I am of Dutch origin and have been living in France for over 25 years. I come from a large family of people who were educated in the technical field on the one hand and in the social and medical field on the other. I have inherited from both sides.
After I got my degree in Physical Education (ALO, Tilburg, 1984), I worked for a few years as a mountain sports teacher and guide, co-founding PicFin, a small outdoor sports organisation in the French Alps. And I loved it!
My interest in the functioning of the human body brought me back to the Netherlands to study physiotherapy at the International School of Physiotherapy Thim van der Laan (Utrecht, 1991). I settled in a physiotherapy practice in the Tarn, France, and soon started studying osteopathy at the AOM in Toulouse.
And osteopathy became my passion.
After more than 30 years in the (para)medical world, I have come to realize that my patients’ demands and the source of their discomfort had shifted. While at the start of my career the main reasons had to do with intensive use of the body, sport or injuries, in recent years they have increasingly been linked to non-physiological nutrition, stress and a lack of exercise and sleep.
For these reasons, I added other studies to my curriculum during this period:
In 2015 I closed my practice and sold my beautiful house in the Tarn. I wanted to rethink what health meant to me, what ideal support could be and how I could offer real solutions. Increasingly, I wanted to leave the ’emergencies’ to my young colleagues and use my long experience to treat the causes behind chronic problems.
Between 2015 and 2020, I travelled on foot, by bicycle and by van in Europe and Asia. I had time and freedom, met wonderful people and visited the most beautiful places.
I learned to let go of control, to trust life and the living principle of our body that always tends towards health, no matter what, simply because that is it’s only goal.
On my return, I studied at the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy (Chicago, USA). The FMCA coach guides clients to optimal wellness using the principles of Functional Medicine, Functional Nutrition, Mind-Body Medicine and Positive Psychology coaching.
My goal is not only to educate you with health information, to treat you as a therapist, but also to assist you as a coach to find the motivation within yourself for transformation, optimal health and self-care.
Does my vision appeal to you? Then please feel free to contact me,
A très bientôt !