	Psychologist The Hague Einsteinlaan 28 2289 CC Rijswijk
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✓ I also offer online therapy

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Felicia | Psychologist NIP

Psychologist The Hague

About me

Before starting my own practice, I spent many years in a number of countries and institutions studying and working with clients who wanted to make changes in their substance use, gambling or eating patterns, and who also wanted to address additional mental or physical health issues or other life problems.

However, the focus was always on alcohol/other drugs/gambling/binge eating. I also often saw that substance use can make the experience of ADHD less severe, and that many of my clients suffered from ADHD-like symptoms.

However, my clients taught me that they do not need to stop using substances (first) in order to be motivated and able to make positive changes in their lives. Thus, the idea of my own practice was born: Psychological support for people who use or have used substances, with or without goals of changing their substance use.

Besides work, I love ice skating, cycling, painting and playing instruments.

My specialisations:

I can help you if you drink, use other drugs and/or gamble or suffer from binge eating and
→ you wonder if it really is a problem
→ you want to understand why you do it
→ you've noticed that your habits have changed since something else happened in your life and you just want to make sure they don't get out of hand
→ you want to understand how your gambling/using different substances/eating patterns and compensation behaviour are connected
→ you want to work on other problems such as loneliness, low mood, attention problems, frustration, (social) anxiety, communication problems, life changes, etc.)
→ you want to discuss possible consequences for your health and social life
→ you want to drink/use/gamble less, stop using only one of the substances you use, or stop using them altogether
→ you want to develop a healthy diet
→you want to build a healthy relationship with your body

I can help you if you have AD(H)D or for example problems with attention, procrastination, distractions, planning and organizing, difficulty to finish tasks.

My motto:

You don't need to call yourself an addict to explore your behaviour and consider a change.

An eating problem is usually not a problem with eating.

ADHD also comes with strengths.

My vision and approach

In my sessions, I give space to more than just your substance use/problematic behaviour. These behaviours are never isolated and can be a means of escaping daily stress and confrontation. However, they can also arise from frustration, boredom, chronic illness or trauma. They can also stem from the desire to fit in with society, to always be happy or from the attempt to be 'your ideal self'.

I combine proven cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) interventions with aspects from art, music and mindfulness. I apply my broad knowledge of physical and mental health on the one hand, and of the biochemistry of mind-altering substances on the other.

I also adapt my communication style and the content of the sessions to your preferred thinking style (verba or visual).

In my work on ADHD-like symptoms, I also use coaching techniques.

Would you like to know more for yourself or for someone else?

Contact me to arrange a (free!) cup of tea/coffee!

Online therapy

I am using BigBlueButton (short: BBB) for video calls, one-on-one or with groups. It makes it easy to securely see and talk to each other, share presentations or your own screen, take notes together or even make drawings.

What do I need to use BBB?

BigBlueButton runs entirely in your browser, so there’s not program or app you need to install. You can use BBB on any device which can display websites, as long as there’s a microphone and camera connected to it. You don’t need to create a user account, either. Instead, I send a link every participant in a session which opens the session page in your browser. You merely have to type in a name (which does not even have to be your actual name), and you’re in.

Recommendations, remarks

After you’ve clicked on “join”, you may see a message that you have to wait for permission to join. This is because rooms are configured by default so that nobody can join without my permission. This is to make sure that nobody can join once a session is underway.
There’s an “Echo Test” at the start of each session. This simply tests if your microphone is working and connected, before joining you. Your browser may ask for permission to use the microphone (and to select a microphone if there are several), which you should of course agree to in this case.
Your video feed is also usually turned off at the beginning. You need to click the little camera icon at the bottom of your screen to allow me to see your picture. Also in this case, most browsers will ask for permission to use your camera.
Of course, any video conference moves a bit of data around, so it’s often both cheaper and overall more robust to connect from a stable WIFI connection rather than on mobile data, to get the best quality and no hiccups — but mobile data also does work.
Further info can be found in the video tutorials and FAQ from the developers.
The first time we have an online session, we can start a few minutes early, to give you time to familiarize yourself with the user interface, and to deal with any difficulties with sound or video that might come up.

Qualifications and registrations

Qualifications:

→ MSc Psychology, (Distinction), University of East London, UK

→ Postgraduate certificate Health psychology, Derby University, UK

→ PhD Biology (Magna cum laude), Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Germany

→ ADHD coach, Civas
→ ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), SeeTrue

→ Understanding Autism, Asperger's and ADHD, Derby University, VK

→ Cognitieve Gedragstherapie , Mosaic Training & Consultancy, VK
→ Verslavingsbegeleiding, online, ALH-Akademie, Haan, Duitsland

AGB codes - personal: 94109436; practice: 94066419

Languages:

English, Dutch, German, Romanian

I offer therapy in

Specialisations

1. Substance use, Gambling
2. Boulimia/Binge eating
3. ADHD Treatment and/or coaching
4. Couples Therapy

Specialisations and Expertises

Substance use
Gambling
Boulimia/Binge eating
ADHD Treatment and/or coaching
Couples Therapy

Most common issues I support people with:

Emotional instability/Mood swings

Drug use, gambling or binge eating can be a strategy to escape difficult feelings or to feel better than good. However, the use itself (due to the (long-lasting) effect on the body and emotions) or the (undesirable) behaviour that someone under the influence may display, can lead to people feeling much worse in the end.
Together, we will map out what is going on in your emotional life, what internal, external and interpersonal factors play a role, but also what role your substance use/gambling/eating pattern plays. We also look at improving your skills to give difficult emotions a place in your life, and to improve your emotional balance with the help of ACT.

ADHD/ADHD-like symptoms

Also people who do not (want to) have an ADHD diagnosis can have difficulties with planning and organising, being distracted, finishing tasks, impulsiveness/lack of patience, procrastination, restlessness, etc.
In small doses, substances such as speed or cocaine can occasionally give a person more focus and help them to complete a to-do list, but the same substances can also cause a person to not be able to do anything at all. Gambling can keep a person focused and distract them from the many disruptive thoughts, allowing them to experience peace of mind. But using/gambling can negatively affect other areas of their lives or they can get completely out of control.

Together we look at what you are struggling with, whether your substance use or gambling could be a coping mechanism for these problems and in what situations this is the case.
We work on improving your skills in planning, organising, dealing with distractions and procrastination, examining your attention span and learning to use your individual attention pattern throughout the day. The work includes many practical tips and exercises based on cognitive behavioural therapy, ACT, coaching and solution-focused therapy, and the exercises are tailored to your goals.

Binge eating

We look together at your eating pattern and compensatory behaviours (such as excessive exercise or induced throwing up) and explore which emotions are you trying to escape.
We can also look at and your past if these behaviours have roots in your early years, and can work on leaving your past behind and building up a healthy relationship with your body and your emotions.
We explore the unhelpful thoughts and beliefs keeping you stuck in these patterns, and using ACT we work on letting go of them and focus on concrete steps towards living your life according to your own values.
It is also possible to work together with a dietician to establish a healthy eating plan.

Depression

I work with ACT to help you make sense of all the the feelings associated with your depression, and to step back from the difficult thoughts or memories that pop into your head. These thoughts and feelings are human and normal, and we are more than these inner experiences. We also look together at what is important in your life, what kind of person you want to be, and how you can take action despite your low mood.
Drinking, smoking, gambling, sniffing, binging on food can ease the experience of depression in the moment, and at the same time make it worse afterwards, the next day or in the longer term. Together we look at whether this plays a role in your depression, and experiment, whether one or the other change in your use or gambling can improve your mood.

(Problematic) substance use/Gambling

You set your goals: Do you want to understand why you drink, use or gamble? Do you want to explore whether the use of one drug is related to the use of another? Do you want to better understand the consequences of your use on other areas of your life or on the lives of your loved ones? Do you want to check whether your use is still OK or already too much? Do you want to avoid letting your use/behaviour determine your life in the future? Do you want to cut down? Do you want to stop?

I work with cognitive behavioural therapy, ACT and solution-focused, and we also look more broadly at your life, for example: What else will change as a result of changes in your use/behaviour? What other skills do you need or want to learn/improve to feel balanced with no/less drinking/using/gambling?

Therapies offered

Areas of counselling I can help with

Fees

* Introductory meeting 45 min: €60
* Individual sessions 60 min/90 min: €95/€142
* individual brief interventions 30 min: €50
* Individual coaching sessions 60 min: €95+ 21% VAT
* Couples Therapy 60 min/90 min: €115€172

€20 extra for evening appointments (from 5 pm)

The costs are not covered by the basic health insurance.

Availability (Opening hours)

Monday	-
Tuesday	8:00 - 20:00
Wednesday	8:00 - 20:00
Thursday	8:00 - 20:00
Friday	-
Saturday	-
Sunday	-

Photos

Location

Reviews Psychologist The Hague

Below you will find a review about Psychologist The Hague - Felicia

Rating of 5 out of 5
Based on 1 reviews

(Write your own review)

Felicia is a wonderful therapist

Felicia is a wonderful therapist who listens with understanding, asks exactly the right questions, and in a special and very competent way puts her patient on the path that helps them understand, work through and finally overcome their problems. Even though my therapy was at a distance, it was extremely helpful to me and I had complete trust in Felicia and her approach. If there is one therapist I can recommend, it is certainly Felicia.

Maggie | France | 8 Aug 2023

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