My story
Reintegration coach • Certified Systemic Horse Coach • Certified Trauma Horse Coach
My own story began at the end of my first career as a researcher. I had worked passionately for more than ten years as a researcher and activist in conflict areas in Central and West Africa when my then partner passed away in Dakar on 5 February 2018.
The following week, my 20-year-old cat died, and the week after that, my daughter left home. In just three weeks, my life was turned upside down. I was suddenly all alone, seemingly without purpose and without identity. A shadow of my former self.
With cognitive therapy, I slowly returned to professional life. But my fire, my inner strength, power and purpose had disappeared. In the years that followed, I existed, but I hardly lived.
Until I met Tygo, Eros and Valerie Elsing during a horse coaching reintegration programme.
During the months of horse coaching, I learned how normal it felt to just be again. No explanations, no long-winded conversations about what had happened, no analysis. Just being. Conscious. Here. Now.
Slowly, my body began to relax again. An end to the years in which I was stuck in Fight or Flight mode. Slowly, the fog lifted. Slowly, life returned. And when that happened, all I could think about was passing on what I had been given.
I trained at Caprili Coaching & Training to become a horse coach. The rest is history.
Now I combine my passion for horses and research with my expertise in coaching people with PTSD and people with a neurodivergent brain, so that they can live their lives with confidence and (more) peace of mind.
My values and beliefs
You cannot talk your way out of trauma
Trauma is stored in the body and can only be released there.
Trust and responsibility start with you
By being reliable and responsible towards ourselves, we are prepared for life in a powerful and life-changing way.
Mens sana in corpore sano
To feel good about yourself, you need to be able to embody life, in the here and now, enabling you to experience life safely, with wise and healthy boundaries.
THE CO-COACHES
New location in Leiden
It is with a heavy heart that I say goodbye to the location and the coaching horses in Delft and am delighted to announce my new location in Leiden.
On Sunday 17 August 2025, Eros left us, which was the sign for me to close this chapter at the stable in Delft.
From September 2025, Myrna, Easter and I will welcome my coachees to the Elza Hoeve in Leiden.
I work with both mares simultaneously during the coaching sessions, which creates a very special dynamic. There is a spacious outdoor arena and a pleasant indoor area available, and there is also the possibility of giving presentations during workshops in a meeting room.
Myrna
This is Myrna, a 25-year-old Haflinger. Born in Leimuiden, she was a long-time riding school horse at Manege Vosseburch in Langeraar.
After a complicated search for a place where she could thrive after her ‘riding career’, she ended up with Dieuwke Klink (Equal Coaching), where she has flourished as a coaching horse.
Myrna is a wise and sensitive lady who likes to connect during the sessions and often offers protection. This is especially nice for the coachees in the beginning. Her sensitive nature creates a safe environment for discussing sometimes unpleasant topics.
Easter
Easter is a 13-year-old Shetland pony and a born leader. She is very tough and has a confident character. She doesn’t get worked up easily and is very good at setting her boundaries.
This works very well for coachees. She is a good mirror during exercises. The better the coachee is in tune with their body, the easier it is to lead Easter.