After training as a clinical psychologist (with a specialization in child and adolescent developmental psychology), I dove into the world of speaking. As a young twenty-something, I did not yet feel ready to start working in a therapeutic setting. First, I wanted to gather some life experience and go through my own processes.

From 2006 to 2019, I worked as an editor and copywriter for quite a few (mainly non-mainstream) media outlets and organizations. I did research, wrote articles and got to interview people. Gathering great stories and sharing them with the world: it was a job that fitted my own heart. In that period I also attended many courses, seminars and trainings at home and abroad. I studied personal growth and the power of self-expression and stories, narrative coaching, narrative therapy and personal storytelling.
In 2015 I went to the International School of Storytelling in England for a month. There I took the then-current course "Healing Words". There I learned to work intensively with the healing power of imagination and stories. After this course I wrote my own medicine story, which gave my life a totally new direction.
In 2016 I attended the training 'Healing Stories for Children' (Ann Ackaert), the two-day training Narrative Counseling (Storytelling Academy, NL) and the five-month training Narrative Coaching (Institute of Coaching).

And then it was time for practice. Over the past five years, I've told hundreds of self-invented stories to my plus daughter, who encouraged and continues to encourage me to share the stories with even more children. Her (and my) wish is being granted. 'Zilverhoefje' ('Silver Hoof') is the first Dutch story to appear in book form. From April 2022, you can also find our first collection of 5 audio stories in the 'The Little Forest of Wonders'. (at the moment only Dutch)

Want to read more? I also wrote a more personal blog about how I came to tell healing stories and what role my grandmother played in it. You can find the story on our blog page.

You can request a customized story at any time in a child's life when you feel the child needs or would benefit from it. More specifically, a healing story can be especially appropriate in situations where the child could use some extra support.
Some examples: moments of mourning and parting, the start of a new phase in life, changing schools, moving house, healing grief or trauma, ...
Also with themes such as high sensitivity, lack of self-confidence, being bullied, the feeling of being 'different', ... A healing story can be a powerful pillar of support.

Yes and no. A healing story is not therapy in the classic sense of the word, but experience and research confirm that receiving it can have a profound therapeutic effect. A lot of international research has been done on this over the years.
If you do not specifically choose for a healing story, but for a story at a specific moment in the life of a child, the story is of course not necessarily therapeutic. However, there will always be a deeper layer present. The stories are never purely entertainment. By working with metaphors and archetypal images, they touch the essence.

Each story is original and customized, so it is difficult to give you an exact estimate of the length. Most stories are 20 to 40 minutes long. For very young children, the stories are usually a bit shorter.

In some stories, not only is my narrative voice present, but short a cappella vocal excerpts are included and the story is supported through simple instrumental sounds. Not only the content of the story, but also my voice and any other sounds contribute to the healing effects and medicinal power of the story.

The stories I create on demand are original stories, copyrighted. The story I provide you via an audio file is intended solely for you (or for the recipient, in case you are gifting a story). The rights are retained by the author. The story may also not be further distributed without my explicit written permission.

In legal language: all rights are reserved. None of the data shared in the audio file may be reproduced, stored in a computerized database, and/or made public, in any form or by any means, without the explicit prior written permission of the creator.

The stories may be included in the story library in The Little Forest of Miracles and/or used and distributed in other ways by Woods Of Wonder. In this way, others may also experience their healing qualities.
If you have any questions about this, please feel free to contact me. You can do so at [email protected]

Absolutely. You can give a story as a gift to your child or grandchild, godson or goddaughter, to a niece or nephew, a brother or sister. Feel free to discuss with the child (or with the child's parents, if you are not the parent) whether you can give him or her this experience. The story can only do its job when the child for whom it was created can receive it with an open heart.

I write and tell stories for children of all ages. Three or four years is usually the minimum age.
A custom story is anyway tailored to the age and developmental stage of the child.
Children are still very close to the world of fairy tales and stories. A tailor-made story can support them in a non-intrusive, very focused way with something they are struggling with.
If you have any doubts or questions, please feel free to contact us at [email protected].

You certainly can. Custom healing stories can also be a rich and gentle gateway to the deeper inner waters for adults. They can be a beautiful and powerful support for growth, healing and processing. I have received several healing stories myself and have also created several for other adults. They were all very special and healing experiences.
In the spring of 2021, I followed the online training 'Lost Islands', at the International School of Storytelling. Here I focused specifically on healing storytelling for adults.

Curious? Still have questions? Feel free to contact me. You can do so via [email protected].