Frequently asked questions

We treat privately insured patients, those entitled to state aid (Beihilfe) and self-payers. Fees follow the German medical fee schedule (GOÄ). If you have statutory insurance you are very welcome – the services are then invoiced privately as self-pay services. In return you get what has become rare in standard care: time, an in-depth conversation and a doctor who relies on naturopathy and uses conventional medicine where it is needed. We discuss the costs with you transparently in advance.

By phone on 030 772 34 60 during opening hours or via our contact form. We allocate appointments by arrangement so that we can take enough time for you. Online booking is coming soon.

Your insurance card or the details of your private health insurance, existing findings and doctors’ letters, and a list of your current medication. For fertility treatment, existing findings of both partners are helpful – for example a semen analysis or earlier hormone values.

Make a note of your symptoms, since when they have existed and whether they are related to your cycle. A cycle calendar of the last few months helps us a lot. Bring a list of your medication – including hormonal contraceptives and dietary supplements. For some hormone values the blood sample has to be taken on a specific day of the cycle; we tell you what to look out for when you book.

Yes, and it is frequently overlooked. Many women notice stiffness and pain in the small finger joints after waking, go through examinations up to MRI scans and rheumatoid factors – without findings – and receive anti-rheumatic drugs that do not help. In our experience, oestrogen deficiency is often behind it. Targeted hormone diagnostics bring clarity, and locally applied oestrogen has an anti-inflammatory effect.

Not necessarily. Many women get through this time very well with homeopathy, acupuncture, bioresonance and lifestyle adjustments – that is our first path. Where hormones make sense, we use them purposefully, individually dosed and with regular checks. Oestrogen protects blood vessels, bones, skin and brain; used correctly it is a gain in quality of life. We decide together what suits you.

There is no need to be afraid. The examination is a combination of a gynaecological examination and an ultrasound scan with contrast medium – nothing more. No surgery, no anaesthetic, right here in our practice. Most women feel a pulling sensation similar to period pain that quickly subsides.

Diagnostics, hormone treatment, hormone stimulation, cycle monitoring and insemination are carried out in our practice. For IVF, ICSI and cryopreservation we work with a specialised partner clinic. Dr Kerle completed her subspecialisation in reproductive medicine at RWTH Aachen University, has worked in this field since 1999 and knows these treatments first-hand – you remain our patient throughout.

The causes lie with the woman, the man or both in roughly equal shares. That is why we involve both partners from the start. Semen analysis belongs at the beginning – before more elaborate examinations of the woman. It is best to come to the first consultation together.

With bioresonance we test for burdens, intolerances and deficiencies that may stand in the way of fertility – environmental toxins with hormonal effects, heavy metals, food intolerances, scar interference fields. What we find, we eliminate: with bioresonance itself or with agents that bind pollutants. In endometriosis in particular, this is an important building block of holistic treatment for us.

Homeopathy, bioresonance and acupuncture are complementary medical methods. Their effectiveness is not generally recognised by scientific evidence – we say this openly because the law requires it and because honesty demands it. Our experience of more than 30 years is different: used correctly, these methods are valuable tools with which many complaints can be regulated without burdening the body with medication. With us, you are at the centre – and these methods form the core of treatment; conventional diagnostics and therapy are added where they are needed – as much as necessary, as little as possible.

It begins with the naturopathic case history – an in-depth conversation about your symptoms, your constitution and your life story. From this we choose the right remedy for you from around 2,500 remedies. Treatment is highly individual and accompanies you over a longer period; follow-up appointments serve to adjust the remedy.

That depends on your starting weight, your metabolism and your consistency. Those who stick exactly to the diet plan during the three weeks of the reduction phase see a clear change on the scales – those who only half do it see nothing. There is no such thing as “half” an addiction treatment. We deliberately do not give specific figures; every body is different, and the law rightly forbids doctors to make such promises.

No – the needles take away your craving for food. The change of diet does the weight loss. The acupuncture ensures that you can keep it up without constantly fighting hunger.

No. Your body receives all the necessary vitamins, minerals and trace elements, as well as sufficient protein. What is reduced is the amount of calories, not the supply of nutrients.

The method has been in use for decades and the diet is designed so that no deficiency arises. As a medical specialist, Dr Kerle clarifies your state of health, pre-existing conditions and medication in advance. With high blood pressure, diabetes and unfavourable blood values, the readings frequently improve as the weight comes down, in our experience – medication is monitored and adjusted medically during this time. Acupuncture is considered low-risk when performed professionally; extremely rarely (around 1 in 50,000) a minimal pinhead-sized bruise can occur at the puncture site. Hypoallergenic needles and plasters are available – and if you really dislike needles: for needle-phobic patients we keep adhesive metal pellets ready that work via acupressure; we explain how they are used.

With any reduction in food intake, blood pressure drops slightly. In most cases no countermeasure is needed. If you take blood pressure medication, we check your readings during treatment and adjust the dose if necessary – never on your own.

No, on the contrary. The ear acupuncture is placed at calming points – you remain calm and balanced. Most people feel fit and full of energy during the reduction phase and experience the time as a cleansing.

It starts with the in-depth introductory seminar. After that you come in, ideally weekly, to be weighed and for a short talk. If you live far away, we also support you by phone – many of our patients come from far afield.

Yes, until you have reached your target weight. Between two reduction phases there is a maintenance phase of at least three weeks. Returning patients pay €60 instead of €120, because the introductory seminar is not needed again.

After the three weeks of reduction come three weeks of maintenance: with the maintenance plan you stabilise your weight and learn to adjust your diet to your actual needs. That is the key against the yo-yo effect. The kidney tea from the reduction phase is no longer taken in the maintenance phase.

When the body breaks down its fat reserves, acetone is produced. The kidney tea stimulates the kidneys so that it is excreted more quickly. It is part of the reduction phase and is dropped in the maintenance phase.

The scales stand still, blood sugar rises, hunger returns – you do yourself no favour. A slip is no reason to give up: return to the plan immediately and carry on.

No. You lose volume everywhere – figure, mobility and face change visibly.

In our experience, how well the skin tightens follows a genetic blueprint: with good connective tissue, even large weight losses are compensated surprisingly well. Support your skin from the start – daily moisturising, massaging the problem zones with a slightly rough glove after showering, plenty of exercise.

Yes, both. Before any physical exercise, take two spoonfuls of honey or sugar to keep your circulation stable – this is also in your plan.

No, once the body has got used to taking them – which is usually the case after about six months. Tell us in the introductory consultation about all the preparations you take; as a specialist in hormone medicine, Dr Kerle keeps an eye on this.

No. A calorie-reduced diet is not suitable during pregnancy and breastfeeding. We are happy to advise you during this time in our gynaecological consultation and to plan the weight reduction for afterwards.

No. The Schlüsener method is a treatment for people with genuine excess weight – not for people of normal weight who want to lose a few kilos for the summer. We determine in the introductory consultation whether there is excess weight requiring treatment. Those who do not have it get an honest answer from us instead of a treatment.

That is not advisable. The weight gain caused by nicotine withdrawal can extend over months; both changes at the same time overtax the body. We plan the right time together with you.

Yes, from about eleven years of age – if there is excess weight requiring treatment and the child understands and accepts the necessity. We make the decision after medical assessment together with the parents.

Not upwards. Health improvements are especially valuable for older people: less strain on joints, heart and circulation.

Unfavourable for hotel travellers – the diet plan requires preparing your own meals and discipline. Time the start of treatment so that no trip falls within the three-week reduction phase.

It was developed by Heinz Schlüsener in his practice in Bottrop. His acupuncture deviates from every textbook: the combination of needles is individual for every patient and takes away the addiction. The method has been in use unchanged for decades and is recommended by people who have experienced its success themselves. Dr Kerle learned it from him and has practised it in Berlin for many years.

The complete package for new patients costs €120: introductory seminar, acupuncture, diet and maintenance plan and weekly support over three weeks of reduction and three weeks of maintenance. Returning patients pay €60 because the seminar is not needed again. Six weeks of medical support that pays for itself: what you save on snacks, sweets, eating out and weekly shopping during this time offsets the cost in our experience. The treatment is a self-pay service; some private insurers reimburse acupuncture in part.

After a preliminary consultation we place fine semi-permanent needles at calming points in the ear; they remain in place for the four weeks, fixed with plasters. The treatment extends over four weeks with weekly appointments. The prerequisite is an immediate, complete stop to smoking at the start.

Immediately and completely. Cutting down gradually keeps the addiction alive and makes withdrawal longer and harder. The acupuncture makes the abrupt stop bearable – that is what it is there for.

Many of our patients have succeeded permanently with this support. Doctors are not allowed to quote specific rates, and rightly so: what counts is your resolve. The acupuncture takes the edge off withdrawal – the symptoms are noticeably relieved and you remain calm and balanced.

Not necessarily. The calming effect of the acupuncture helps not to replace smoking with eating. Should you gain weight nonetheless, we plan weight reduction with the Schlüsener method with you a few months after you quit.

Performed professionally, acupuncture is considered low-risk. Extremely rarely (around 1 in 50,000) a minimal pinhead-sized bruise can occur at the puncture site. Hypoallergenic needles and plasters are of course available, and for needle-phobic patients we keep adhesive metal pellets ready that work via acupressure. We discuss possible risks with you in the preliminary consultation.

Smoking cessation costs €120 – including the preliminary consultation, four weeks of ear acupuncture and weekly support. It is a self-pay service; some private insurers reimburse acupuncture in part.