Pörtner, Marlis: - Marlis Portner, worked in theatre and as an editor and translator, before becoming a psychotherapist. After the 'family years' she studied psychology and worked for twenty years as a psychotherapist in her own practice. She always had in her client caseload some people with special needs. She also worked as a consultant and supervisor for several social services and was often invited by communities and homes to do workshops for the staff to introduce the concept of 'Trust and Understanding'. She published a number of books, originally in German, that have been translated into several languages, and numerous articles for professional journals. She was married for more than twenty years, and had a daughter and a son, both adult, and two grandsons. She died in 2020.