Psychologist & Coach · Berlin

Your worth didn't start at the border.

Career coaching, bureaucracy, and practical guidance for people building a future in Germany—whether you're starting over or picking up where life was interrupted.

Marina Picó smiling outdoors
35+ people guided through life in Berlin
Welcome!

My name is Marina Picó.Psychologist & Coach

Germany has forms for almost everything. Unfortunately, it doesn't come with instructions for what it's like to rebuild a career in a language that's not your own.

As a psychologist and migration & career coach, I combine psychological insight with practical guidance to help people navigate qualification recognition, job applications, bureaucracy, and career decisions. Because behind every document, application, or appointment is a person trying to move forward.

More about me
My mission

Clarity, confidence, and a life that's still yours.

Migration can bring many kinds of loss — family, language, culture, or the identity people already knew you by. I hold space for all of it. But migration isn't only about loss. It's also a chance to ask who you want to become next, using everything you already are as the starting point rather than something left behind. My work is to walk with you through bureaucracy, the job search, qualification recognition, language exams, and the many practical challenges of building a life in Germany—while we build that next chapter together.

What I offer

This space is for you if you…

01

aren't sure what you want anymore, or where to even start

02

struggle to see your own value, or how to translate your experience into something the German market recognizes

03

carry so much self-doubt that it's hard to even begin

04

are grieving the life or identity you had before moving

05

need psychological guidance or support rebuilding self-esteem

06

feel overwhelmed by the German system in general and aren't sure where to turn

What I offer

Tailored support, built around your situation.

Every coaching plan is personalized to what you actually need: practical, psychological, or both. Here's where we can start.

01

Migration Orientation

Understanding how things work in Germany (the Jobcenter, your rights, your options) can feel like a maze from the outside. I'll help you get oriented: what applies to you, what doesn't and where to go next, so the system feels a little less like a black box.

02

Career & Job Coaching

Navigating the German job market can feel like an uphill battle, especially as a newcomer. We start with a potential analysis: reconnecting with your full skill set and achievements to map out real possibilities. From there, I help with your CV, cover letter and other application documents, interview prep, and getting foreign qualifications recognized, translating what you bring so the German system can actually see its value.

03

Psychological & Emotional Support

Migration is often a grieving process for the life, language and identity you had before. I make space for that grief and frustration to be felt, not just solved. As a licensed psychologist, I help you process that loss, rebuild self-esteem and find your motivation again.

04

Personal Empowerment & Guidance

Restarting in a new country, system and language is disorienting. Together we'll reconnect with your strengths, build practical routines and find community: networks and connections tailored to your interests. If you need help with benefits applications or specific paperwork, I can point you to the right people, because you don't have to do this alone or figure out who to ask.

A different perspective: photography by Marina

Two small boats on calm open water, aerial view
Blue holes in a coral reef, aerial view
Forest meeting turquoise reef water, aerial view
Wooden pier crossing a shallow reef, aerial view
The coaching with Marina was a great help to me. She was helpful, patient, very friendly and helped with all kinds of issues, including a lot of bureaucracy. Marina has a big heart and really helps a lot. I hope I can come back, and I recommend everyone to do a coaching with Marina.
— Taherah
Common questions

FAQs

The first appointment (a 20-minute call to get to know each other) is free. If you're unemployed and registered with the Agentur für Arbeit or Jobcenter, you may be eligible for 20 free coaching sessions. If your situation is difficult and you can't afford the full price, just message me and we'll find a way.

Sessions typically run around 90 minutes, though the exact length can vary based on your needs and progress.

Migrants of all backgrounds and genders, including refugees, EU citizens and international professionals: anyone rebuilding a life in Germany.

Both: I offer in-person sessions in Berlin, and online sessions for clients anywhere in the world.

Spanish and Catalan (native), German (C1) and English (C1), plus conversational Portuguese and basic Indonesian.

No. I'm a licensed psychologist, and that training shapes how I work with you, but this isn't a substitute for psychotherapy. We focus on practical transitions, decisions and personal growth rather than treating clinical conditions. If I think psychotherapy would serve you better, I'll say so and help you find the right referral.

Marina Picó portrait
About me

A psychologist's mind, a coach's heart.

I'm Marina, a licensed psychologist with a Master's degree in Brain and Cognitive Sciences from the University of Amsterdam (Cum Laude), and a certified Systemic Integration Coach. My academic background, combined with years of hands-on experience in social and migration coaching (including work in a women's shelter and refugee job coaching), shapes the way I support people through personal and professional transitions.

Today I work as a job coach for refugees navigating the asylum process, alongside my independent migration and career coaching practice. I've supported 35+ people from more than 25 countries and every professional background, from software engineers and doctors to those still discovering their path, and I stay in close contact and coordination with the Jobcenter, BAMF and other institutions on my clients' behalf.

I'm passionate about supporting people through moments of transformation: a career shift, a personal obstacle, or the complexities of building a life in a new country. My approach blends scientific understanding with deep empathy, helping you take control, reconnect with your strengths and shape what comes next.

Psychologist, M.Sc. Brain & Cognitive Sciences Migration & Career Coach 6 languages Berlin & Worldwide Online

My migration story

In 2020, I moved to Germany, and I quickly discovered how challenging and overwhelming the migration process can be. Like many immigrants, I had to face the bureaucratic maze, including dealing with the Jobcenter, and at times, I felt lost, scared, and unsure of where things were going. There were moments when I felt hopeless and lonely, missing my family, and questioning my path. I knew I had to push through, and that's exactly what I did.

It is this personal experience that fuels my passion for supporting others who are in similar situations. Despite my many privileges as a white person with an EU passport, I have fought against discrimination, struggled to navigate bureaucratic systems, and learned how to assert my rights in an unfamiliar environment. These are the same challenges many of my clients face today, and I'm committed to guiding them through these difficult moments.

In my coaching, I not only help clients navigate systems and bureaucratic challenges but also provide practical tools to help them connect with the community, find courses, or pursue career orientations that fit their needs and goals. The focus is always on empowerment: creating a safe space where you can gain the confidence to move forward and make informed decisions.

Community has been one of the biggest parts of my own healing: finding people who felt like a chosen home, even when home itself can feel like it's nowhere anymore. That's something I try to help my clients find too.

My journey

The timeline of struggle and growth

Every twist here shaped the way I coach today.

2019
Finished my Bachelor's in Psychology in Barcelona, then moved to the Netherlands for a Master's in Brain & Cognitive Sciences
2020–21
Moved to Germany for a research internship, and started building a life in a language I barely spoke yet
2022
Survival jobs (kitchen work, food delivery) while reaching B2 German. A first taste of job coaching became an unexpected turning point: migration had quietly reshaped what I wanted from my career
2023
Trained in systemic & migration coaching, and got my C1 German certificate
2024
First major coaching role, then burnout, and learning to set real boundaries around the environment I needed
2025
Social counselor in an emergency shelter for women, while growing a freelance coaching practice on the side
2026
Now: job coach for refugees navigating the asylum process, freelance practice still growing, 35+ people guided so far
← scroll to see the full path →
The process

How I work

My approach is collaborative and personalized. I provide a safe, supportive space where you can work through your challenges and find practical solutions, whatever you need most. My goal is always the same: that you leave with more clarity, autonomy, empowerment and motivation to keep going on your own path.

My approach is rooted in systemic coaching, which means I don't look at challenges in isolation. I consider the wider systems around you: your migration journey, cultural context, professional background and the structures you're navigating in Germany.

First

Free intro call

A relaxed, 20-minute call to get to know each other and see if we're a good fit: no pressure, no cost.

Then

Tailored sessions

~90-minute coaching sessions built around what you need most: bureaucracy, career, confidence, or all three.

Ongoing

Tools to keep going

In our sessions, I connect you with courses, communities and networks, tailored to your interests, so you have real support to stay active between our meetings, not just during them.