Counseling

With counseling I offer children, teenagers, parents, families, teachers, childcare workers, educators and others the space to

to be really heard
to express feelings
to connect with the underlying needs
to give space and process painful experiences and feelings
to come up with alternative ways of dealing more adequately with the current situation

I always work client-centered. The experience of your child and yours are central in the counseling. This way the counseling is completely adapted to your needs and pace. The counseling process always takes place within a safe framework where you and your child can be completely yourself. All feelings, thoughts, stories and experiences are welcome and meaningful. Because that safety is essential to make change possible.

I start from what’s alive in you or your child. Then I follow the path that you or your child takes. I’m a support to sail through turbulent emotional seas and a safe harbor to recharge and unwind. Sometimes I mirror you to increase awareness of your own experience. Along the way I offer exercises to take further steps within counseling and to try out alternatives in daily life. You or your child are always free to choose whether or not to do this. Only if you choose it yourself and have confidence in it, it can make sustainable change possible.

With Child in Trust I offer the following forms of counseling:

Play Therapy
Empathic counseling for teenagers
Parent counseling / Parenting support
Family counseling
Empathic counseling for adults

All forms of counseling I do online and at my home in Mortsel, Belgium. Only real play therapy is not possible online. For children, who can’t come to my home, I offer online empathic counseling in combination with play.

Play Therapy

Play is the language of the child. With the support of the therapist, the child can express, process, and try out alternative behaviors in his play.

For children who has social-emotional problems, such as anxiety, stress, low self-confidence, bullying, trauma, behavioral difficulties, socially withdrawn,…

Empathic counseling for teenagers

Are you struggling with painful feelings? Are you being bullied? Do you experience conflict or stress at school, at home, with peers or elsewhere? Do you have a difficult choice? Do you regret something you did? Or are you still stuck with something else?

With empathic counseling you get the space to tell your story and to be really listen to. I follow your path. Together we explore what your needs are and what’s possible.

Parent counseling / Parenting support

Parent counseling starts from what’s alive in you, where you experience the problems. First we will explore what the difficulties are and what is important to you. So you can get clarity and experience insight and relief. In the next step we follow 2 paths. On the one hand getting deeper into your experience as a parent and processing your own pains. This creates more inner peace and confidence to be a stable parent for your kids. The second path is the search towards concrete actions and skills that you can apply in the daily parenting practice. These are adjusted to what’s necessary and doable for you. During the counseling you can also practice these parenting skills. Both paths can be covered, you decide where the focus is.

Family counseling

Next to play therapy, parent counseling and empathic counseling, you can choose to come to the counseling with parent and child or with the whole family. This is to strengthen mutual relationships and to create more connection and harmony in the family. Depending on the needs, we use conversation, play, mediation or exercises.

Empathic counseling for adults

Do you have painful feelings, an unresolved conflict, a difficult situation or do you want to live more from inner power?

Empathy is a special way of listening without judging. You discover the deeper layers that are under your experience and thoughts. In the first place, empathy can provide relief and give you more inner peace and space. The empathic counseling may provide new insights and concrete ideas to try out.