Welcome, my name is Marjolein

Body-oriented Therapist & Coach

I am a certified Somatic Therapist and help people to improve their relationships both with themselves and with others. This I do in the fields of intimacy, sexuality, stress, trauma and burn-out.

In the last 20 years I gained experience as a journalist, interviewer, writer, communication advisor, trainer and teacher of intimacy workshops. All of my knowledge and experience now comes to its full potential in the capacity of Therapist and Coach.

“Everything starts with desire” is my conviction.

Since I’m able to get in touch with what I really want, I act accordingly and my life is much more beautiful. I wish the same for you. 

I would like to help you to find out what it is you are longing for. It can be a desire for your working life, for your loving relationship(s), for the relationship with yourself or your family, or for your vision of the future. It’s about discovering the area in which you limit yourself and why you do so. In order to subsequently remove barriers or overcome thresholds. The goal is a life filled with more happiness, love, pleasure, fulfillment or success. 

My values: what I find important

To work on your own growth, it is essential to be open, honest and sometimes vulnerable. I appreciate that you don’t do that lightly. A sense of trust and safety is very important. That is why I am fully committed to providing a safe space for you, with everything you bring to the table.

• We will build up trust by gradually becoming acquainted with each other. The sessions are centred around you, but you’re always free to ask me personal questions if that helps you feel more comfortable with me.
• We work at your pace. I will not ‘push’ you. During the sessions, I will regularly offer suggestions or invite you to participate in an exercise. You will then decide whether you want to participate or not. Your desires and boundaries are leading.
• Curiosity is key. Everything that comes up, is welcome. We observe it and examine it. As neutrally as we possibly can. I will not pass judgement, but ask unprejudiced questions and listen carefully to what you’re thinking and feeling. 
• You are welcome regardless of your gender, your religious or philosophical beliefs, your sexual preferences and your relational preferences. I enjoy working with people from all walks of life. 

My journey

The connection with others is what drives me. Talking to people, enquiring about them, listening to them and wanting to understand them. From a very young age, others noticed my curiosity and eagerness to learn. After some detours, it resulted in my working as a freelance journalist. I especially found interviewing, analysing and establishing new connections fascinating. As well as all the material and people I came into contact with. My curiosity was being satisfied. Since I wanted to continue to develop, I chose to work as a Communications Adviser. And I still do. There, too, the connection with people plays a central role.

In my private life, I have been exploring various forms of intimacy for a long time. Be it the human need for a good conversation, for recognition on the job, for touch or for a profound conversation filled with empathy. We humans cannot live without relationships and intimacy. Furthermore, I have been fascinated by sexuality since I was a teenager. What role it may play in people’s lives; what people may do with their sexual energy; how their preferences may develop; and what about their needs and boundaries? I discuss it with my nearest and dearest, I read books about it and I attended many workshops. That is how I got to know myself and others a lot better. It creates new connections, enjoyment and a sense of liberation and empowerment. 

For over 10 years now, I have been providing workshops and private lessons to couples who want to expand and improve their intimacy and sexuality. The profound self-awareness and empowerment that my voyage of discovery brought me has been so valuable to me that I wanted to introduce this same potential to other people too. The development and the growth that people go through during the processes that I guide, are a profound motivation for me. It brings me fulfilment. 

I also experience a high level of fulfilment being a coach. It’s wonderful to guide people and to see how they deepen their contact with themselves. And to see that the more they dare to feel where their desire lies, the more they will choose to be true to themselves and what is right for them. This may affect them in their private lives, in their personal relationships, but also in their working lives. I watch as they become more comfortable in their own skin, experience greater internal balance and are able to connect more deeply with their world around them. It turns out to be very helpful that in my way of guiding, besides the head (psyche and cognition), the body (body sensations and emotions) also plays a central role. 

My life’s journey has led me to now have a healthy internal balance and feel a strong connection with the people around me. But it has taken a lot to get here. I dare say that I am a hard worker. Someone who likes to do things properly, likes to do a lot, and derives self-worth from that. This pattern was established at an early age. It has brought me a lot. Absolutely. But it also resulted in a deep burnout, after two decades of hard work. I decided not to carry on in the same way, but to examine my patterns and convictions. To listen to my emotions and my body’s signals better. I subsequently rearranged my life and I now set my priorities in a different way. Much has changed. Especially internally. I am not exaggerating when I use the term transformation. I transformed. On a deep level. And I now feel very clearly how my own journey and experience better equip me to guide others on theirs.

Interests of mine

I have immersed myself in these subjects out of personal interest:

burnout and recovery; leadership; the workings of the nervous system; co-regulation and self-regulation; high-sensitivity; addiction; various forms of bodywork; stress and tension release; somatic wisdom; meditation; mindfulness; Iyengar yoga; (developmental) trauma; attachment patterns; internal family systems (IFS); inner child work; transactional analysis; emotional literacy; shadow work; from self-rejection to self-acceptance and self-love; wishes, needs and boundaries; authentic sexual expression; alternative sexuality (such as tantra and bdsm); various forms of relationships (monogamy, polyamory, open relationship); didactics; group dynamics; non-violent communication and entrepreneurship.

Besides that, I love nature, cats and healthy tasty food. Oh, and I love a good laugh!

Contact me directly