The person behind the 180-degree model
Where you start does not determine where you end up.
Prof. Dr. phil. Thomas Alexander Frank is the founder of TAF180 AG and the developer of the 180° Model. A doctorally qualified rehabilitation scientist, qualified occupational therapist, psychotherapist and university professor – at the side of people in leadership and responsibility since 1995.
Book an appointment“You can make your way from the worst possible starting conditions if you have the right teachers and advisers at your side and are willing to work on your own personality.”
A path that was not mapped out
I grew up as an orphan, in children's homes, without a mother's affection and without the starting conditions most people take for granted. I had no school diploma. I began working at 14. There was no one to smooth the way for me.
From that starting point I became a helicopter technician in the German Armed Forces – and from there, step by step, a university professor, a doctorally qualified scientist and an internationally active entrepreneur.
I do not tell this to impress, but because it is the core of my work: where you start does not determine where you end up. You can make your way from the worst possible starting conditions – if you trust your own instincts and are willing to look for the right support and accept it. That conviction, combined with solid professional grounding, is what I pass on in therapy, coaching, training and teaching.
Milestones
- Childhood
- Raised in children's homes as an orphan. First paid work at the age of 14.
- Armed Forces
- Training and service as a helicopter technician – the second professional qualification after his training as a mechanical engineer.
- 1995
- Founding of his own practice. Start of clinical work in psychotherapy and occupational therapy.
- 1999
- Development of the 180° Model at the Institute of Rehabilitation Sciences, Humboldt University of Berlin.
- Academic
- Doctorate in rehabilitation sciences, diploma in occupational therapy, professorship in educational psychology & health care management.
- Today
- Founder and CEO of TAF180 AG with locations in Zurich and Berlin – therapy, coaching and teaching, in person and online worldwide.
Qualifications and roles
- Doctorate (Dr. phil.) in rehabilitation sciences – the scientific basis of the therapeutic work.
- Diploma in occupational therapy – psychologically-functional and neuropsychological occupational therapy.
- Professorship in educational psychology & health care management – teaching and research.
- Psychotherapist, admitted in Switzerland and Germany to all health insurances and private billing.
- Executive coach for boards, entrepreneurs and executives, at C-level since 1995.
- Developer of the 180° Model – need, capability, purpose.
- Working languages: German, English and Spanish.
The 180° Model
The 180° Model was created in 1999 at Humboldt University of Berlin and remains the scientific backbone of my work. It does not view a person in isolation but as an interplay of six areas of life: general health, nutrition, mental energy, relationships and family, sleep and recovery, and work and work-life balance.
Sustainable change requires three conditions at the same time – the need to change something, the capability to actually do it, and the purpose that carries the path. If one is missing, change stays on the surface.
Stages and teaching
Alongside the clinical work I speak as a keynote speaker on AI, people and change – including on these stages:
Frequently asked questions
What are Prof. Dr. Frank's qualifications?
A doctorate (Dr. phil.) in rehabilitation sciences, a diploma in occupational therapy and a professorship in educational psychology and health care management. He is admitted as a psychotherapist in Switzerland and Germany to all health insurances and private billing.
How long has he been practising?
Since 1995 – more than three decades of clinical practice in psychotherapy, occupational therapy and C-level consulting, with more than 10,000 people supported.
What is the 180° Model?
A framework for sustainable behavioural change developed in 1999 at Humboldt University of Berlin. It combines six areas of life with three conditions: need, capability and purpose.
Where does Prof. Dr. Frank work?
In person in Zurich (Feldeggstrasse 85) and Berlin-Mitte (Fehrbelliner Strasse 33), and online worldwide. Patients and clients in Munich are accompanied online.
Which languages does he work in?
German, English and Spanish. Keynotes are held in German and English.
Let's talk.
Whether therapy, coaching or a talk – let us find out in conversation where my team and I can support you.
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