The people behind ESM
Susanne Salig
Co-Developer of the Emotion-Based Self-Competence Method
I have been working therapeutically with people for over two decades – and have witnessed time and again how quickly change is possible when people gain access to their emotional self-competence. ESM emerged from this practical work: from daily contact with over 1,000 patients, from moments when people suddenly understand what's happening inside them – and from the question of how we can make this understanding accessible not only in therapy but also preventively.
My driving force? Accompanying people as they discover their inner resources. As equals. Without hierarchy. With appreciation for each individual journey.
Arne Salig
Co-Developer of the Emotion-Based Self-Competence Method
My professional journey has taken me through many fields – from hypnotherapy to QiGong to food safety consulting. What has always fascinated me: How people learn, how change becomes sustainable, and how we can communicate complex relationships in ways that truly resonate.
In ESM, I'm responsible for method development, scientific foundation, and international expansion. What excites me about ESM? That we work at the deepest level of human experience – the Self – while creating remarkably simple access. This combination of depth and clarity is, for me, the essence of ESM.
Together with Susanne, I want to make ESM available worldwide – not as a dogmatic system, but as an open method that strengthens people's self-competence.
Aaisha Mohammed Sultan Al amri
Official Representative Gulf-Region
Health Sciences Specialist holding a Bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences and a Master’s degree in Leadership in Medical Education, in addition to a Diploma in Emotional Medicine. Certified Professional and Practicing Coach and Relationship Coach accredited by the Arab Coaching Federation. Head of the “Nahtam” Initiative in the Sultanate of Oman. Academic and professional interests include health education, psychological empowerment, and integrative approaches to physical health, emotional awareness, and relationship development.
HOW ESM CAME TO BE
From Practice to Science
ESM didn't originate at a desk. The method developed over many years in therapeutic practice – through work with over 1,000 patients, through countless conversations, crises, breakthroughs, and healing processes.
The core of the method: We observed that there are two neurobiological basic emotions that shape our entire emotional experience: Love and FearLove and Fear. And that people who have access to their five self-competence elements self-awareness, self-acceptance, self-confidence, self-efficacy, and self-love – can not only understand their emotions but actively shape them.
What began as a therapeutic approach has evolved into a method that extends far beyond therapy: ESM is equally effective in prevention, coaching, organizational development, and everyday personal life.
2026 In 2026, our professional handbook will be published by the renowned Shaker Verlag – in both German and English. This will be the first comprehensive scientific documentation of ESM, making it accessible to a broad professional audience.
But ESM is more than a publication. It's a movement. An invitation to every person to develop emotional self-competence – for themselves and for a more authentic, fulfilling life.
What We Stand For
1. Meeting as Equals
We don't see ourselves as experts who "heal" or "fix," but as companions on the path to greater self-competence. Every person carries the resources within – we help make them accessible.
Why this matters to us: Because genuine change can only emerge when people feel seen, respected, and taken seriously. Hierarchy creates distance. Appreciation creates trust.
2. Scientific Foundation Without Dogmatism
ESM is based on neurobiology and has been validated with over 1,000 patients. At the same time, we remain open, learning, and undogmatic – science is our foundation, not our boundary.
Why this matters to us: Why this matters to us: Because we're convinced that good methods should be evidence-based – but not rigid. People are too complex to be pressed into inflexible systems. ESM combines structure with flexibility.
3. Accessibility for All
Whether in therapy, prevention, or everyday life – ESM should reach people, not exclude them. That's why we combine therapeutic depth with simple applicability.
Why this matters to us: Why this matters to us: Because emotional self-competence isn't a luxury, but a basic need. Every person should have access to methods that help them shape their lives self-determinedly – regardless of education, income, or background.
4. Intercultural Openness
Self-competence is universally human. ESM is culturally adaptable and respects different worldviews, religions, and life designs.
Why this matters to us: Why this matters to us: Because we live in a diverse world – and because we're convinced that ESM works everywhere people seek self-understanding and emotional clarity. From Germany to Oman to the Czech Republic, we've experienced how ESM works across cultures.
5. Practical Effectiveness
Theory is important – but only when it arrives in life. ESM offers over 80 concrete interventions that people can use immediately.
Why this matters to us: Why this matters to us: Because we didn't want to create a method that only works in seminar rooms. ESM should work in everyday life – in relationships, at work, in crises, and in quiet moments of self-reflection.
Emotional Self-Competence for All – Worldwide
Our vision is simple: We want to make ESM accessible to as many people as possible. Not as a closed system, but as an open method that continues to develop, that's culturally adaptable, and that works wherever people seek emotional clarity and self-determination.
We work toward this on four levels:
- Science: Scientific foundation and continuous development
- Academy: Scientific foundation and continuous development
- Digital: Digitale Tools, die ESM im Alltag erlebbar machen
- Connect: Projects that bring people together and make ESM experiential
Our goal? That ESM one day will no longer be "our" method – but a method that people everywhere in the world use, develop further, and pass on.
Möchtest du mehr über ESM erfahren?
Whether as a scientist, professional, or individual – we invite you to discover ESM. As equals. With appreciation. And with the conviction that emotional self-competence is the key to a fulfilling life.