About Me
Psychosocial therapist. Specialising in trauma and EMDR for mothers.
Nikolien Martina
Accredited and registered psychosocial therapist · EMDR & trauma
My story
I am a mother of two. An entrepreneur. Someone who sets high standards, both for myself and for others. I work hard and I am ambitious; I always have been.
But there was a time in my life when everything I had built up was suddenly at risk. Someone I trusted turned out not to be worthy of that trust. The situation spiralled completely out of control. I can’t go into all the details. What I can say is this: I know what it feels like when the ground falls away beneath you, even though on the outside you’re still standing strong.
I know what it’s like to function in a state of constant alertness, whilst having to carry on regardless. I know how long it can take before you realise that you haven’t been yourself for a long time.
That has shaped me as a therapist. That, and the women I work with.
Unresolved experiences tend to be passed on.
To you, to your children, and to future generations.
Family
My great-great-grandmother Anna built up a business in the textile industry in the early 19th century. This was at a time when women did not earn their own money, let alone run a business. Her husband gave up his job to come and work with her.
She was way ahead of her time. And she didn’t have it easy. She had to be strong in a world that didn’t expect that of her, and that took its toll on her. I’m sure of that, even though there’s no one left to tell me.
I recognise her in myself. The mother who is also an entrepreneur. Who achieves and perseveres, who keeps everything running, and yet doesn’t always realise the cost of it all. I’ve recognised her pattern in my own life, at times when I least expected it.
And I recognise her in the women who come to see me. Women who are strong because they have to be. And who, at some point, realise that being strong is taking a toll on them that they can no longer afford.
As long as painful experiences or self-sabotaging patterns haven’t been processed, they get passed on. To the next generation, without you even realising it. No mother wants that. That’s exactly why I do this work.
Method
“I get to the root of the problem. That sounds simple. It isn’t.”
Many of the women who come to see me have sought help before and have been let down. Time and again, they’ve been helped with the surface issues, whilst the deeper issues remained unresolved.
I assume that if you’d been able to sort it out yourself, you would have done so already. So I’m not asking you what you think. Instead, I’ll work with you to identify what’s really going on, and I’ll put it into words. That’s the only way it will make a real difference.
I take an analytical approach. I’m a good listener. I quickly identify the root of the problem, and I do so with genuine care. For me, therapy isn’t a one-way street. We work together on what’s going on, at a pace that suits you.
Therapy
EMDR is een evidence-based methode, erkend door de WHO en het NIP. Ze werkt op traumatische herinneringen via het zenuwstelsel.
Memories that have held their power for years can change. The brain weighs them up differently. They have less of an influence on how you react today.
I offer individual sessions. There’s no set programme, and no long-term course that you have to commit to in full beforehand. You set the pace yourself. Find out more about EMDR therapy.
In brief
Evidence-based
Recognised by the WHO and the NIP.
Works via the nervous system
Memories are processed differently by the brain.
Single Sessions
No set schedule, you set the pace.
Registrations and Quality
Certified EMDR therapist
These records form the basis for reimbursement under supplementary health insurance. Read more about fees and reimbursements or quality and complaints.
Stop just trying to get by
We’ll discuss together whether EMDR is suitable for your situation and what you can expect.
Online or in Woerdense Verlaat
May be (partially) covered by your Dutch supplementary health insurance