"CLOSER TO LIBERTY OF ACTION"
GESTALT THERAPY
In short, Gestalt therapy is about contact and awareness. Awareness is often referred to as Mindfulness these days. We accumulate our bumps in life through contact with others or by the lack of contact with others. Gestalt therapy focuses on becoming aware of the process of making, avoiding, and breaking contact. This is why Gestalt therapy is also known as the psychotherapy of contact. The "how" takes precedence over the "what" or "why" (the content). Our body is an important guide in this. Only when I become aware of my hand balling into a fist can I explore what that means for me. It’s not about what is right or wrong, because who should determine that? It’s about how I experience it, in the here and now. And in the here and now, unfinished matters from the past can come to the foreground. Yes, often from our childhood, but also from last year or even yesterday. And in the here and now, I can talk about it, experiment with it, fantasize about it, and once again experience how it feels for me.
Gestalt therapy is an experiential therapy. From experience and awareness, the possibility opens up to make different choices. And again, to experiment with those choices, starting in the safe environment of the therapy room, in order to become experientially self-aware.
Gestalt therapy is also a relational therapy. The contact between the client and therapist, in the here and now, is essential. There is an interaction, a dialogue, where the client is, of course, at the center. The therapist may, when necessary, bring in awareness or share experiences.
We cannot be isolated from our context, even though we may sometimes wish to be. Pausing to reflect on how I relate to others, to situations, and experiencing how it feels for me—with the temporary help of a Gestalt therapist—naturally brings me into motion; inward and outward. And the direction and speed are determined by me. Support, herkenning en erkenning zijn voor mij de pijlers van de therapie. It takes courage to be able to change.
MY PRACTICE
Individual Therapy
Are you feeling out of sorts, insecure, unsure of what you want, or is your body protesting? These are all familiar challenges that can significantly disrupt your life. In a clear and focused one-on-one setting, you have the space to share, reflect on your feelings, explore, experiment, and prepare to carry your new experiences into the 'outside world.'
Relationship Therapy
When a relationship (of any kind) is struggling, you have three options: muddle through, break it off, or investigate. In these sessions, the focus is on relearning how to understand each other, expressing your desires, and valuing your differences. Relationship therapy does not guarantee the resolution of conflicts but does ensure authenticity in your interactions. It’s available for couples, as well as siblings, parent-child relationships, and more. I offer relationship therapy together with my colleague Madeleine Maurick (Gestalt Practice Amsterdam).
Learning in a Group
A group is a microcosm of society. It encompasses everything: connection, humor, confrontation, disappointment, joy, and more. There will be people you like and others you may find challenging. If, for example, you struggle to ask for attention, this will also come up in a group setting. You experience firsthand what it does to you and what you can or cannot do. You learn with and from one another in a direct but relatively safe environment. A group possesses greater wisdom than the facilitator alone.
Learning in an Organization
An organization, at its core, is about people. One of the key pillars of any organization is contact. Contact goes beyond mere communication—it’s about respect, generosity, courage, commonalities, and differences. And this is often where things go wrong: between departments, between leadership and staff, between management and specialists, and so on.
When we can openly discuss these dynamics, energy is brought back into the organization. People naturally want to belong to an organization where they matter.
Many people have recurring themes in their lives: relationships, money, fear, mother-daughter dynamics, shame, and so on. These themes can occupy a lot of mental and emotional space. It’s no coincidence that many writers build their entire careers around exploring a single recurring theme.
Through exercises and discussions, we examine your beliefs and desires. Perhaps certain issues can be resolved, creating space for something new. "Whatever receives attention grows." ‘Alles wat aandacht krijgt, groeit.’
I am affiliated with the NVAGT and EAGT professional associations.
“WHAT MOVES ME AND WHAT MOVES YOU"