About Roel
A lifelong fascination with what it means to be human
Throughout my life, I have been fascinated by one simple question:
What helps people truly thrive?
This question has guided me as an athlete, coach, healthcare professional, therapist, partner, father, grandfather and human being.
Although the roles have changed over the years, the question has remained remarkably consistent.
How do we remain connected to ourselves, to others and to what truly matters?
Learning through sport
My first lessons did not come from books.
They came from sport.
As a young athlete, I competed at a high level in both baseball and basketball. Sport taught me discipline, commitment and perseverance. But it also introduced me to something deeper.
The experience of performing under pressure.
The difference between trying to control every outcome and trusting what had already become part of me.
The remarkable moments when everything seemed to come together naturally.
These experiences sparked a lifelong interest in the relationship between body, mind, emotion and performance.
From the body to the person
My professional journey began in physiotherapy.
I was fascinated by the human body and its extraordinary capacity to adapt, recover and perform.
Yet over time, I became increasingly aware that physical complaints often tell only part of the story.
Behind every body is a person.
A person with emotions.
Relationships.
Dreams.
Losses.
Fears.
Hopes.
This realisation eventually led me towards haptotherapy.
A field that allowed me to explore not only how people function physically, but how they experience themselves and their lives.
It felt less like a career change and more like coming home.
More than forty years of practice
For more than four decades, I have had the privilege of working with people from all walks of life.
Individuals facing stress and burnout.
People navigating loss, grief and life transitions.
Couples struggling to reconnect.
Athletes seeking peak performance.
Leaders carrying responsibility.
People searching for meaning, direction or simply a greater sense of aliveness.
Again and again, I have witnessed the same truth:
Human beings are far more resilient than they often realise.
Not because life is easy.
But because we possess an extraordinary capacity to adapt, grow and reconnect.
Life as teacher
Some of the most important lessons in my life did not come from education or professional experience.
They came from life itself.
From love.
From loss.
From parenthood.
From friendship.
From failure.
From joy.
From saying goodbye to people I loved.
And from discovering that life can still surprise us with new beginnings when we least expect it.
These experiences have deepened my conviction that wisdom is not found only in knowledge.
It is found in lived experience.
In the courage to feel.
In the willingness to remain open to life, even when life hurts.
The Art of Feeling
The ideas shared throughout this website are not theories I have adopted.
They are insights that have emerged through decades of practice, observation and personal experience.
I believe that we are born as feelers and raised to become thinkers.
That emotions are not problems to be solved, but guides to be understood.
That the body carries wisdom we often overlook.
That meaningful relationships shape the quality of our lives.
And that our greatest growth often comes not from becoming more, but from uncovering who we already are.
An invitation
Whether you are seeking support, exploring new perspectives or simply curious about these ideas, I hope this website offers something of value.
Not answers to every question.
But perhaps a different way of looking.
A different way of listening.
A different way of relating to yourself and to others.
Because ultimately, the most important journey is not the journey towards becoming someone else.
It is the journey towards becoming more fully yourself.
I look forward to meeting you.
Education & Professional Background
- Physiotherapist
- Haptotherapist
- Former elite athlete (baseball and basketball)
- Former coach within the Dutch National Baseball Programme
- Over 40 years of professional experience