I write about mental health, psychosis, altered states, trauma, yoga therapy, nervous system regulation, philosophy, spirituality and the many ways people find their way back to themselves. My work lives at the meeting point of psychiatry, psychology, yoga, ancient wisdom traditions and what I call Original Medicines: the practices, relationships, rhythms and ways of knowing that reconnect us with body, community, nature and meaning. After more than 25 years working in mental health as a psychiatric nurse, therapist and yoga therapist, I’m especially interested in what becomes possible when we widen the conversation beyond diagnosis and symptom reduction — without losing discernment, safety or good clinical care. Through Terrapy, I work with individuals and groups and teach healthcare professionals, therapists and others who care. I also share reflections from my books, research, conversations, trainings and the questions I’m currently exploring.If you’re curious about a broader, more humane and integrative approach to mental health and healing, you’re very welcome!
💌 Why CRISIS Holds the Key to Transformation — Join Our Free Webinar! (incl free recording)
Dear Reader Throughout my years working in Amsterdam’s acute psychiatry and crisis wards, I encountered countless individuals facing their darkest moments. I also experienced personal crises that shook me to my core. From these experiences, one conclusion became painfully clear: Crisis is here to teach us something. Yet, despite this truth, many of us find ourselves wanting to run from it, fight it, or avoid it. As we learn through the lens of Polyvagal Theory, our nervous system often responds with what are known as “orange” responses — fight or flight — because crisis feels unsafe, overwhelming, and unbearable. These responses are natural, but they might not help us heal long term. What if we could change our relationship with crisis? What if, instead of avoiding it, we learned to face it, and move through? The truth is, it’s not always fully safe to dive into every situation we encounter — but sometimes, it is “safe enough.” When we dare to lean in, to go through the storm instead of around it, we emerge reborn. It’s not an easy journey. Our systems — our society, our structures — don’t always support us in embracing this transformative process. Yet, in my experience, we face more than one crisis in our lives — and often, they revolve around a similar theme, a thread of unresolved pain or unmet need. Deep down, we know we should face these challenges, but the question remains: How? This is exactly what we’ll explore in our upcoming free webinar, "Crisis as a Teacher: Understanding emotional stress, and how to navigate life’s challenges" I’ll walk you through how to begin embracing crisis as your teacher, understanding your nervous system’s reactions, and moving through the discomfort in a way that leads to growth and healing. Don’t miss this opportunity to understand how crisis is a doorway to profound transformation, not an unbeatable wall. Sign up now and join me for a journey of clarity, courage, and healing.
Join us for this beautiful session on the New Moon, Sunday, December 1st, 2024, from 8:00 PM to 9:15 PM. This session will lay the groundwork for a deeper exploration in the Dark Night program. At the end, there will be a dedicated Q&A session, providing you the opportunity to seek clarity on the concepts discussed I would love for you to join us live for this experience, but if you can’t make it, don’t worry — a recording of the webinar will be provided by e-mail to all who sign up. Warmly, |
Terrapy | The Original Medicines
I write about mental health, psychosis, altered states, trauma, yoga therapy, nervous system regulation, philosophy, spirituality and the many ways people find their way back to themselves. My work lives at the meeting point of psychiatry, psychology, yoga, ancient wisdom traditions and what I call Original Medicines: the practices, relationships, rhythms and ways of knowing that reconnect us with body, community, nature and meaning. After more than 25 years working in mental health as a psychiatric nurse, therapist and yoga therapist, I’m especially interested in what becomes possible when we widen the conversation beyond diagnosis and symptom reduction — without losing discernment, safety or good clinical care. Through Terrapy, I work with individuals and groups and teach healthcare professionals, therapists and others who care. I also share reflections from my books, research, conversations, trainings and the questions I’m currently exploring.If you’re curious about a broader, more humane and integrative approach to mental health and healing, you’re very welcome!
5 min read · Full (hunter's) moon | October 26, 2026 Every transformation has a moment when the old way of being stops working. The ground crumbles. What held you (the roles, the certainties, the masks, the story of who you are) loosens its grip. And there is nothing yet to replace it. Like a free fall into a never-ending depth. The Greeks called it katabasis: the necessary going down into the underworld, the un-doing before again becoming. I know this place. I have gone through it, and I...
Dear Reader In 1967, psychologist Julian Silverman published a paper with a curious title: Shamans and Acute Schizophrenia. It's a question close to the heart of the online summit coming up: what happens when people move through reality-altering experiences that the world around them understands completely differently? Silverman argued the real difference wasn't only what happened inside the person, but what happened around them. Was there a cultural map? Was there a (safe) place for the...
Dear Reader, When I first started imagining this summit, I didn't begin with keynote speakers. I began with circles. I wanted to turn the usual conference model a little upside down — not four days of sitting behind a screen listening to expert after expert, but a living gathering where you can enter the conversation yourself. So throughout the summit there will be live circles — smaller, facilitated spaces built around shared experience. Some are pure experience, like Gaby's drum circle,...