Centre Sésames

What Centre Sésames does

Centre Sésames is a Swiss limited liability company (Sàrl Centre Sésames) founded in 2016 and headquartered in Ferreyres, Vaud. It operates a multi-site clinical practice delivering brief systemic and strategic therapy based on the Palo Alto school approach, alongside professional training, supervision, and anti-bullying workshops. Its therapeutic methodology centres on present-moment problem resolution using the proprietary 180-degree intervention model, Scarlaccini and Nardone protocols, and a deliberate non-labeling stance versus psychiatric diagnosis. Average therapy duration is 5-10 sessions, materially shorter than conventional psychotherapy.

The company runs seven physical consultation centres across French-speaking Switzerland (Ferreyres, Geneva, Lausanne, Bevaix, Sierre, Delémont, and Fribourg) plus online visioconference services that now extend into Italian-speaking Switzerland (Ticino/Bellinzona). Its product portfolio spans individual and walking therapy sessions (CHF 120-140 per session), supervision services (CHF 90-540 per bundle), multi-day certification training programs (CHF 750-2,700), anti-bullying workshops (CHF 270 for three sessions), video-based courses, and a co-authored book 'Nos enfants sous microscope' developed in partnership with Emmanuelle Piquet's Centre A180 degrés in France. Therapy consultations may be covered by Swiss basic health insurance (LAMal) under FSP/Féd tariff when medically prescribed.

Revenue is generated through a mix of unit-priced B2C consultations, professional services for supervision, and one-time license training fees, distributed directly via the centre-sesames.ch website, a Perfactive online booking platform, public conferences, and field sales into schools, healthcare facilities, and educational institutions. The team is small (approximately six staff including co-founders Alessandro and Vanessa Elia and a bench of trainers, supervisors, and associated practitioners), and there is no disclosed institutional investment or venture funding.

Name

Centre Sésames

Legal name

Sàrl Centre Sésames

Website

https://centre-sesames.ch

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Centre Sésames is a Swiss therapy and training centre that delivers brief systemic Palo Alto school therapy, professional certification, supervision, and anti-bullying workshops across seven Swiss Romandy locations and Italian-speaking Switzerland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Psychotherapy Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialized Programs & Classrooms (Autism, Emotional/Behavioral, Intellectual/Developmental, Multi-Disability) (EDAJAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

After-School Academic Support Programs (Centers & Clubs) (EDAJALAM), Special Education & Learning Differences Learning Centers (Dyslexia/ADHD/IEP Support) (EDANAHAJ)

Keywords

• Brief systemic therapy
• Professional therapy training
• Clinical supervision services
• Anti-bullying workshops
• Walk-and-talk therapy

Headquarters

HQ city

Ferreyres

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Therapy Consultations: Individual therapy sessions lasting 60 minutes, offered at multiple locations in Switzerland and via visioconference. Pricing varies by location (CHF 120-140 per session). Psychotherapeutic consultations covered by basic health insurance (LAMal) with medical prescription.
2. Professional Training Programs: Certification programs, workshops, and seminars for professionals in education, therapy, and corporate sectors. Includes 10-day certification programs, video-based courses, and single-day workshops.
3. Supervision Services: Individual and group supervision for professionals. Individual sessions at CHF 130-110 per hour, group supervision series at CHF 540 for 6 sessions, or CHF 90 per individual 2-hour session.
4. Public Workshops: Anti-bullying workshops for children (9-12 years) and adolescents (13-15 years), priced at CHF 270 for 3 sessions including parent session.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Centre Sésames is a Swiss psychotherapy and training center that delivers brief systemic strategic therapy rooted in the Palo Alto School tradition, primarily through 5–10 session interventions. It complements this therapy practice with certified professional training programs, clinical supervision services, anti-bullying workshops branded as Ateliers Répartite, walk-and-talk therapy sessions, and public-facing conferences and media content.

Product overview

Centre Sésames is a Swiss therapy center specializing in brief systemic strategic therapy according to the Palo Alto school approach. The center offers a multi-product portfolio comprising in-person and remote consultation services (including walk-and-talk therapy), professional training and certification programs (including video-based courses and multi-day workshops), individual and group supervision services, anti-bullying workshops for children and adolescents, public educational lectures, and published works on therapeutic approaches. The core offering centers on therapy sessions averaging 5-10 meetings, supplemented by continuing education for professionals in school/educational, therapeutic/clinical, and business contexts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Consultations thérapeutiques individuelles Brief systemic strategic therapy sessions based on the Palo Alto School approach for individual adults (and couples), delivered on an appointment basis at the practice's offices.
• La Thérapie en Marchant Outdoor walking-and-talking therapy sessions conducted in nature, applying the practice's brief systemic strategic therapy approach for clients who prefer non-office settings.
• Consultations par visioconférence Remote brief systemic strategic therapy sessions delivered via secure videoconference for clients who cannot or prefer not to attend in person.
• Formation en thérapie brève stratégique et systémique Multi-year certified training program (formation) in Palo Alto-style brief systemic strategic therapy for psychotherapists, psychologists, nurses, and social workers, structured into progressive certification cycles.
• Supervisions individuelles et en groupe Ongoing clinical supervision provided by Centre Sésames founders and senior practitioners to therapists, available in individual and group formats, with discounted fees for former training program graduates.
• Ateliers Répartite Structured anti-bullying workshop program addressing relational violence and bullying, delivered on-site to children, adolescents, parents, and school staff in educational institutions.
• Conférences publiques Public-facing lectures and conferences led by Centre Sésames practitioners on topics related to brief systemic therapy, parenting, and relational dynamics.
• Capsules vidéo de formation Short video-based training capsules produced by Centre Sésames practitioners to disseminate brief systemic strategic therapy concepts to professionals and the public.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average therapy duration of 5-10 sessions
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Centre A180 degrés (France)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose collaboration with Emmanuelle Piquet and her team from Centre A180 degrés in France. This partnership provides access to cutting-edge brief systemic therapy methodologies and enables knowledge sharing in the Palo Alto approach. The collaboration includes co-authored publications such as 'Nos enfants sous microscope' addressing psychiatric diagnosis in children.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Schulpsychologischer Dienst Kanton Bern: Cantonal school psychology service for the Canton of Bern, providing psychological assessment and support within the public school system. A regional institutional peer operating in the same school-child mental health space as Centre Sésames' K-12 programs and anti-bullying workshops.

Broad incumbents

• Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie (SGPP): Swiss professional society for psychiatrists and psychotherapists, setting standards and tariffs for psychotherapy practice in Switzerland (including the FSP/Fed LAMal tariff). Relevant institutional peer for Centre Sésames' licensed psychotherapy positioning.
• Mental Research Institute (MRI): The originating institution of the Palo Alto school of brief therapy (Watzlawick, Weakland, Fisch). MRI is the historical and methodological parent of Centre Sésames' therapeutic approach, now focused on training, research, and dissemination rather than direct clinical practice.
• Pädagogische Hochschule Bern (PHBern): Swiss teacher training university providing professional development and continuing education for educators across cantons. Comparable to Centre Sésames' school-focused training programs that target teachers, school psychologists, and education administrators.
• Pro Juventute: Switzerland's leading youth welfare organization, operating programs on bullying prevention, parenting support, and adolescent mental health across Swiss cantons. A comparable Swiss entity for the youth-focused and anti-bullying workshop segments of Centre Sésames' work.

Direct peers

• The Ackerman Institute for the Family: New York-based institute combining family therapy clinical practice with professional training and supervision. Directly comparable to Centre Sésames' dual model of systemic therapy services plus B2B training programs for practitioners and educators.
• Centre A180 degrés: Founded by Emmanuelle Piquet in France, Centre A180 degrés is the closest methodological peer to Centre Sésames and is explicitly named as a strategic partner. It applies the same Palo Alto brief therapy model and shares the founders' anti-bullying work, including co-authorship of 'Nos enfants sous microscope'.
• Centro de Terapia Estratégica (México): Nardone-affiliated brief strategic therapy center in Mexico applying the same Palo Alto-derived model as Centre Sésames. Comparable as a regional center translating the strategic brief therapy methodology into local-language clinical practice, training, and supervision services.
• The Family Institute at California State University, East Bay: Berkeley-based institute combining brief systemic family therapy clinical practice with training and supervision for therapists. Directly comparable in combining direct clinical services with B2B professional development in a brief systemic therapy tradition.
• Centro di Terapia Strategica di Arezzo: Giorgio Nardone's flagship center in Arezzo, Italy, applying strategic brief therapy in the Palo Alto tradition. Centre Sésames directly collaborates with Piera Malagola, an official researcher and senior lecturer at this center, who delivers training and supervision in Switzerland.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centre-s%C3%A9sames

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Centre Sésames