Counseling

Therapy or counseling is for anyone who could use some help getting back on track in life. Sometimes we lose sight of what is important in life or get overwhelmed by thoughts and feelings. Getting disconnected from ourselves can lead to an array of feelings, like gloom, loneliness or stress. By taking the time to work on yourself, you invest in better mental health and flexibility.

Burnout

Do you have a burnout? Are you experiencing a constant state of stress? Not feeling able to calm down? Always on the run? You might be burned out. Other symptons include brain fog, severe headaches, a neckpain, palpitations, hyperventilation, sleeping problems and stomach and/or intestinal problems. In addition, emotions are often poorly regulated, which can lead to a feeling of losing control over your emotions and feeling like you’re not ourselvef anymore.

Childless not by choice (definitively)

Not having been able to conceive can leave a nasty scar on your soul. A scar that is mostly invisible to the world around you. Nonetheless, it needs to be grieved just like any other loss. Are you having trouble dealing with it? Let’s try to work on giving it some room by accepting your grief.

(Peri)menopause

Are you experiencing all the same symptoms from a burnout? Constantly stressed, not sleeping well, emotionally unstable? And are you between 35 and 60? You might be experiencing symptoms from fluctuating hormones. So, no, you are not crazy. And yes, you probably can do something about it, but your life will be different and that’s what we can work on. You can try to accept these new differences and work with them as best you can.

Who I am and how I work

After a Bachelor in Social Work, I went on to study Psychology at the University of Leiden. I completed this with a Master’s degree in Social and Organizational Psychology. I have been working in healthcare since 2001, where I have experienced a wide range of people, problems and backgrounds. Every contact is unique and I am grateful to be able to experience that.

In 2021 I started experiencing all kinds of vague complaints such as headaches, a painful neck, rumbling intestines, but also feelings of uncertainty and a general feeling of no longer being myself. I could somewhat understand this after a difficult period in my life, but when it did not go away after holidays and taking it easy at work, I realized that I was burned out. Still in fifth gear, I have consumed every book, article or clip from a YouTube guru about stress in the hope of getting rid of it as quickly as possible. Now I know that some approaches work well for me and some don’t. And this will probably go for everybody. Some things work, some things don’t. Luckily, certain things almost always work, like being attentive to your feelings or being mindful. In addition, I started to notice that unwinding was more difficult than I thought. I really had to learn how to do this again and I still try to apply it every day.

I work with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which includes elements of mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy. Together we will look for the source of your problem, the stress, the unpleasant feelings. What kind of patterns are underneath? Can you become aware of this and learn to work with it? Can you allow your feelings again so that you can process them? What norms and values do you have? How do you get it and manage to live by it? What qualities do you possess? We will work on eliminating the complaints and also learn to deal with the complaints that cannot be eliminated. Together we look for a path in which you can become more confident through psychological flexibility. This way you will also have the tools to deal with them in future situations.

Investment

An initial introduction on the phone is free of charge

A one hour session is euro 100,-

You can also apply via insurance. The hourly rate is then approximately euro 180,-. We don’t have contracts with the insurance companies, therefore they usually cover around 70%. Please note that you will use up your ‘eigen risico’ first and you will have to have at least 2 meetings with our directive practioner (appr. euro 240,- each).

You will probably be able to have an appointment within a week. You can schedule appointments as many or as little times as you feel comfortable with.

Contact

You can text, call or e-mail me at 0031614360567 or contact@michellebakker.eu

My practice is located at Rijn en Schiekade 13 in Leiden. There is parking space right around the corner at Haagweg Parking.