Sustainable and long term reintegration requires addressing the underlying patterns that lead to a burnout

I know that a body in survival mode needs more than just rest.

And that addressing the underlying patterns which lead to the burnout - people pleasing, a dificulty setting boundaries, perfectionism - is essential for sustainble long term reintreation.

I know this from my own experience of a 6 month burn out during a leadership role in tech, navigating power struggles, restructuring and financial responsibility for colleagues in a remote-first environment.

I bring 12 years in the public-sector open source world, coordinating large scale collaborations, managing technical teams and working with executive teams and board members, as well as 4 years of experience working as a somatic therapist.

Today I support employees who are stuck in survival, and with managers who carry other people’s stress on top of their own.

Both tracks start from the body: how you react under pressure, where you hold tension, and what your nervous system is telling you before your calendar does.

On this page:

Track 1: Burnout recovery

For employees showing signs of exhaustion, or already on the edge. A structured programme of 7 to 9 sessions in three phases.

1) Intake (1 session)

We map what is going on: symptoms, work situation, sleep, history, what has been tried. We agree what you want from the programme and whether it is the right fit. If it isn’t, I’ll say so and point you elsewhere.

2) Out of survival mode (3 sessions)

Chronic stress keeps the body in a constant state of alert: shallow breathing, tight muscles, poor sleep, no real rest. These sessions use touch, breathing and conversation to settle the nervous system and create the first real sense of being able to stop.

You should expect to notice: deeper breathing, better sleep, less constant tension, more room to think.

3) Boundaries, self-regulation and body signals (3 to 5 sessions)

Once the body has calmed down, we work on keeping it that way:

  • Recognising your body’s signals early, before they become a crisis (jaw, stomach, breath, fatigue, irritability)
  • Self-regulation: practical tools you can use at your desk, in a meeting, or before a difficult conversation
  • Setting boundaries: noticing where you say yes when your body says no, and practising the alternative

The number of sessions in this phase depends on you, and we decide together after phase 1.

Track 2: Personal leadership at work

For managers and team leads. Leading people is an emotional job, and most of us were never taught how to do it without burning ourselves out.

This track works on four things:

1) Letting go of built-up tension. During the treatments we work on releasing the stress your body has accumulated, so it doesn’t follow you into the next meeting.

2) Recognising your survival mechanisms. The patterns you fall into under pressure (fight, flight, freeze, people-pleasing) and how they shape your capacity to carry other people’s problems, deliver bad news and handle conflict.

3) Learning to self-regulate. Practical, body-based tools to stay clear-headed and present in difficult conversations, so you can respond from a steadier place instead of avoiding, escalating or shutting down.

4) Preventing stress and burnout, in yourself and in your team. Recognising early signals, including when others slip into survival mode, and building habits that keep you and your team sustainable.

I’ve been on both sides of this: leading teams in a complex public-sector environment, and then retraining as a therapist. The track is practical, confidential and built around your actual situation, not a generic framework.

How it works for your organisation

  1. Scoping call. We discuss what your people need, which track fits, and how to offer it. Free.
  2. Agreement. Fixed price per programme or per session, invoiced to the company. Terms are in writing.
  3. Sessions. Employees book directly with me. They choose the location and time that suits them.
  4. Optional check-in. If the employee agrees, I can share a short, content-free note: attendance and whether the programme was completed.

Rates: from €150 per session excl. VAT. Programme packages on request.

Request a scoping call

Confidentiality

What is said and done in a session stays between the employee and me. Your organisation does not receive session content, diagnoses, or my notes, ever. The only information that reaches you is what the employee has explicitly agreed to share, normally limited to attendance.

Sessions are held at my practice, not on your premises, so that people can speak freely.

Who this is not for

This is preventive and complementary support. It does not replace medical or psychological care, and it does not replace the occupational health route (bedrijfsarts / arbeidsarts) for employees on sick leave.

I recommend a GP or psychologist first, or alongside, for anyone experiencing severe depression, suicidal thoughts, or acute crisis. If I think someone needs that, I’ll tell them.

Why me

  • I know the workplace. 12 years in public-sector open source world, coordinating large scale remote-first projects, and managing technical teams.
  • I know facilitation. helping governments become more open and collaborative, meaning plenty of political power struggles, change management and long meetings with unresolved questions.
  • I’m trained in the body. Certified Manuvision therapist, working since 2022 and in training and treatment since 2016. Manuvision is a somatic method developed over 25 years.
  • I’m registered. Member of CAT (Collectief Alternatieve Therapeuten), with professional liability insurance and a formal complaints procedure.
  • I work in Dutch, English, Spanish and French, and am native in international cross-cultural environments.

More about me

Questions

How is this different from coaching or a standard burnout programme?

Coaching and talk therapy work mostly through conversation. I work through the body and nervous system, and use conversation alongside. Many people who have already tried talking about their stress find this the missing piece.

Does it involve touch?

Yes, most sessions include massage-style bodywork on a treatment table. Clothing can be kept on, and each person decides what they are comfortable with. Employees are never required to take part in anything they don’t want to.

Can it replace a company’s occupational health or reintegration process?

No. It runs alongside it.

Can you work with a whole team?

Yes. Ask about team sessions in the scoping call.

What does a typical programme cost?

See rates above. For a full burnout programme of 7 to 9 sessions, a package price is available on request.

Request a scoping call