. Sometimes something can only be said in one's first language. Both can be true, and both belong in the room.
I grew up between two languages – which has taught me a great deal about translation, about what gets lost and what becomes possible when we move between tongues. I work fluently in English and am used to the particular texture of therapy across languages.
Three ways of working together
Which setting fits depends on what you're bringing, the depth you're looking for, and what's practical. We figure this out together in the first conversation – you don't need to decide in advance.
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
A continuous therapeutic relationship, to understand how earlier and current experiences shape the present – and how greater inner freedom can emerge.
Contemporary Psychoanalysis
A higher-frequency setting designed to let thoughts and feelings arise more freely, allowing more immediate access to unconscious processes.
Psychodynamic Coaching
An open frame for reflection and clarity – for decisions, transitions, and understanding your patterns. Coaching is not psychotherapy or medical treatment.
About my status
I am a psychotherapist in the final, supervised stage of training under Austrian law (in German: in Ausbildung unter Supervision). In practice, this means I work independently with clients, and my work is reviewed regularly with experienced training analysts – a continuous layer of quality assurance. Supervision is carried out anonymously; confidentiality is fully preserved.
My training institute is the Psychoanalytic Seminar Innsbruck (PSI). My focus is on relationships, attachment, and identity – as well as depression, exhaustion, early experiences, and questions of meaning and direction.
Fees & insurance
- €80 per session (50 minutes)
- Free initial consultation (30 minutes), no obligation
- A limited number of sliding-scale spots for those on a lower income – just ask
On insurance: As a therapist in supervised training, I am not yet registered for the Austrian statutory health-insurance subsidy (this requires completed training). Most international clients pay privately or through private insurance, which some policies reimburse – it's worth checking your policy or asking your provider.
Frequently asked
What happens in the first consultation?
The initial consultation lasts 30 minutes and is free – I keep set times aside for it each week. We get to know each other: you say as much as you like, I tell you how I work and which setting might fit. Afterwards you decide, in your own time, whether to continue. There's no obligation – and I won't follow up or chase you.
And if I have the sense that you'd be better placed with a colleague, I'll say so openly and give you concrete suggestions. A first conversation that leads to a good referral isn't a failed one.
Do I have to lie on the couch?
The couch belongs to the higher-frequency analytic setting, because it allows freer thinking and speaking. It's never a requirement – whether and when it makes sense is something we decide together. Psychodynamic psychotherapy takes place seated, face to face.
How often – and how long – is therapy?
Psychodynamic psychotherapy usually takes place once or twice a week, psychoanalysis from twice a week. A session is 50 minutes. Depth and duration vary: many people feel some relief early on, but lasting change takes months, not weeks.
What about confidentiality?
I am bound by the statutory duty of confidentiality under the Austrian Psychotherapy Act – one of the strictest in Austrian law. Everything you share stays in the room. Supervision of my work is carried out anonymously.
Where can I turn in an acute crisis?
My practice is not a crisis service: I reply to inquiries within 48 hours and cannot provide emergency care. In an acute crisis, please contact the Vienna Social-Psychiatric Emergency Service (PSD Wien) around the clock at 01 31330, or the Crisis Intervention Center (weekdays) at 01 406 95 95. In case of immediate danger, call the emergency number 144.
Book a consultation
Two or three sentences are enough. You'll receive a personal reply within 48 hours. The initial 30-minute consultation is free, with no obligation.
Kolingasse 1/6
1090 Vienna
Subway: U2 Schottentor · U3 Herrengasse
Tram: 1, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 71
The practice is up one flight of stairs in a historic building with no elevator, and is not wheelchair accessible. If step-free access is essential for you, a suitably equipped practice is the better choice for in-person sessions – I'm glad to point you to options. In suitable cases, sessions by video are also possible.
The form or email is the easiest way to reach me. By phone: +43 677 6289 1397 – during sessions I can't take calls, so please leave a short message with your name and number, and I'll usually call you back within 48 hours.
mail@nicolasjacobs.at
Your message goes straight to my personal inbox – no system, no automation. Within 48 hours you'll receive a personal reply with appointment options. And if you change your mind: that's completely fine – there's no follow-up.
PSD Wien: 01 31330 (24/7) · Crisis Intervention Center: 01 406 95 95 (weekdays) · Emergency: 144