As a child I used to spend days tinkering with construction kits. I was completely absorbed in that. When I was nineteen, I exchanged those kits for a few harmonicas on which I now play the blues. On the harmonica I can express myself perfectly; without this instrument I find it quite difficult. For me, Nonviolent Communication (NVC) is also a kind of tool with which I can say what is important to me and hear what others are thinking.

For four years I lived in a Buddhist center in France. There I became acquainted with the ideas of Marshall Rosenberg. In early 2006 I met him in Switzerland for a ten-day training. In 2007 I returned to Leiden and gave my first training. I immediately felt at home there. I followed my Center for Nonviolent Communication (CNVC) trainer training at Phoenix in Utrecht.

To this day I give training and mentor people. I really enjoy when I experience real contact and openness. I am happy to be able to share what I have learned with others. In addition, I am a meditation instructor and teacher affiliated with Shambhala International.