Counselling for internationals

Living and working in a new country can be both exciting and challenging. At Dijk & Van Emmerik, we offer counselling services specifically designed for internationals and expats in the Netherlands. Our goal is to provide a supportive environment where you can explore your thoughts and feelings, gain clarity on your goals, and develop strategies to effectively manage both personal and professional challenges.

Themes in Counselling 

Our sessions are tailored to your unique needs, focusing on enhancing your well-being and addressing both work-related and personal topics. We aim to empower you with the skills and insights to manage stress, build resilience, and find fulfilment in your life and career. Through our personalized approach, we help you:

Clarify your goals and priorities: Work with your coach to identify what matters most to you and how to align your actions with your values.
Manage work-related stress: Learn effective strategies to cope with workplace pressures and maintain your mental health.
Adapt to new environments: Build resilience and adaptability to thrive in a new cultural and professional setting.

Enhance emotional well-being: Develop tools to manage emotions, increase self-awareness, and maintain a positive outlook.
Understand and navigate cultural differences: Gain insights into Dutch work culture and learn how to effectively integrate and succeed.
Boost self-confidence and assertiveness: Improve your communication skills and become more assertive in professional and social situations.

About our Team

Our team consists of occupational psychologists, job coaches, assessors, and reintegration specialists, each bringing a unique set of skills and a broad range of evidence-based practices. When you start with us, we begin with an intake session to understand your needs and challenges. Based on this, we carefully match you with the team member best suited to provide the counselling that meets your specific needs.

What sets us apart is our personal approach and the positive, encouraging atmosphere we create in our counselling sessions. We are committed to making you feel welcome and comfortable, while also challenging you to gain new perspectives and take proactive steps toward your goals. All occupational and organisational psychologists at Dijk & Van Emmerik are NIP-registered. As an agency, we also work under the quality standards of CEREO and OVAL.

Counselling versus Therapy

Good to know: our counselling services are not general therapy or substitute for specialist mental health treatment (GGZ), but we do provide valuable support for minor complaints and emotional challenges. These counselling sessions are also very suitable as ‘bridging’ to support people who are waiting to have specialist sessions. Adults in need of basic and specialist mental health care are currently facing wait times of about 26 weeks. Dijk & Van Emmerik works independently of insurance companies and can therefore guarantee an intake within 4 weeks.

Visit Dutch page bridging wait times GGZ

What does our Counselling look like?

Prior to the intake, we will ask you a number of questions regarding you, your goals and your circumstances. We use this information to determine which member of our team can help you best. During the intake, you formulate a clear counselling question together with your coach. In individual sessions, you will then explore the situation, your patterns and feelings and set to work on achieving your personal objectives. The sessions take place at our office in Amsterdam or online; a combination of on-site and online sessions is also possible.

Tools and Methods of Counselling

Every situation is different and so is every individual. We therefore always customize counselling to your needs. Among others, we use the following tools and methods:

Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Cognitive behavioural therapy/RET
Voice dialogue
CSR methodology for stress and burn-out

Body-oriented work
Co-Active® Counselling
Mindfulness

Who Covers the Costs for Counselling?

If you work at a company you can often use your personal development budget to cover the expense of counselling. Inquire about the options with your manager or HR advisor. In other cases clients choose to finance the sessions themselves. We can provide a personalized proposal that aligns with your budget and considers the number of sessions. For more information on financing options and to discuss your specific situation, please feel free to contact us.