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Counseling Points (MPU)

Your Situation

If you have selected this web site, you have probably lost your license due to points. You have repeatedly infringed the traffic regulations, have received letters from your driver’s license office, and probably have also visited a special seminar (Aufbauseminar). You have definitely intended to watch out, but you finally have collected more than 18 points. Your driver’s license office has then informed you that your license will be taken away and has only left you the choice of voluntarily handing over the license or risking a costly notification of withdrawal. Should you have consulted a lawyer, he now has told you that he cannot do anything else for you.

The kind of violations which you are accused of can be many-sided. Usually infringements like overspeeding, using the handy, not keeping distance to the vehicle before you or even defects of your car (e.g. worn tires) have burdened your points account. It is however well possible that legal offences like driving without license, a hit-and-run-offence, or a duress have occurred. In rare cases, a DWI with a per thousand of less than 0.16 has taken place which in its own does not qualify for the ordering of an MPU. Irrespective of your concrete points account: it is relevant, if the violations have been negligent or intentional, in which time period they have occurred and if we can speak of relatively minor or major offences.

Your driver’s license office will look into your case carefully, will obtain an actual certificate of good conduct (Berlin) and a summary of points (Flensburg). It will then decide according to the special circumstances, if you need an MPU or not. In many cases, this can already be decided by inspecting the records. Sometimes, it is necessary to phone the person dealing with your affairs at the driver’s license office.

Let us therefore assume that you do have to present an expert evaluation concerning your ability to drive and that you want to prepare yourself thoroughly for it. Are you looking for an expert who can help you along the way? A partner who understands your sorrows and fears, your difficult professional, or maybe even private situation: someone who supports you and escorts you on your way to your driver’s license? Then you are just right here on this site and should read on.

The Informative Consultation

My individual counseling is balanced to your needs. In a first informative consultation, we will get to know each other. I will be able to get to know your case, to study the files, and I will be in the position to present you with an overview about what you will have to expect in the MPU. You will learn about the criteria of a positive MPU, and will understand, what you will be asked for on the day of the MPU.

Will the expert understand your unique situation as a driver? Will he respect the fact that as a professional driver you are dependent on your license? Will he honor your high mileage or experience as a driver? Will he accept that time pressure, stress or urgent obligations have been influential, or will he interpret these contextual factors as feeble excuses? And will he then accuse you of minimizing the events and not accepting responsibility for your own faulty behavior? Are you allowed to tell him that sometimes you were enjoying to speed and that you have consciously risked points? Does the expert finally ask you to present a preparative counseling and what kind of probation period do you have to reckon with?

Having sorted out your records in a first overview, and having fathomed important perspectives, it is already possible to give a recommendation at the end of the informative consultation. You will be told, if and when an MPU would be a good idea. Should a negative MPU be present, or should you already have taken a counseling with a colleague, we can include his (her) suggestions. According to your situation, we can then arrange a counseling instantly, or – if this makes sense – at a later time.

The Counseling (MPU - Preparation)

Module 1. Biographical Sketch

The counseling starts with a biographical sketch. I has turned out that your chances to receive a positive expertise rise, if the expert understands your personal situation. I also can better adjust my certificate of your participation to your personal needs. Don't be afraid. You decide what you want or don't want to say. In an expertise you also only have to tell the expert as much as he needs to reasonably understand your case. I am by your side and would like to help you. In a climate of mutual respect and trust, we will soon find connections and personal experiences which are prone to have high explanatory value in any expertise.

Module 2. Analysis of the traffic offenses

Questions concerning the individual offenses are typically paramount in the first third of the MPU. The expert wants to know what happened then and why it happened: he will ask you why you were driving too fast, why you used your mobile phone while driving, or why you have not fixed your car. If the violations have happend without intention, he will try to explore why you have been distracted or unconcentrated, and he will carefully check if your presentation is in agreement with the record or if you cover up things. In our counseling, we will carefully analyse these questions and we will discuss concepts that you can use in the MPU. You will be able to name concrete motives or background conditions of your violations without arousing suspicion to talk yourself out of responsibility. You will be focused on you own faults and will exclude the mistakes of others.

Module 3. Accumulation of Violations

Experience demonstrates that a pure listing of concrete mistakes on individual days – as valuable as they may be in a first inventory – will not be sufficient to obtain a positive expertise. If you reduce yourself to that isolated perspective, you even run the risk that the expert will accuse you of failing to appreciate the big picture, the real context, the deeper connections. Of course, we are confronted here with more essential professional or private maldevelopments, factors, which surpass the disfavour of the moment. For very soon you will find out in the MPU that the expert does not assess your violations as simple faux pas. He also does not believe that "bad luck" or a high mileage are responsible. He is rather convinced that these violations are a systematic consequence of much deeper problems in your life or your personality. Examples would be the already mentioned professional or private maladaptation, flawed opinions, an insufficient style of driving, overrated self-esteem, or the tendency to repress unpleasant things or to pass them on to others. The list of possible factors is enormous. My counseling will work out your very personal "week points" and will help you to clarify to the expert why these individual agents have caused the offences.

Module 4. Knowledge and Appreciation of Risk

When discussing the individual violations, the expert will already check in detail, if you are aware of the risk potential. Who utters here that he has only slightly been driving too fast, who sees himself as an ideal motorist, and who stresses his optimal own reaction or the perfectly tuned car, will experience a rude awakening. Experts are certainly instructed to treat you friendly and courteous, and opposite to popular opinion, you may generally reckon with a correct interviewing, but your counterpart has still enough margin to strongly stress problems with your statements. For only traffic safety, i.e. your responsibility for other while driving is interesting to the expert. He has had too many grave accidents on his desk, to grant any tolerance of minimization.

My counseling gives special emphasis to the valuable aspect of traffic safety. We will talk about the real risk potential of any overspeeding, we will get to know important concepts like reaction distance, braking distance and stopping distance and we will draw concrete conclusions from them. Of course, as motorist, you are aware of the relation between speed and risk, and maybe you have been acquainted with these concepts through seminars or journals. I can promise you that we will address these matters in a new, relating to the examination valuable way, and that you will learn to see the truth in a more drastic, unprettified way. Or did you know that the stopping distance corresponds to the "death zone": that region of lethal risk, which is ahead of a moving vehicle? And do you know these zones for different speeds?

It is well possible that these informations affect you, since you will have to face the truth that your behavior as well has put at risk the life of others. If you don't want this, you do not have to read ahead. If you are, however, prepared to utter the experiences of our counseling including your dismay in the MPU as well, you will have excellent prospects of a positive certificate.

Module 5. Self-Assessment and Driving Style

With a couple of extra questions, the expert tries to check out your self-assessment. Do consider yourself a "good" or "bad" driver? Did or do you believe to have control over your driving and the related risk potential? How would you describe your driving style, and how do you judge yourself in comparison with other motorists? Here it is paramount to check, if your self-image, your retrospective reflection of your own story of violations is in accordance with the file, e.g. the reality which the expert has investigated beforehand. Questions of this kind are delicate as well, since often the use of terms result in misunderstandings. You want to explain to the expert that you have an excellent reaction, and that you can brake quickly and efficiently in a risk situation, i.e. that you are a "good" driver. You also would like to point out your rich driver's experience. The expert, however, will hold against you that less than 1 percent of all drivers have offended against the traffic safety in a comparable way, and thus he does not accept your arguments. I will help you to avoid these misunderstanding. You will be able to find convincing answers for the examination without abandoning the truth.

Module 6. Phases of Life, Values and Change

How can you best make clear to the expert that you have understood what has been going wrong in your past life, your attitudes or your driving and that you have corrected these critical issues? That you have undertaken concrete and verifiable changes, and that it is important to you not only to regain your driver's license, but also to permanently keep it. In short: how can you clearly illustrate that you have learned from past mistakes? I would like to introduce to you tow possibilities which have been proven to be successful in the real-life examination: the phase model and the hierarchy of values. When I will present now a couple of examples, I would kindly ask you to only take these as a few of many options. Your situation can be totally different. No standard scheme can adequately the plurality of possible violations, the diverse life background and personalities, the own destinies. Therefore, it makes sense for me to offer you an individual counseling instead of a group package. For the necessary contents of a counseling result from concrete situation which cannot be generalized: the individual conversation is the ideal setting to understand these and to make out of them a portfolio of your very personal maturation as human being and motorist.

The phase model is perfectly suitable to focus the insights in an examination and to confront a past maldevelopment with actual changes. Often, it is possible to discover a "naive phase", where the driver is not aware of this life situation, his wrongdoings and the risk to his driver's license. He collects points, pays the fine and represses the matter. Only at the end of this phase, this carefree attitude collapses. The driver fears that he could lose his license and tries, to improve.

In a second phase which we would like to name "phase of beginning insight and failed implementation", the motorist consciously fights for this driver's license. He plans not to make himself conspicuous any more, eliminates some of his earlier mistakes, but he does not succeed to keep his resolutions with the necessary certainty. This failure usually involves several factors, e.g. mechanisms of self-betrayal, the usage of situational constraints as an excuse, or the offering of exception clauses. One also finds a subtle risk calculation and confidence in a saving lawyer, but in your case other reasons may prevail. Furthermore, it is possible that you have not been able to prevent new violations, because professional or private contextual conditions, favorable to infringements, still exist. At last, the worst-case scenario happens: you reach 8 points and lose your driver's license.

In the best case, the motorist then enters the third phase: the "phase of shock, of reflection and of new beginning". Every motorist will experience the loss of the driver's license as a shock. In the majority of cases, this loss will also carry with it an existential threat. For, if the license is expired, a new one cannot be issued before half a year in the case of points. Now, we can distinguish two developments: an unhappy and a happy one. The first one is characterized by the fact that the motorist wrestles with his fate and does everything legal in his power, to somehow obtain the license. Or he tries, with doubtful, hitherto not finally clarified chances, to get the license abroad. The happy development consists in a fresh start, a real rehabilitation. The motorist will try to obtain the license via an MPU which has been ordered. Ideally, he has undertaken an MPU counseling. Maybe friends have given him the tip to see a traffic psychologist. Or the driver's license institute has given him relevant addresses. If everything works out fine and if he now follows up with the right steps, he will use the waiting period and he will then drive again. He will understand how important the driver's license is to him, he will respect the rules more consequently than beforehand, and he will change his driving habits. He will permanently keep his license.

If you read this idealized description, you will find out that you probably belong to phase c. Exactly this understanding, this knowledge of your very personal development can be of great help in the MPU. For if you don't get stuck in singular violations, but rather, like in a puzzle, put together these instances to a big picture and thereby talk about your life experiences, you will easily convince the expert.

In the examination, you can best emphasize your positive changes by comparing the individual phases of life thereby showing how you have concretely corrected the mistakes. You will not fail to offer alternatives for exactly those aspects which have earlier been problematic, e.g. you will name understandable progress relating to you professional or private life, your assessments or your time management. I will help you to do so. Together we will find your phases of life. You will receive valuable tips how to efficiently clarify that you have implemented the necessary rethink.

One of these tips is a hierarchy of values. We will find out what has earlier been important to you (e.g. friends, going out, earning money, success). We will understand why you have therefore accumulated traffic violations. And we will realize, what counts today in your life (e.g. health, family, rehabilitation, security). If your life and your thinking have changed, you will also have new values and aims. With these you can prove why it is important to you to drive without points in the future, and why you have prospects to finally reach this aim.

Relapse Risks and Prevention Planning

The MPU usually closes with a preview of the future, i.e. with an assessment of the relapse risks and the "prevention planning". You are surely correct maintaining that this part should be inquired more prominently, but it belongs to the tradition of the examination that only once the past has thoroughly been checked, the prospects for the future can unfold. Since many clients have unfortunately again violated the traffic regulations, e.g. have thus indicated a high relapse risk, the expert will painstakingly try to find out, if you are aware of that danger resp. what you intend to do to drive without points in the future. Here, it is not sufficient to say that you have recognized your mistakes and that there will be no further offences. You have to present the foundation of your changes, i.e. your personal stability, and you have to explain in detail that necessary improvements have occurred in your life, your leisure activities, your handling of stress or your values. You also have to show that you have stopped past faults and have successfully implemented concrete avoidance strategies.

Prospects of success

Don't hold this meticulous questioning against the expert. He wants to make the right decision, e.g. he want to find out if you rank among the sincere and motivated drivers: those who have honestly worked with themselves, or if you belong to those who want to cheat their way through an MPU. If you possess the cited honesty and motivation, you are an excellent candidate for an MPU counseling. If you have completed my course, if you have studied the information of our flipchart, and if you have implemented the necessary changes in your life, then you have excellent chances of a positive expertise.

Time frame

As you can see, a reasonable counseling takes its time. It is also possible that in your case, reliability periods have to be met. Therefore it is advisable under all circumstances to make an appointment for an informative consultation. This does not oblige you to take a full counseling. You will just get early important information. You will save a painful loss of time and money, and you will know what is in front of you and what you yourself can do. It is a pleasant side effect of the counseling that with timely contact, the waiting period imposed by the court can – without extra costs – be shortened.

Therefore don't wait! Call me!
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Scope of the Counseling

The individual counseling points (MPU course) generally consists of 8 one and a half hours coachings. Sometimes more sessions are needed. This is especially the case, if in addition to the violations against traffic regulations you have committed a drunk driving, Usually the informative consultation will show, how many extra sessions are to be reckoned with. Sometimes phone calls to your driver's license office will bring clarity. I will gladly carry them out for you.

Costs of the Counseling

The individual counseling alcohol containing 8 one and a half hours coachings will cost 95 Euros per session including certification of your participation. To compensate for the effort of a first phone contact and the informative consultation, I would kindly ask you to bring 95 Euros to this first appointment. Should you later consider an optional text examination, this amount would become payable a last time.

Certificate or Participation

I know that you have to earn the money for an MPU counseling, and I want your investment to be worthwhile. I want you to profit personally from the course to be able to go into the examination with a happy and anxiety-free spirit. I also want you to be understood by the expert who shall competently assess your case from the beginning. Therefore every client will receive an individual certificate of participation which names the relevant contents of the course and aptly presents your situation. Before entering the room, the expert will be able to form a valuable impression; the frame for an understanding examination is set. Employees of your driver's license office appreciate such a certificate, since it enables them to quickly justify a new examination, in case a negative one has already been issued.

Don't let this happen! Act in time! Call me and arrange an appointment for a first informative consultation. You will then know what you have to do to regain your driver's license with high probability.

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