Cognitive Behavioral approach

Working within a cognitive behavioural therapy framework, it is assumed that thoughts, emotions and behaviour are intrinsically related to one another.  The way someone thinks has an influence on his/her feelings and behaviour. Also the way someone acts can affect the way he/she feels about him/herself. The emphasis is on one’s thoughts and standpoints as well as on his/ her behaviour patterns. Compliance and active involvement of the psychologist and of the client are stimulated by using exercises and homework

Schema Focused Therapy (J.E. Young, 1994)

SFT is an integrative approach which draws on  cognitive, behavioral, psychoanalytic and  experiential therapies.

SFT applies specially when people who attend the practice, are dealing with long lasting negative and self-destructive behavioral patterns. Those rigid self-destructive patterns interfere with the person’s ability to meet his/her basic needs.  Such as auto-determination, independence, personal bounds building, validation, spontaneity and realistic boundaries.

Schemas are defined as “broad pervasive themes regarding oneself and one’s relationship with others, developed during childhood in interaction with own temperament, and elaborated throughout one’s lifetime, becoming dysfunctional to a significant degree”

According to SFT early maladaptive schemas (or “ lifetraps”) would be at the base of chronic psychosocial adjusting problems.

Schemas are hard to change. They are supported by cognitive, behavioral and emotional elements. They are perpetrated by maintenance, avoidance en overcompensating processes. 

Systemic Approach

Sometimes analysis at the individual’s level is not enough to understand the onset and evolution of symptoms and problem behavior(s).  The focus of attention is then directed to interactions between the individual and his/her environment (partner, family, friends, colleagues, chef, etc). In such cases the reciprocal interactions and transactions among individuals within a given system are the object of study.  Identifying dysfunctional relational interaction patterns will be an important aspect of the therapy.

Taking the family, the couple or the individual and his/her relationships as unit of analysis we will be working on communication,  problem solving techniques, assertivity and social skills training, emotional self-control and restructuring of dysfunctional thoughts.

Areas of Expertise

  • Anxiety, panic dissorder, phobias

  • Depression

  • Burn-out and work re-integration

  • Problems with self-steem

  • Psychosomatic complaints

  • Eating dissorder

  • Couple and interpersonal problems

  • Parenting issues

  • Adjusting problems

  • Personality disorders

How long?

A session will take approximately 45-50 minutes, reserving 15 minutes for administration. Basically  length of the treatment will be based on targed objectives and complexity of the problem to be treated.

Coverage

 In 2024 I have contract with these health insurance companies: DSW, A.S.R, Ditzo, Zilveren Kruis (Interpolis, FBTO, De Friesland); ONVZ en VGZ. To get more precise info about therapy cost coverage visit this link: https://www.independer.nl/zorgverzekering/vergoedingen/ggz-instelling/psychotherapie-praktijk-spalop

Sins January the first 2022 there is a new billing system. Click on here to get more information about what has changed and what this means to you.

Request for Information

When psychological services are to be provided to a person or entity at the request of a third party, the psychologist must clarify the nature of the relationship with all involved individuals or organizations at the outset of the service.  This clarification includes determining the role of the psychologist (e.g. therapist, consultant, diagnostician or expert witness), identifying who the client is, identifying the services that are to be provided or information that is to be obtained and establishing the possible limitations on confidentiality.
Psychologists have a primary obligation and take reasonable precautions to protect confidential information obtained through or stored in any medium, recognizing that the  extent and limits of confidentiality may be regulated by law or established by institutional rules or professional or scientific relationship.  Psychologists may disclose confidential information with appropiate consent of the organizational client, the individual client/patient, or another legally authorized person on behalf of the client/patient unless prohibited by law.

Cancelling

When you have an appointment with the psychologist, certain time has been reserved for your.  In order to cancel your appointment you should call 24 hours  in advance.   When calling later, then a no-show invoice will be charged (€75).  Please note that weekends do not tell.  For example when you have an appointment on Monday, and you would like to cancel it or to postpone it, you should call on Friday morning at the latest.