Heide Otten was born on September 18, 1944 in Germany. From 1964-1970 she attended medical school in Göttingen and Munich, defended a thesis project based on the studies on depression at Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich and obtained her academic degree as the Doctor of Medicine. Her major specializations are the following: Family Medicine, Psychosomatic Medicine, Psychotherapy, Hypnosis, Catathymic Imaginative Therapy, Supervision, Balint group leader. She has been working in private practice in Family Medicine (1973 to 1991) and in Medical Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics from 1986 until today.
Dr. Heide Otten has a comprehensive background in Balint work worldwide as:
- Balint group member since 1979
- Balint group leader since 1988, leading Balint groups for GPs, for gynecologists, for psychiatrists, mixed groups, for students, for teachers; groups meeting regularly, groups at weekend workshops, in Congresses, in different countries, for Psychosomatic Basic Training.
- Facilitator of Balint group Leaders’ Seminars, Leaders’ Training and Supervision since 1995
- President of the International Balint Federation (IBF) 2001 to 2007
- Member and present Vice president of the Foundation for Psychosomatic and Social Medicine „Ascona Foundation“, which awards the Ascona Balint Student Prize
- Member of the IBF Task force group for development of Balint Leaders’ Training 2009 to 2015
- Leader of Balint groups and Leaders’ Seminars in Balint Congresses in several IBF member countries
General Secretary of the German Balint Society 1991 to 2013
Dr. Heide Otten has been integrating Sculpture into Balint work and has been promoting the development of Balint movement in China and Russia.
Due to a wide spectrum of professional interests, knowledge and skills, Dr. Heide Otten also became known as:
- Teacher in Training for nurses 1972 to 1976
- Academic Teacher at the Medical School of Hannover 1999 to 2003
- Member of the board for Psychotherapeutic training and conferences in Lübeck, Lindau and Langeoog 1992 to 2014
- Team supervisor in Psychiatric Clinics and in a Haemato-oncological Ward
Family: 3 children (born 1969, 1973, 1978), all three medical doctors (specialized in facial surgery, orthopedics and pediatrics); married to medical doctors (specialized as GP, in internal medicine and in pediatrics). Two grandsons, three granddaughters.