Relationship Therapy & Couple Counselling

You want to live in freedom and loving connection. Not limited by stress, trauma or your history.

You love each other but find yourself stuck in your relationship or intimate life. Or you're having recurring clashes.

You long for more connection and intimate touch so that love can flow freely. Or would like guidance in opening up your relationship and handling the challenges associated with non-monogamy.

It may be great to enlist the help of a professional, who will be there to help clarify the areas in which you are struggling. And who will provide tools to relate in a constructive way.

I offer trauma-sensitive body-oriented relationship therapy and couples coaching. Practically, this means: we combine talking and analysing with connecting with the body, feelings and emotions. We translate this into concrete practical steps.

We will examine what you are truly longing for. And how you can achieve that within your relationship. In loving connection.

You're welcome to bring counselling questions around themes such as intimacy and sexuality; emotions, triggers and conflict management; desires, boundaries and consent; and different relationship forms (non-monogamy).

    • Are you looking to invest in your intimacy so that you experience a feeling of closeness, security and deep emotional connection?

    • Has your sex life become somewhat stagnant and are you longing for more pleasure and enjoyment?

    • Do you want to learn more about how your bodies and sexual bodies work, and how to touch each other in a pleasurable way?

    • Have either of you experienced unpleasant sexual experiences and does that occasionally interfere with your sexual intimacy?

    • Are you experiencing different sexual needs or a difference in your desire to have sex?

    • Do you encounter obstacles such as pain during intercourse, difficulty getting or keeping an erection, reaching orgasm (too) quickly or with difficulty?

    • Are you having recurring disagreements and not succeeding in working things out together?

    • Do you regularly feel not seen or heard within your relationship and want to change this?

    • Do you have trouble feeling, expressing or controlling your emotions?

    • Are you running into triggers or traumatic experiences that affect your relationship?

    • Would you like to understand why you react to each other the way you do and discover how it can be done differently?

    • Would you like to learn more about consent and attunement, and how to apply this in your relationship(s)?

    • Are your wants and needs different and are you finding it difficult to match each other in them?

    • Do you find it challenging to get in touch with your own desires and boundaries, and share them in an effective manner with your partner(s)?

    • Does one of you have experience with transgressive behaviour and does this sometimes hinder your connection with each other?

    • Have you been considering opening your relationship and would you like to explore which form of relationship suits you best?

    • Have you already started to open relationship and want guidance on how to go about it properly?

    • Are you experiencing challenges within your polyamorous or open relationship, such as jealousy, insecurity or communication issues?

    • Are you longing for a safe and trusting relationship, in which you can also allow each other freedom?

Everything is welcome!

Many of my clients come to me because previous psychologists or coaches were unable to talk about certain preferences or orientations without judgement and with ease.

With me, you are allowed to talk, think and experience openly and freely. I will listen to both of you and ask you questions, to clarify the areas of concern. And to put into concrete terms what you long for and where you intend to shift. By doing so, you will gain insights. Together, we work on tangible actions that will help your relationship grow further. Think of it as a guided exploration.

My attitude is: curious, non-judgmental and action-oriented.

I deliver tailored guidance, attuned to your specific needs.

Relationship Therapy

  • We combine thinking (cognitive insight) with feeling (awareness of physical sensations and emotions). We work at your pace and within your limits. We will talk and when helpful do exercises and explorations.

    My aim is to provide a safe space, without judgements and full of curiosity. Everything can be discussed and is welcome.

    We start with an intake session. We then go into your request for help and your backgrounds and we formulate the desired positive outcome you both want to work towards. We also agree on how we want to work together.

    During the follow-up sessions, we address your issue. For example, we meet every 2 weeks for a 1.5-hour session. This can be done online or in my practice in Amersfoort.

  • You are welcome as a couple in twos. Also, if you are non-monogamous and there are several partners, they are also welcome to come along to the sessions occasionally or always.

    This is bespoke and we would discuss this in advance. An adjusted rate is applicable.

    • You discover your behavioural patterns: how you react to each other and why

    • You make contact with your needs, wishes, desires and boundaries and practice how to share these clearly with each other

    • You learn to communicate constructively, even when emotions run high

    • You discover that you are both individuals standing on your own two feet as well as love partners connected to each other

    • You investigate how your 'system' reacts to your environment: when do you fight, flee, freeze or please?

    • You dare to enter into loving connection with your partner(s), despite your fears or hurts from your past

    • You take responsibility for your own well-being, and relate to your partner(s) in a healthy and mature way

    • You see through your triggers and traumas and learn to love fully, all inclusive

    • You will experience emotions and learn how to deal with them constructively

    • You discover how you and your partner(s) like to be touched and find the way to more intimate pleasure

    • You gain insight into which form of relating suits you best at this stage of your life

    • You become more skilled in practising consent with your partner(s)

  • I have experience in counselling people from very diverse cultural and social backgrounds ranging from 22 to 60 years old.

    I see people with trauma; people who identify as male, female, non-binary or genderfluid; cis and trans individuals; highly gifted, high-sensitives; people who are monogamous, polyamorous, swinger or otherwise non-monogamous; people who have specific (sexual) preferences that they find difficult to address with many other psychologists and counsellors.

    I am okay with kink, with non-monogamy as well as monogamy, and with all ways of discovering your own identity and desires.

Practical info

  • My fee depends on your income.

    Standard rate
    (modal income, up to 40,000 gross/year combined)

    • Intake session and individual sessions (90 min) 160,-

    • Set of 3 starter sessions (3x90 min) 470,-

    Support rate
    (above-modal income, more than 40,000 gross/year combined)

    • Intake session and individual sessions (90 min) 180,-

    • Set of 3 starter sessions (3x90 min) 530,-

    Special rate
    (student/minimum income)

    • Adjusted rate from 85,- to 95,- per hour

    • Please contact me (limited availability)

    All these prices are VAT-free.

  • I have no contracts with insurance companies. Apart from that, insurance policies never cover relationship therapy in The Netherlands.

    Depending on your fiscal situation, the expenses may sometimes be tax deductible. For more information on this, please contact the Tax Office / Belastingdienst.

  • You may choose to come by my practice in Amersfoort (Gangboord 47) or do online sessions (via Zoom). A combination of both also works fine.

  • Cancellation

    I do not charge for appointments cancelled more than 48 hours in advance. If cancelled after this period, regardless of the reason, the full amount will be charged.

    Payment

    Shortly after scheduling a session, you will receive a payment request from me by e-mail. Payment must be received by me no later than 48 hours before the start of the session. Upon request, you will receive an invoice each month for the session(s) you received the previous month.

    Conditions ‘set of 3 start-up sessions’

    The full amount is to be paid before the start of the first session (i.e. after the intake). Sessions are personal and therefore non-transferable. The ‘set of 3 start-up sessions’ is valid for 5 months after payment (so sessions must take place in that period). Sessions are non-refundable if not taken up.

Curious?

Let's have a non-committal (video) call!

Wat koppels zeggen over Marjolein

  • Ramon & Lisa

    “Door begeleiding van Marjolein kwamen we erachter waarom seksualiteit in onze relatie vastliep. Eigenlijk communiceerden we namelijk niet goed over wat we wel en niet wilden. Dat gesprek gingen we uit de weg. Met als gevolg onderlinge frustratie. En nu? Via rustige aanraking zijn we eerst weer sensualiteit gaan opzoeken. En op een gegeven moment stroomde het weer naar opwinding en echt zin om te vrijen. We zijn zo enorm blij dat we dat hebben hervonden! Zonder begeleiding was het ons waarschijnlijk niet gelukt.”

  • Suzette & Pieter

    “We bleven maar in dezelfde soort ruzies belanden. Allebei vonden we dat de ander ons niet begreep en teveel met zichzelf bezig was. Er was zoveel frustratie en onbegrip opgebouwd. Zoveel ruis op de lijn. Marjolein hielp ons te doorgronden waarom we ons zo gedroegen. En begeleidde ons om contact te maken met ons eigen gevoel, en te communiceren vanuit kwetsbaarheid in plaats van defensie. Uiteindelijk hervonden we de verbinding die we kwijt waren geraakt. En de liefde kon weer gaan stromen. Maar eerlijk gezegd: het was een pittige tijd. We hebben er echt voor moeten knokken.”

  • Aron & Zita

    “Een van ons heeft iets doms gedaan, waardoor het vertrouwen van de ander enorm is geschaad. We stonden op een kruispunt: komen we hieruit of eindigt het hier? We zochten iemand die kon begeleiden om open gesprekken te hebben. Marjolein heeft ons geholpen bij veel meer dan dat. We kwamen echt tot de kern, door ook te kijken naar onze overtuigingen vanuit onze jeugd. De gesprekken waren spannend, maar verliepen harmonieus. Door oefeningen kwamen we erachter hoe we beter met elkaar kunnen omgaan en spreken we ons meer uit. We zijn er nog niet, maar we blijven samen en hebben weer vertrouwen in onze relatie.”

  • Fieke & Erik

    “Wij waren al 2 jaar in een open relatie toen we ons realiseerden dat we eigenlijk geen goede afspraken hadden gemaakt. Daardoor liep soms de spanning hoog op. Ook al gunnen we elkaar pleziertjes, de onzekerheid en verwarring werd ons soms wat teveel. Marjolein heeft ons ontzettend fijn begeleid om helder te krijgen wat we willen, en wat onze beider behoeften zijn binnen en buiten onze relatie. Waardoor we nu heldere afspraken hebben, en er veel meer plezier is in onze relatie samen en die erbuiten. Super bedankt!”