Hello! 

My background and life path seem to resemble a patchwork quilt. I hold degrees in psychology&linguistics and in Arabic and Islamic Studies; I moved cities and countries more times than I can count on 2 hands; and, I work(ed) as a diplomat in the Middle East, as a modern art communications advisor in Portugal, as a surgical assistant and anxiety coach in specialized dentistry and as a coach in mental health care. No matter how differentiated these choices and occupations might seem, there is a common denominator in all: human behavior, and then specifically interesting to me, the way in which we as homo sapiens are motivated, how we perceive life and the world, how we care for ourselves, how we deal with our pain and fears and how we relate to the ups and downs in our lives. 

Long term behavior change is incredibly difficult. In my coaching, I focus on structural and sustainable behavioral pattern changes through on the one hand deep self exploration and insight combined with sincere and strong self care on the other. 

In my opinion, people often resort to (short term) symptom relief and what I call “BandAid strategies” instead of fundamental change in both the short and the long run. Doing the latter, requires guts, commitment, perseverance and hard work.

I help people

• that have experiences of stress, anxiety, panic, poor sleep, lack of energy, a sense of emptiness, numbness or feeling completely overwhelmed

• that are stuck in unhealthy behavior patterns, see life as a ratrace, feel they have lost true connection with themselves and/or others, get stuck in doubts, cannot relax or enjoy and experience their life energy blocked or a lack of flow 

to 

find their sense of self/their inner north star (Polaris) again so that they can make balanced life choices consciously shifting between action and relaxation, so that they have a charged mental and physical battery, so that they feel connected to themselves and the world around them, and so that they feel their life energy flowing again. 

I do not believe that one size fits all and I do not endorse BandAid short relief moments. Therefore, I generally work with trajectories of 5 sessions 1:1. After an initial assessment, every session is custom made using the breath as a core principle combining that with (elements from) mindfulness and Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, bodywork, and the Enneagram, providing deep self insight together with hands-on tools for daily life. 

Added to 1:1 trajectories, I also do single specialized consults on demand, breathwork massages, group sessions, workshops and retreats, and I provide corporate training in both Dutch and English.