My Story

My professional journey in the field of training therapist resilience started in 2018, when I attended a workshop on burnout in therapists, organized by my beloved colleague Susan Simpson. Since then we started to share our interest in this field for some years. Tight workings schedules has made it difficult to organise regular events together. Therefore we had to decide to concentrate on our personal journeys. And take it up from here. 

Since 2025 I mostly train healthcare professionals in the Netherlands to get more resilient. And I am available for 1-1 supervision, online or in person. Language Dutch or English.

Susan is currently quite active in the field of eating disorders, brain spotting, nature therapy and burnout. With her researchproject on burnout in therapists she has inspired me greatly in my current work. The secure base of my work within the Schematherapy model is her legacy. Here you can read more about her work:  https://www.schematherapyscotland.com 

With her researchproject on burnout in therapists she has inspired me greatly in my current work. The secure base of my work within the Schematherapy model is her legacy.

My personal journey started on a much younger age, as you can read here: 

Let’s take you on my journey..

When I was a 10-year-old child, I loved ballet, but I discovered that my toes had the habit of pointing upwards, even during resting ground poses. Instead of teaching me to be more connected with my body’s capacity to rest and let-go of tension, my teacher simply pressed my toes towards the floor.

This story represents a recurrent theme in my life since then: ‘how to bring my body to a state of rest and calmness by letting go. ‘

In my adult life there have been 2 major events that have led to a loss of connection between my body and mind: In 2009 I became seriously ill with a life-threatening illness, a few weeks before I was about to give birth to my daughter. Later, in 2017, I experienced severe concussion, following a car accident.  

THE lessons I learned: to always keep an eye on the signals my body is giving me; and taking time to ‘listen’ to my body, to help me to understand the signs of stress and take good care of myself.

My journey towards becoming a healthier professional started in 2009. And I can honestly state that I have succeeded in gaining greater balance and equanimity in my life. Stress is part of my day-to-day life, but taking good care of it, keeps or brings me back to the well-balanced track.  Over and over again.

‘Owning’ our life story, a ‘hidden gem’ for therapists 

It is my vast belief we can all benefit from understanding our own life stories. By working on our own ‘stuff’, we are creating the bedrock that enables us to effectively assist others with their mental wellbeing. We really need to know ourselves inside out, including the key life patterns that have brought us to this point in our journeys – our vulnerabilities, our struggles, and our schemas. We need to be deeply grounded and to create a solid foundation for ourselves before we can truly blossom into our authentic selves.

Collaborations

Relevant Publications