My Story

Who I Am Today

I'm a counsellor and coach with a background in psychological science (minor in neuroscience) and counselling, and I hold provisional membership with the Australian Counselling Association. But my work is more than a professional title.

I bring together lived experience, curiosity, and years of exploring how people and groups grow, adapt, and thrive. My approach blends academic training, counselling practice, and practical tools with a steady focus on clarity, connection, and growth.

I work with individuals, groups, and organisations, drawing on neuroscience-based practices that calm the system, reframe patterns, and support people to learn practical ways of responding differently.

When I work with people, I bring together the scientific insights of neuroscience with the compassion of counselling and the forward focus of coaching. In group and educational settings, this also includes guiding people through shared learning and practice. This blend helps create practical tools that don't just make sense in theory but also work in everyday life - whether it's calming the body in moments of stress, finding clarity in the middle of transition, or learning how to reset unhelpful patterns. My aim is always to make growth feel possible, accessible, and sustainable.

How I Came to Do This Work

This part of my story shows how my curiosity and experiences shaped the work I do today.

My curiosity about people began early. I was always wondering why things are the way they are - why we feel what we feel, what drives us, and how we make sense of life.

As a teenager, I searched for answers in religion. I attended a Christian school, curious about God and Jesus, and I also interviewed people from different faiths, including Hinduism.

But I couldn't reconcile their explanations. The nature of religion itself remained a mystery to me.

Later, in counselling, I experienced firsthand the release of long-held anger. That moment didn't spark my curiosity - it deepened it. I became even more interested in how the mind works, how emotions shape our lives, and how change becomes possible.

At the same time, I developed a fascination with groups. Working in teams and supporting organisations, I saw how people's "beautiful minds" could work together or against each other. I wanted to understand what drives collaboration and what causes division - what makes cultures thrive or falter.

Eventually, I realised I needed to turn inward. So I travelled alone for the first time - an experience that demanded courage as much as it brought excitement and fear. Why? Because I wanted to know if I could still find guidance when everything was unfamiliar: new languages I couldn't understand, different climates, strange landscapes, and the weight of the unknown.

Not long after, I made another leap: moving from the Netherlands to Australia. That change of countries brought its own challenges and discoveries, layering new landscapes and cultures into the story of who I was becoming.

In my forties, I crisscrossed the escarpment between Thirroul, where I live, and Sydney, where I worked, raising children under eucalyptus skies. I still hear that steady presence - sometimes a low hum, sometimes a clear directive - and each time it reminds me why the journey from fear to forgiveness mattered: it cleared the channel through which my own guidance speaks, and it keeps speaking still.

All of these threads - personal experience, team dynamics, and a growing curiosity about the human mind - eventually led me to formal study. This path brought together lived experience and academic understanding, shaping the work I now offer through Heartful Growth.

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