After G&G-Aus
At 44, Nicole Berchtold is back at school
Specialist literature instead of a TV camera: On Monday, SRF presenter Nicole Berchtold (44) said goodbye to “Faces and Stories”. Now she’s studying for her master’s degree in psychology. It is never too late to break new ground.
Published: 07/01/2022 at 00:32
Nicole Berchtold has had an eventful week: on Monday she said goodbye to the show “Faces and Stories” in tears. Tonight (SRF 1, 8:05 p.m.) she presents the finale of the “Country Women’s Kitchen”. At the same time she is going back to university – at the age of 44. In the 9th semester she is studying for a master’s degree in psychology. «This field has always fascinated me. My father, as a psychologist, probably influenced me a bit here,” she explains Blick.
Berchtold explains her tears
So far, she has traveled from Bern to Zurich three times a week for the “G & G” show, and she is also studying for her master’s degree – that would have been too much.
Is there perhaps an explanation for why she cried on TV on Monday? Berchtold says with a smile: “Oh, in moments like this I’m not just close to the water, I’m built in it.” Crying is one of the most primal things human beings can do. “It’s an important way of showing our emotions, it reduces stress, cleanses the soul and can bring back our positive feelings,” she says.
As a former kindergarten teacher, she learned a lot regarding child and adolescent psychology. “It’s a very interesting area, which is not least why I did my internship two years ago at the educational counseling center in Biel,” she explains her plans. But she is also interested in health psychology. “I see a great need for action here, especially now in the post-corona period.”
Cooking also helps the psyche
With a view to the final of the “Country Women’s Kitchen”, she says: “Whoever cooks a lot does good for the psyche.” 95 percent of the hormone serotonin, which has a positive effect on mood, is produced in our intestines. “There are even cooking therapies that help with depression, phobias or other problems,” she says.
And how does she keep herself mentally fit? “A stable family, regular exercise, enough sleep, personal fulfillment in everyday life, no alcohol and fresh food are a good basis for a healthy life for me,” says Berchtold.
So far she herself has not had to seek any psychological help, “but of course I would use this joker if it were necessary. It is a strength if you can deal with your weaknesses and get help accordingly,” says the future psychologist.