Sergey Spetschinsky, Ph.D

Advanced Writing & Thinking Services

I am a writer, structural editor and coach and facilitator for both thinking and writing.

Berlin-based, I hold a doctorate in philosophy and have 10+ years of professional experience working across English, French and German.

By trade, I am a narration, text, and thought expert: I design and restructure intellectual and narrative systems, aiming to make them sound and compelling.

But at heart, I am a thinking partner for hire, and flexibility is my core asset. Taking into account your specific context, needs, and challenges, I adopt your perspective to help you reach your goals.

I enjoy meeting people and discovering their context. Each collaboration comes with a new set of stories that I get to discover, and that is what keeps me interested in my work.

I see intellectual caregiving as the core of my work: I treat ideas and words as beings in need of nurturance, so as they can thrive.

And that is why I approach every new project with a simple question:

"How can I help?"

What Do I Do?

Writing

I write at all stages and for all types of projects:

  • Reports, white papers, policy briefs, and briefing materials
  • Strategic and funding proposals
  • Strategic plans, institutional positioning, and board materials
  • Annual reports, impact reports, and case studies
  • Evaluations and assessment reports
  • Speeches, keynotes, and public interventions
  • Articles, essays, op-eds, and commentaries
  • Books and long-form manuscripts
  • Research papers and academic publications
  • Exhibition and curatorial texts
Structural Editing

I specialize in the high-level editing of idea-driven texts (Developmental and Substantive Editing). I work collaboratively with authors and teams, taking on projects at every stage of completion—from early drafts to near-final manuscripts.

I help you:

  • Restructure and reorganize for clearer logic and argumentation
  • Cut and synthesize overwritten or sprawling drafts
  • Unify multi-author or fragmented documents
  • Strengthen coherence, tone, and flow
  • Refine expression and voice
Coaching for Writing

I support individuals and teams working on high-stakes writing projects and facing tight deadlines.

I help you:

  • Clarify core message, goals, structure, and direction
  • Work through drafts together with developmental feedback
  • Identify and address what's blocking progress
  • Break down overwhelming projects into manageable steps
  • Navigate perfectionism and revision loops
  • Maintain accountability and momentum through completion
Thought Coaching

I accompany individuals and teams in moments of conceptual or strategic uncertainty—when ideas are confused, directions are unclear and priorities need sorting.

I help you clarify:

  • Goals, priorities, and what realistically needs to happen
  • What you know, what's uncertain, and what still needs understanding
  • Key messages and how to communicate them
  • Concrete actions, sequence, and next steps

My approach combines structured dialogue, Socratic questioning, perspective and scale shifting, and strategic synthesis.

What Can I Do For You?

Examples of Services by Industry

Each collaboration begins with attentive listening and ends with a clear, coherent text or plan. In all contexts, I combine writing, editing, and strategic facilitation: helping clients think, decide, and communicate more clearly.

For Think Tanks, Research Institutes & Policy Centers
  • Policy and position papers, reports and policy briefs
  • Multi-format outputs from research — Adapting analysis for different audiences: briefs for policymakers, op-eds, technical summaries, funder narratives.
  • Internal and external institutional positioning documents
  • Cross content in European and international contexts — Working in English, French, and German for different national and international-level audiences.
  • Institutional facilitation — Defining core messages and communication priorities through structured sessions.
For Universities, Academics & Researchers
  • Grant proposals
  • Research reports, strategic documents, and program documentation
  • Conference proceedings and workshop synthesis
  • Research translation for broader audiences — Adapting research for public policy outreach or communication and engagement.
  • Multi-author publications and editorial support
  • Strategic facilitation for individuals and research units — Running sessions to clarify research identity, goals and collaborative directions.
For Ethics Boards & Science-Policy Organizations
  • Ethics frameworks for emerging technologies
  • Advisory reports and recommendations
  • Cross-institutional research proposals
  • Scenario planning documents
  • Science-policy and public communication — Converting technical research and frameworks into formats for policymakers and broader public understanding.
  • Technological landscape analyses and field reviews
  • Multi-stakeholder and trans-disciplinary facilitation — Running structured sessions with scientists, ethicists, and policymakers.
For Foundations & Stiftungen
  • Impact narratives and reports
  • Theories of change and program frameworks
  • Grantmaking frameworks and funding rationales
  • Strategic documents and positioning materials
  • Multi-stakeholder convening papers
  • Strategic facilitation for leadership
For International & Intergovernmental Organizations
  • Program strategy papers and institutional narratives
  • Policy and guidance documents
  • Multi-office synthesis and harmonization
  • Cross-linguistic adaptation — Working across English, French, and German.
  • Support for speeches and public interventions
  • Strategic facilitation for interdepartmental alignment
For NGOs & Civil Society Organizations
  • Advocacy materials and policy positioning — Translating grassroots work into policy briefs and advocacy documents.
  • Impact narratives, annual reports, and funding proposals
  • Campaign materials and public communications
  • Strategic clarity and mission articulation
  • Multi-stakeholder convening documentation and strategic facilitation
  • Cross-border and multilingual coordination — Working across English, French, and German contexts.
For Consulting Firms & Professional Services
  • Thought leadership articles, white papers, and research reports
  • Client-facing proposals and pitch materials
  • Practice area narratives and positioning
  • Conference presentations and keynote speeches
  • Case studies and project narratives
  • Internal knowledge synthesis — Organizing insights into frameworks.
  • Strategic facilitation for positioning and messaging
For Private Sector & Creative Professionals
  • Thought leadership articles, essays, and white papers
  • Books and book-length manuscripts
  • Company mission, values, and positioning narratives
  • Keynote speeches and conference presentations
  • Strategic storytelling for pivots and transitions
  • Leadership narratives and executive positioning
  • Executive strategic reflection and facilitation
For Cultural & Arts Organizations
  • Exhibition texts and curatorial statements
  • Annual reports, funding proposals, and grant applications
  • Strategic plans and institutional positioning
  • Speeches and public addresses
  • Program documentation and artist materials
  • Cross-linguistic materials and multilingual coordination — Working across English, French, and German.
  • Mission alignment workshops
For Artists, Writers & Independent Thinkers
  • Essays, artist books, and memoirs — Writing, co-developing, or providing developmental editing for book-length projects from concept to manuscript, including structural reorganization and conceptual clarification.
  • Artist statements and portfolio materials
  • Grant applications for creative projects
  • Philosophical and conceptual articulation support — Helping articulate the ideas, themes, and intentions behind artistic or intellectual work.
  • Creative facilitation and project reframing — Running sessions to help clarify artistic direction, resolve creative blocks, or reframe work during transitions.

How Do I Do It?

My Skills
Curiosity & Intellectual Empathy

I am genuinely interested in people and their context, and that is always what carries me at the onset of every project. I first focus on entering your worldview through the tools of active listening, outcome-oriented communication, and Socratic questioning. It is only after understanding your ideas and challenges from within that I can maximize the effect of my own expertise.

Critical Thinking Expertise

As a philosophy Ph.D, I am an intellectual Swiss army knife: I am an expert in critical thinking, no matter the field. My trade is logical, conceptual, and narrative consistency, and that is what I seek in every situation. This is what enables me to quickly and flexibly engage with intellectual and practical problems across domains—including those I know little about.

Central parts of my toolkit are: systematic questioning (interrogating all assumptions anew), systemic analysis (always seeing problems as part of a greater system), perspective shifting (seeing things from the viewpoint of different stakeholders and interests) and scale-shifting (from micro to macro and back).

Generalist & Transdisciplinary Identity

I am a true generalist with broad, eclectic knowledge, having worked in many different professional fields, which supports my approach to any problem. This makes me particularly efficient in multi- and trans-disciplinary situations, where complex problems overlapping different realms of knowledge and interests are at stake.

Research Approach

When necessary, I ground my work in rigorous fact-checking, evidence-based argumentation, and engagement with scientific sources and debates. My academic background allows me to produce work that can withstand scrutiny from experts.

Style & Storytelling

I aim to produce writing that is simple, clear, and graspable, making complex ideas accessible without oversimplifying them. When required, I can shape narratives that connect on a human level—stories that engage readers emotionally and persuasively, not just intellectually.

Multilingual & Cosmopolitan Perspectives

I work fluently across English, French, and German—both linguistically and culturally. My cosmopolitan background—shaped by familial migration, personal expatriation, and lifelong multilingual and cross-cultural experiences—allows me to adapt naturally to new cultural and linguistic contexts.

Bridge Building & Transversal Thinking

I am a transversal thinker: I build bridges across contexts that do not seem to belong together, and that is often how I solve problems. This makes me a transdisciplinary expert, but not only: I am adept at creating meaning through any kind of connection—between fields, disciplines, ideas, stories, problems, perspectives, lived experiences, or people.

What are my Values?

Code of Ethics
  • I commit to work in service of the client's perspective, helping their projects advance within their own framework.
  • I commit to trying my best to help.
  • I commit to providing honest counsel, even when it means challenging aspects of a project.
  • I commit to disclosing upfront if I am unable to help a client effectively, to avoid wasting time or resources.
  • I follow a strict code of confidentiality.
  • I commit to the experienced and critical use of AI tools to improve quality and efficiency, allowing me to focus on areas where my expertise is most impactful.
  • I do not take on projects that require advanced technical, mathematical, legal, or specialized knowledge beyond my field of expertise.

Book a Free Consultation

Before committing to any collaboration, let's make sure we're aligned — and that I can genuinely help.

Book a free video call, and we'll talk through what you're working on.

After we meet, I'll send you a short written assessment that includes:

Think of it as a thinking session with a follow-up roadmap — even if we do not end up working together, you'll at least leave with a fresh outside specialist perspective.

Write to me, including a short explanation of the situation at hand, and we will schedule a call.