Six ways to move forward

From a single conversation to a short series of sessions, in English or Dutch. They are not mutually exclusive: which approach fits, we decide together in the introduction.

Quit smoking

Quitting is rarely a matter of wanting to. You have long known it is bad for you; that doesn’t help when the craving comes. So first we look at what smoking does for you: calm, a break, company, something to do with your hands, a moment for yourself.

Then we make a plan that fits the way you live. We map your risk moments, practise what you can do instead of smoking and agree how to handle a relapse. Because a cigarette after three weeks is a moment, not a failure.

Cognitive behavioural therapy

If you think “I’m going to mess this up”, you feel tense and cancel the appointment. The relief that follows makes the thought even stronger next time. That is how a pattern keeps itself going.

In cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) you learn to recognise and examine those patterns. Is that thought actually true? What happens if you do it differently just once? We work with concrete exercises, often between sessions too.

ACT

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Sadness, tension and uncertainty are part of life; the harder you fight them, the more room they take. ACT turns the question around: not “how do I get rid of this”, but “what kind of life do I want to live, even with this”.

We practise making room for unpleasant thoughts and feelings without letting them take the lead. And we map what you truly find important, so you can take steps in that direction again.

Motivational interviewing

Usually you only half want to change. One part of you wants to stop, cut down or tackle something; another part doesn’t want that at all. As long as someone else supplies the good arguments, that second part only defends itself harder.

So I turn it around. We explore both sides, calmly and without judgement, until you hear for yourself what weighs more for you. I don’t push; I help you get your own reasons on the table. The choice always stays yours.

Problem-clarifying conversation

You don’t feel well, things are sluggish, but you can’t pin down what it is. Is it work, the relationship, sleep, something from the past, or simply too much at once? As long as that is unclear, you also don’t know what to do about it.

In one or two sessions we map it out: what is going on, since when, what have you already tried and what would need to change. You go home with a clear picture and advice on the next step. That could be a series of sessions with me, but just as well something else.

Take the first step