Effective date: 10 May 2025

1. Do I need a coach or can I do this work on my own?

Many people walk a path of self-inquiry without formal guidance — and that’s valid. Coaching isn’t essential, but it can be deeply supportive. Having a dedicated space, structure, and a witness to your process helps you go deeper, stay accountable, and move through blind spots you may not see on your own. My role isn’t to fix or teach you, but to walk beside you with clarity, presence, and grounded support.

2. What is the advantage of one-on-one coaching versus group work?

One-on-one coaching offers personal attention, privacy, and a tailor-made approach to your pace and needs. Group work offers connection, shared experience, and the power of witnessing others — which can often reflect your own process back to you in unexpected ways. Both can be powerful; the best format depends on what you’re ready for and what kind of support you need right now.

3. Is The Presence Process the only method you use?

The Presence Process is a key foundation of my work, but it’s not the only thread. I also draw from Human Design, the Enneagram, masculine archetype work (King, Warrior, Magician, Lover), inner-child work, Non-violent Communication, meditation, body-based practices, and tools for organising your life and focus. Everything is woven into a holistic and intuitive approach, adapted to the person in front of me.

4. Why don’t you have formal certification in The Presence Process?

At present, there is no official certification for The Presence Process (TPP). Like many who work with it, I’ve integrated it deeply through personal practice and repeated cycles. I’ve walked the process multiple times over the years and let it shape my own healing, discipline, and inner space. I don’t present myself as a TPP facilitator — rather, I offer coaching that honors the process while also weaving in complementary tools.

5. How does The Presence Process fit into a spiritually conscious life?

TPP teaches us to meet discomfort with presence instead of fixing or avoiding it. That’s the heart of any sincere spiritual path. It’s a practice of integration, emotional maturity, and showing up in daily life with more clarity and less reactivity. Whether you follow a mystical path, a grounded practical one, or something in between, the tools of presence and integration are universal.

6. What happens when I’m done with the process?

The process doesn’t ‘end’ — it matures. After completing a round of work (whether TPP or another journey), many people notice subtle but deep changes in how they relate to life. That’s a great moment to pause, reflect, and feel into what’s next. Some clients continue coaching to go deeper; others take the tools with them and integrate on their own. There’s no pressure — I trust your pace.

7. What inspires your work on the spiritual path?

My work is inspired by a combination of lived experience and long-term devotion to the inner path. Teachers and tools that have shaped me include Michael Brown’s The Presence Process, Vipassana meditation, masculine archetype work, Human Design, the Enneagram, and non-dual teachings. I’m also deeply inspired by music, grief work, and the rawness of real life — the places where spiritual ideals meet our humanity.

8. Do I need to be spiritual to work with you?

No. What matters most is your sincerity — not your beliefs. I work with people who are grounded, skeptical, mystical, religious, or “spiritual but not sure what that means.” The work is more about self-honesty and emotional maturity than any particular worldview.

9. What kind of people do you typically work with?

I work with people who feel stuck, unfulfilled, or out of alignment. Many are dealing with distraction, self-sabotage, mild addictions, or a lack of purpose. Others come from a spiritual background and want to ground their insights into daily life. Some want to soften, others want to grow stronger. All processes are welcome.

10. What do your sessions actually look like?

Sessions are spacious but grounded. We start with where you are — what’s alive for you — and follow the thread from there. I may guide you into awareness of the body, reflect patterns I sense, offer frameworks like archetypes or Human Design, or help you build practical structures for your goals. The space is intuitive, honest, and co-created.

11. What is your view on healing?

I don’t believe we are broken or in need of fixing. Much of our suffering comes from resisting our emotional reality — from trying to escape what’s already here. The essence of my work is not about becoming someone different, but about becoming more honest, more present, and more aligned with who we already are.

At the same time, I also deeply resonate with the philosophy behind Atomic Habits: that small, consistent changes — rooted in deeper values and needs — lead to meaningful transformation over time. I don’t believe in chasing an idealised end state of ‘fixed’.

Instead, I work with clients to cultivate presence while gently realigning their daily habits, emotional patterns, and choices to reflect their deeper truth. When we stop forcing healing, but start showing up consistently — breath by breath, choice by choice — integration tends to unfold naturally.

So while I don’t fix anyone, I do believe in growth, transformation, and real change. But it doesn’t come from rejecting who we are — it comes from befriending ourselves, getting curious, and building lives that are aligned with our soul’s deeper rhythm.

12. Is this coaching or therapy?

This is coaching — not psychotherapy. I’m not a licensed therapist and don’t diagnose or treat mental health conditions. If you're dealing with trauma, addiction, or instability that requires clinical support, I’ll refer you to professionals. That said, coaching can complement therapy or offer something different: a grounded spiritual container for growth and responsibility.

13. What is your background? What are your qualifications?

I’m a trained teacher with a Bachelor’s in Philosophy and History and a Master’s in English from Utrecht University. While completing my degree, I spent a year teaching in the Dutch secondary education system. I loved the act of teaching — the sharing, the guiding, the connecting — but I quickly realised that the environment wasn’t aligned with my deeper values. The system felt more like a factory than a place of growth. So I chose a different path.

After graduation, I spent several years working in healthcare. I supported elderly people with dementia at AxionContinu (IJsselstein, 'De Isselwaerde') and worked as a flex worker across a wide range of Reinaerde locations in the Utrecht region, supporting people with mental and physical disabilities.

That work taught me a great deal — about empathy, about flexibility, and about being fully present with others, no matter their process.. It showed me how to meet people where they are and how to listen beyond words. These qualities continue to shape how I work with clients today.

Five years ago, I moved to Portugal to live closer to the land — and to myself. I immersed myself in a wide range of co-living and community projects, meeting hundreds of heart-led people, navigating all kinds of relational dynamics, and learning about what it means to live together, grow together, and heal together.

I’m currently completing a coaching certification to further root my work in structure and integrity. I also draw on a strong academic foundation — and a deep love of learning. I’ve always been a lifelong autodidact. Over the years, I’ve immersed myself in practices and perspectives ranging from The Presence Process and inner child work to Human Design, the Enneagram, men’s work, archetypal psychology, and non-dual teachings. These weren’t just intellectual interests — they were lived inquiries into how to be human, how to heal, how to communicate, how to relate, and how to show up in life with honesty and depth.

For the past three years, I’ve been part of a local men’s circle here in Portugal, where we explore themes like masculinity, responsibility, vulnerability, integrity, and communication. We’re currently diving deep into the topic of initiation — and what it means to become ritual elders in our time. This is one of my core visions: to one day hold space for meaningful, grounded rites of passage that can support young people in stepping fully into life. This is also the inspiration behind the name Sacred Flame.

Finally, I try to live by a ‘heal to play’ philosophy. I don’t believe healing is meant to be a permanent state. It’s a necessary phase that clears the way for joy, purpose, and creative living. Music has been a huge part of this shift for me. After my mother — a classically trained pianist — passed away, music opened up in my life. Today, I hold space for bi-weekly singing circles in my local community. It’s one of the most alive and playful parts of my life. All of these experiences inform how I meet the people I work with.

I don’t come in as an expert with all the answers. I come in as someone who’s walked through the fire, who listens deeply, and who offers his heart and mind to help you find your way back to yourself.

14. How do masculine and feminine energies play into your work?

A core element of my personal path — and the way I support others — is the integration of masculine and feminine energies. These aren’t just gendered traits, but universal forces that live within each of us.

The masculine energy brings direction, strength, discipline, protection, and action. The feminine energy brings receptivity, intuition, flow, emotional awareness, and surrender.
Many people today struggle because one side is underdeveloped or suppressed. My work helps people recognise, honour, and integrate both energies, creating a more balanced, grounded, and alive presence in the world.

This plays out in coaching sessions through inner dialogue, shadow work, embodiment practices, and practical strategies that cultivate both structure and softness.

15. Can I book a one-off session, or do I need to commit to a full package?

You can absolutely book a one-off session. Some people use these for a check-in, a clarity boost, or to feel into whether working together is a fit. Others choose a package when they’re ready to go deeper over time. Both are valid — I offer flexible options because I know that everyone’s process is different. You’re welcome to reach out and book a single session if that’s what you need right now.

16. Do you offer coaching in Dutch as well? 

Yes, I coach in both English and Dutch — whichever language feels more natural to you. Most of my work is in English, but I’m fluent in Dutch and happy to switch if that helps you feel more at ease. If you're not sure, we can even blend both languages in a way that supports your process. Wat jij fijn vindt.