Meet Amanda
Certified coach
Hi there. My name is Amanda. I used to be a diplomat, now I am a coach & rebirthing breathwork facilitator, helping other internationally minded people to connect to themselves on a deeper level.
From an early age I've been fond of travelling and visiting other, exotic cultures. I preferred to go as far away as possible (and actually still do). My choice for a career in diplomacy eventually was therefore also a step that suited me well. I enjoyed engaging with other cultures and knowing I would change position and country every few years.
Still, after a few years in diplomacy, I longed for something else. The human psyche fascinated me as much as those other cultures I loved to be in. I grew up in an unstable home and lived with foster families for a couple of years when I was a teenager - experiences that have shaped me into the person I am today. Sensing and adapting are skills that I know well (and have been useful to me as a diplomat), but I also carried things with me that hindered me. Such as a belief that I had to do everything alone, and a continuous anxiety by always looking for the next adventure.
The baggage we have collected in our childhood and often still carry with us, has always fascinated me. How can you ensure that that luggage is not ballast weighing you down, but a well-fitting backpack that provides you with the necessary equipment?
In 2021, I completed an intensive 9-month coaching course, so I could figure this out for myself and help others with the same question. In addition, in February 2022 I did a 3-week training to become a rebirthing breathwork facilitator, so I can offer tools beyond the cognitive.
During my coaching course my fellow students gave me the nickname 'the Adventurer'. Understandable, with all the adventures abroad I had already experienced. At age 19, I quit my studies to travel in South America, where I eventually stayed 1.5 year. Later I also lived in Argentina (six months), London (2.5 years) and Brazil (three years), and travelled a lot in between.
While travelling and in the tropics I was at my happiest - or so I thought. Because in hindsight, it was also a flight away - away from my feelings. I was always busy with the next adventure, with the next destination, and lived with my head in the future. Feeding my unrest with more trips.
Until I moved back home to the Netherlands from Brazil, in the middle of the covid crisis. I had just unpacked my things when my dad very unexpectedly died. A great sorrow, that I simply couldn't ignore this time.
This took place during a very turbulent time, while building a new life in the Netherlands, starting my intensive coaching course and living in a lockdown which made me feel very alone (and also stopped me from going abroad, my usual coping mechanism). It was a time during which I felt very displaced.
Although I returned home, my move to the Netherlands actually marked the start of a new journey: a journey within. The combination of my coaching training and the lack of external distraction during lockdown ensured that I could now really turn inward: feeling my feelings, peeling off layers and looking at deep beliefs. It was at times a painful process, but with such a beautiful result: I could finally come home.
I wish that kind of homecoming to you - expat, digital nomad or other wanderer - too. A true homecoming within yourself, wherever you are in this world. Being an anchor for yourself, on which you can rely and fall back on, especially when external circumstances change and you are without your trusted safety net for a while.
As a former diplomat and avid traveller (and also after having coached 10+ nationalities in 3 continents) I know that living abroad isn't always picture perfect, which the people at home don't always understand. I offer a listening ear and think along with you. My goal is to help you understand yourself even better, so you know exactly how your backpack looks like. You can contact me for all coaching questions on work or your private life. Would you like to know more? Drop me a message below or schedule a free discovery call right away.