David Zimmermann

David Zimmermann is a W3 Professor at the Institute for Rehabilitation Sciences at Humboldt University of Berlin, specializing in Pedagogy for Psychosocial Impairments. His research focuses on trauma education, psychoanalytic pedagogy, and educational professionalization, particularly in contexts involving traumatized children and adolescents, migration, and juvenile correctional institutions. He leads the department of Education for Psychosocial Disabilities and has directed major projects like AdAPD (Adaptive Affect Regulation) and Pedagogical Relationships in Juvenile Correctional Institutions.

Zimmermann's work bridges theory and practice through deep hermeneutics and psychoanalytic supervision, addressing teacher-student dynamics in high-stress classrooms. He has collaborated with institutions such as the Berlin Senate Department of Justice and the Federal Office for Migration, and co-founded the Institute for Trauma Education Berlin. His teaching areas include trauma-informed pedagogy, reflexive professionalization, and educational practices in penal systems.

Recent publications emphasize neurodiversity in educational discourse, racist discrimination as traumatic processes, and psychoanalytic approaches to juvenile corrections. His editorial roles include the journals psychosozial and Trauma - Culture - Society, and he has contributed to monographs like Traumatized Children and Adolescents in the Classroom (2nd ed., 2025). Zimmermann's research integrates qualitative case studies, multilevel analyses, and cross-institutional collaborations.