WHAT IS HAPTOTHERAPY?
Haptotherapy is the therapy based on the philosophy of haptonomy and can be described as a science that studies and describes the phenomena of human interaction. The essence of haptotherapy is to help the client become aware (again) of his natural ability to focus on and open up to affirmative interaction with the main goal of encouraging and restoring feelings of individuality and authenticity.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
A combination of techniques is used to help you feel comfortable in your own skin. Haptotherapy is centered on the idea that experiences and memories are stored in the body. Your mind can be done with a memory, but the after effects of a certain experience can still linger. This can manifest tension in your body, certain habits you aren’t comfortable with or difficult relationships with others. In haptotherapy we look for the balance between body, mind and feelings by using a combination of talking, body awareness exercises and affective touch. Through our conversations you will get important insights in your patterns in life. Through respectful and affective touch, you will get in contact with feelings and emotions that you perhaps weren’t aware off or have been pushing away. The haptotherapy exercises can make you aware of how you interact with your environment. Due to these three techniques you will discover different ways to handle yourself, your emotions, your body/mind balance and your interaction with the people around you.
PROCESS
A session takes between 50-60 minutes. How many session you may need is dependent on the questions you have, it varies between 6 to 10 sessions. The first few sessions are usually weekly, after that they can be every 2 or 3 weeks.
FOR WHOM
Haptotherapy is suited for anyone who is ready for personal growth. It can help you when you feel overwhelmed, experience low self esteem, when you have difficulty finding your own path, feeling out of balance or if you have questions about your identity or relationship issues. It is also very well suited for anyone who has experienced a burn out or feels like it’s around the corner.
THE RESULT
The result of haptotherapy can be:
• Feeling free again
• Feeling at peace with yourself and the people around you
• Following your own path
• Making choices through which you stay true to yourself
• Getting back to old hobbies or things you used to love to do.
• Feeling secure in an easy, breezy way
• Enter into new relationships and end ones that don’t serve you
• To really connect with yourself and others
ABOUT ME
Motion / movement is very important to me. As a kid I would always skip to my ballet classes. Dance has had a huge role in my life through (amateur) classical ballet, dancing on rollerskates and vinyasa yoga. But motion and movement is more than a physical activity. It is also an internal process: moving through life. It is very important to me to keep on growing, learning and developing myself. From my schooling in psychology and haptotherapy, to my years as a career counselor in combination with my own personal experiences, I would love to help you move back to your unique and vital you. My style of work is young, energetic and always with a lot of depth. I will create a safe space in which you can work on your goals.
RATE AND PAYMENT
The rate for a session is 95 Euros (50 – 60 mins). After a session you can pay with a debit card, Bunq app or cash. You will receive an invoice after the session by email and you can send this to your insurance company (depending on coverage about 40% to 50% is refunded). You do not need a referral from a doctor to start Haptotherapy. I am a registered GZ-haptotherapist with the professional association of Haptotherapists (VVH). Ask your insurance if they cover alternative treatments by VVH haptotherapists. My VVH membership number is: 784. My health professional AGB code is 90102803. The code for the establishment is 90062210. For a full list of insurance and coverage, please visit their website: https://haptotherapeuten-vvh.nl/voor-patienten/vergoeding-haptotherapie (this is in Dutch, certain insurance companies have information in English on their websites).
OFFICE / PRACTICE
My practice is located at Weteringschans 110 in Amsterdam where I’m available on Monday, Thursday and Friday. Please see the CONTACT page for more information and a link to google maps…
RESCHEDULING
Cancelling or rescheduling is possible until 24 hours before our appointment. For cancelations later than that you will be charged.
LANGUAGE DISCLAIMER
My English can be described as fluent but it is not my native language. This means that sometimes I may need to search for the right words or explore together with the client the respective meaning of certain words.
WHAT CLIENTS SAY:
‘I really enjoy going to Esthers sessions. She is a very warm, open-minded and affectionate person. She is teaching me how to be more present and to face my fears and feelings without running away / shutting down. What I like about Haptotherapy is that (compared to a regular psychotherapist) the client-therapist relationship is more personal in which I feel more comfortable to say what is on my mind. This way I can practise my struggles I face in life with the therapist directly (e.g.. trusting and feeling secure around other people). I have been going to Esther now for about 4 month and realized how much my personal relationships improved thanks to the insights and learnings I acquired thanks to Esther. Most importantly I learned to be more true to my authentic self”.
You can hear more about haptotherapy in this episode of Salt – the podcast:
