About Caroline
A medical coach with a human compassMedical coaching is not a profession I ever deliberately chose
it’s something that gradually took shape within me, through the crossroads of my own life and work.
What drives me is creating space for what truly matters.
Not by fixing or solving, but by observing, listening, and moving along with what is.
Here, you can read more about who I am – and how I arrived at this point.
My story
My path to becoming a coach didn’t start on paper — it began in real life. Two life-altering events brought everything to a halt. What followed was a time of loss, confusion, and searching — but also one of deepening and reorientation.
I know what it feels like when your world tilts. When your body is no longer a given. When you're surrounded by well-meaning advice that doesn’t truly speak to you. And how lonely that can feel — especially when what you need most is for someone to really see you, hear you, and understand.
It was right there, in that in-between space, that I discovered something deeply valuable: That you don’t have to know everything or fix it all in order to move forward. That presence, clarity, and connection can mean more than any solution.
That experience forms the foundation of my work as a medical coach. I support people who are ill, searching, overwhelmed, or simply tired of fighting — people who long to find a new sense of direction, but don’t yet know how.
What brought me here
I come from an artistic and entrepreneurial family, where thinking and feeling, striving and caring all coexisted. As the eldest child, I learned early on to take responsibility. I also learned how to achieve — but not necessarily how to take care of myself when things got difficult or uncertain.
At 26, my body and energy started sending strange signals. It wasn’t until years later that I was diagnosed with a hereditary heart condition. The diagnosis brought many things — but mostly silence. Gradually, through lifestyle changes and medication, I regained trust — and the courage to engage with life in a new way.
A few years ago, I lost my husband due to a medical error. Everything stopped. It felt as if the ground had disappeared beneath me — and I had nowhere to land.
It was during that time, while attending a continuing education course, that I came across medical coaching. That approach touched something essential in me. It felt like coming home: with attention, depth, and respect for someone’s whole story.
I decided to enrol in the training. Because in that approach, I found the depth I had been seeking in my work for so long. But also — and perhaps most of all — because it helped me support myself in a time when care and support were scarce. It was the middle of the pandemic. I had to become my own anchor.
What I’ve learned since is this: I don’t have to be whole in order to move forward. I don’t have to know everything or fix it all. I only need to be willing to look — with gentleness, presence, and space for what arises.
In how I work as a medical coach, you’ll hear echoes of everything I’ve lived through and everything that has shaped me along the way.
What I offer is rooted in skill and experience — but just as much in softness, stillness, and trust.
Because no one should have to go it alone — especially when life comes to a halt.
What drives me in my work are values that weren’t shaped on paper — but in the lived experience of life itself.
Empathy
For me, everything begins with truly understanding what someone is going through. Not assuming — but attuning. I try to see the world as you experience it — with all its complexity, pain, and glimmers of hope.
Strengthening what’s already there
I don’t see myself as someone who has all the answers, but as someone who helps to strengthen what is already within you. So that — especially in challenging times — you can begin to trust yourself and your own direction again.
Growth through what rubs
I believe that it’s often the moments of friction or stillness that offer the greatest opening for growth. Not as a goal in itself, but as a movement toward deeper self-awareness, inner calm, and a stronger foundation from within.
Respect for what is
I believe that real change only becomes possible when there is first space for what is here now. That means: not forcing, not overriding, but being present with attention — even if things are still unclear. From there, something new can begin to emerge.
My background at a glance
What I’ve learned, built, and applied in my work — for those who’d like to take a closer look.
Professional training and work experience
My career began with a degree in Library and Information Science at the Frederik Muller Academy in Amsterdam, with a focus on the corporate world. But over the years, my focus shifted — from organising information to guiding people. I became increasingly drawn to the question of how we, as human beings, stay upright in the face of illness, stress, or loss. This led me to a deeper exploration of coaching, psychology, and how the brain responds under pressure.
Professional Training
Coaching and Transformation
2024 – Internship Health and Medical Coaching Institute
Practical experience in medical coaching under supervision
2023 – Professional Medical Coaching – Health and Medical Coaching Institute (Israël)
Guidance in illness, recovery, and life-changing diagnoses
2022 – Professional Transformative Executive Coaching – MMS Worldwide Institute
Internationally accredited coach training focused on personal and professional transformation
Psychology and behavioural development
2023 – Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) – Instituut Laudius
Coaching based on acceptance, values, and psychological flexibility
2005–2007 – Psychology and video strategy analysis – Goodfield Institute LLC
Working with non-verbal behaviour, micro-expressions, and behavioural interpretation
2005–2006 – Professional Trainer/Coach Training – JJ Trainers Academy, Amsterdam
Coaching and training skills in both individual and group contexts
2004 – Master-Practitioner NLP – Institute for Neuro Linguistic Programming
Coaching based on acceptance, values, and psychological flexibility
2001–2003 – Personal Leadership Curriculum – Humanication, Amsterdam
Development in self-leadership, awareness, and personal growth
Communication and expression
2023 – Discovering and Standing in your Authentic Voice – HRDQ
Deepening personal expression and inner strength
2010 – Consultant in motivation and behavioural assessments (DISC, values and interests) – Q4Profiles
Certified in behavioural and motivational assessments for insight into personal preferences and drivers
Business development
2018 – Women in Business – Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus Universiteit
Strategic leadership programme for women in business
Work Experience
Van Leuven Medical Coaching
Coach and sparring partner in times of illness, recovery, and personal transition (self-employed since 2023)
Executive Coach & Organisational Consultant
Project-based and interim work focused on leadership, team development, and change management
Founder & Partner at a Research and Consultancy Firm
Specialised in communication, positioning, and change management within social-impact organisations
Trainer and Lecturer
In the areas of communication skills, behavioural styles, leadership, and interpersonal dialogue
Board Member at a Medical Research Investment Fund
Contributed to advancing innovative medical research and strengthening its societal impact
President and Board Member of an International Women’s Network in the Netherlands
Led various programmes over several years, focused on empowerment, connection, and leadership development for women
In Closing
This training and experience form the foundation of my work as a medical coach — but it’s in real, human connection that the true depth emerges. That’s where I continually return to the essence of my profession: guiding with presence, in service of what truly matters.
My approach
No two people are the same — and neither are any two coaching sessions. That’s why I don’t follow a fixed protocol, but continuously ask: Where are you right now? What is needed now? What calls for attention first? My approach is personal and holistic. I work with everything that shows up: mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual. Trust is the foundation. No judgment, no rush — but clear attention, structure, and depth.
I believe that change happens in collaboration. You bring your story, your experiences, your questions. I bring my expertise, calm presence, and genuine commitment. Together we build clarity, direction, and resilience.
Throughout the process, I don’t see you as your circumstances — but as a person with a unique vision, longings, and strengths. I hold you accountable for your process — not to push you, but to create space for growth in your own way.
I combine my background as a coach and business professional to guide a process that brings not only insight, but also practical tools that truly work. So that you can learn to shift — from surviving to living meaningfully, right in the midst of all that life is asking of you.
Practical information
— Coaching sessions last between 1.5 and 2 hours
— You can choose individual sessions or a full coaching program
— Coaching takes place online by default
— In-person sessions are sometimes possible, depending on the situation and by mutual agreement
— Sessions are available in Dutch or English
— The initial intake session is free of charge
— I work in accordance with the ethical guidelines of the Medical Coach Institute and the International Coaching Federation
We can take a look at where you are right now — and whether coaching is a good fit for you at this moment.
The intake is without any commitment.
English 
Dutch