About Gijs
I have more than 30 years of experience as a trainer and therapist. My basis lies in the regular mental health care where I worked as a practitioner within crisis intervention and therapy, in my meditation training and therapy within my own practice and in my personal and spiritual training and development. In guiding psychedelic sessions, all that experience and knowledge comes together.
Spiritual deepening and new direction
Since the age of 19, meditation has been a constant in my life. What began as a search for relief from anxiety and gloom grew into a source of peace and insight. The deep experience of what it is like to be stuck in inner suffering myself, and then extensive experience as a counsellor, has helped me develop a clear intuition and sensitivity to another person's inner suffering and what is needed.
I combined my years in mental health with long meditation retreats. In 2006, I brought mindfulness training to the mental health sector to integrate my passion for meditation into my work. Two years later, I focused entirely on my own practice. Here I have since delivered hundreds of mindfulness and deepening trainings, including compassion training, Interpersonal Mindfulness, ACT, Open Focus training and meditation retreats. These trainings have been further enriched by my years of study and time with my spiritual teacher Mooji. In contact with Mooji, deep spiritual experiences and insights emerged that definitely changed the perspective and inspiration from which I live. This also deeply changed my perspective on therapy and training.
These days, I work in my own practice Openfocus and at Triptherapie.co.uk
Specialism
As part of my work within the mainstream mental health sector, I have attended a whole range of training courses. But my way of working has slowly but surely changed dramatically and become increasingly intertwined with spirituality. I offer therapy and coaching in which the foundation is a down-to-earth spirituality. Within mainstream mental health care, there is too much emphasis on cognitively oriented approaches and compassionate aspects (the qualities of the heart) are not given enough space and attention. Understanding is not enough. Psychological issues need to be felt through and embraced.
I see the division that has always existed between traditional psycho-therapy and spirituality as a tragic mistake. For it is precisely the spiritual dimension within us that is healing and where we find strength and healing.
In my counselling, you may find elements of mindfulness and other meditative approaches, compassion training, ACT, breath work, hatha yoga and non-dualistic forms of psychotherapy such as IFS (Internal Family Systems)
Some training courses that supported me in this were mindfulness trainer training and mindfulness-based stress reduction in mind-body medicine with the founders of mindfulness training, Jon Kabat-Zinn and Saki Santorelli, mindfulness & psychotherapy with Ronald D. Siegel, ACT (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy), compassion training MBCL, Interpersonal Mindfulness trainer, Heart Coherence training, EMDR, Walking Coaching, Breathwork, Open Focus trainer (Dr Les Fehmi, Princeton USA), Neurofeedback trainer (Zengar method and Othmer method).
My own experiences with psychedelics
I used to do several trips with LSD and magic mushrooms. But that was recreational. That is a completely different experience from a guided and purposeful inner journey. I found my first guided psychedelic trip to be a revelation. It felt like a major cleansing. An inner journey in which I embraced and welcomed all kinds of parts of myself and in which I could also let go of pieces with great determination. It was as if a lot of puzzle pieces fell into place. It was such an effective and beautiful way of working that I also wanted to use it in my work as a trainer and therapist. I started gaining more experience. With micro-dosing and with regular to very high doses. I immersed myself in the literature, scientific research and followed several training courses for trip facilitator and for psychedelic therapy. This approach combines my therapeutic background with a down-to-earth, spiritual approach.
I am currently researching the combination of psychedelics and neurofeedback. This is still in its infancy but the first results are promising.
My approach
A psychedelic journey is not a superficial experience. It is an invitation to explore yourself and let go of what is holding you back. A willingness to engage in the process creates space for greater peace, connection and clarity.
Simplicity and effortlessness are the foundation in my guidance. No complex psychological explanations, but a gentle and very direct approach.
Whatever your path, become friends with yourself. There is no need to psychologise endlessly. Be kind, loving and forgiving to yourself. Otherwise, you will continue to stumble over who you are.
It is precisely in this that psychedelics can play a hugely beneficial role. Psychedelics easily open you up to your spiritual dimension and can help you discover and strengthen that deep self-love. In doing so, it can bring you insights and experiences of deep connection and gratitude, reopening you to the beauty and magic of the moment. This offers the power to face things as they are. Allowing this moment to be as it is. Making peace with this moment. Opening to what is and letting go of fruitless fighting and struggling.
I help with preparation
Once your trip is booked and planned, we can be in touch (by phone or online) to discuss in a bit more detail your expectations and what you hope it will bring you. You might also find it exciting. That's understandable and perfectly normal.
I will tell you about what to expect, about your guidance and about how to prepare.
As with preparing for any adventure trip, it is a good idea to think about a few things such as: why and from what intention do you want to take this trip. What do you hope it will bring you? - What do you need during this journey? This is also about skills you can start training beforehand. I tell you about what to expect, your guidance and how to prepare.
I help you with practical tips, reading material and exercises, so that you start the journey well prepared. The goal is for you to be clear about what you want and to feel safe and supported.
The practice space
For sessions, you can arrange your own location (at your home or another location). You can also come to my practice space and studio on a beautiful estate near 's-Hertogenbosch. This peaceful setting, surrounded by nature, is ideal for reflection and integration. You can also book an overnight stay in the same studio, so you don't have to travel after the session. Contact me if you are interested in that.
Reviews psychedelic sessions with Gijs
By reading the reviews about Gijs, you can get a better idea yourself whether Gijs as a facilitator of your psychedelic session suits you. It is also nice to read these reviews to get an idea of what can be experienced during a psychedelic trip and how Gijs guides it. Use the button below to read all the reviews on Gijs.
Contact Gijs
Would you like to connect first before booking a session with Gijs? That's very understandable! You can contact Gijs via one of the options below. For telephone contact, if there is no answer, it is best to send me a message via Whatsapp, Telegram or email.
Book a psychedelic session with Gijs
I am available in an area around 's-Hertogenbosch, a maximum of 1 hour's drive away. This includes cities such as Utrecht, Zaltbommel, Nijmegen, Oss, Uden, Best, Eindhoven, Tilburg and Breda. Please note that I allow a maximum of one hour travel time. Outside rush hour this may be more kilometers than during rush hour. So I like to take that into account when planning. The rate is 50 cents per kilometer. The distance is calculated from and to the zip code 5231EK.
You can of course also book my practice space including overnight stay, a nice space on a beautiful estate near 's-Hertogenbosch. Please contact me if you would like to discuss or get acquainted.
