CURRENT MISSION

Creating connections

ABOUT ME

I think my best friends would describe me as gentle, compassionate, deep and smart (although I sometimes wonder about the smart piece ;)). And as somebody who can be both really serious and really silly.

PHILOSOPHY

You cannot have enough of what you DON'T need.

I think in our culture it is so easy to get distracted and to lose sight of what's really important and what we really need. (It happens to me all the time!) So often we end up striving for something that we don't really need - and then we get caught up in it - because you can never have enough of something that you don't really need - it will never bring true fulfillment.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I just created my own profile - but I have already hosted quite a few couch surfers on my flat mate's profile. It has mostly been an amazing experience. Here is my flat mate's couchsurfing name, in case you want to check out his references: Polochon94

Interests

I actually love my job - I think I have the greatest job in the world. I am a couples therapist, and I love to help people connect. And I love to connect with other people - nothing makes me feel more alive than a resonat conversation.

• culture
• design

Music, Movies, and Books

Music like Erikah Badu.

Movies like Magnolia.

TV series like Modern Family.

Psychology books. There are so many that I still want to read, that I never get around to reading any other books.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

The little, but profound moments when you see the basic humaness of another person - and you sense how we are essentially all the same.

Teach, Learn, Share

Today we know more and more about how our brain is designed to connect emotionally with other people and how we created a culture that violates our design specifications. I think I am pretty good at helping people connect to their inner selves. I do this professionally in my work as a couples therapist - but it is really something that is part of who I am. I believe that we can only fully get to know and connect to ourselves in coversations with others. I think I am pretty good at taking conversations to a deep level.

What I need to learn and be reminded of is that I don't need to take care of everybody and the world alone - and that it's OK and important to just sit back and relax at times.

Countries I’ve Visited

France, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Netherlands, United States