Who I Am & How I Work
Trust is an essential part of a safe psychedelic session. It is therefore natural that you want to know who I am before working with me — whether in a session, through my Toolkit, or in my consultancy. Below I briefly share more about my background and how I work.
In Short
Psychedelics have been a continuous thread throughout my life.
- More than 25 years of personal experience with psychedelics
- Over 20 years active in the psychedelic field (education, conferences, board work, harm reduction)
- Founder and former board member of the OPEN Foundation
- More than 10 years of experience guiding psychedelic experiences
- Experience in crisis and trip support (including Kosmicare / Zendo / festivals)
- MSc in Medical Anthropology
- Over 10 years of experience in mental healthcare (GGZ)
- Independent practice since 2019
How I Work
Mijn manier van begeleiden wordt vaak door cliënten omschreven als
My guidance is often described by clients as:
- Compassionate – I am able to be fully present with whatever arises
- Gentle and non-forcing – I do not believe in “pushing through”
- Hands-off – I intervene as little as possible and trust your own process
- Down to earth – open-minded without any sense of mysticism or fluff
- Culturally sensitive – your worldview is the starting point, not min
My Background
My work is rooted in a lifelong fascination with consciousness and the ways in which people make meaning of inner experiences and health.
More than 25 years ago, I first encountered psychedelics through psilocybin mushrooms. What began as a personal exploration developed into a long-term, ongoing deepening of altered states of consciousness, which has remained a constant thread throughout both my life and my work.
During my studies in Medical Anthropology, I explored how people across cultures make sense of consciousness, illness, and health. As a student, I worked at Conscious Dreams Kokopelli, one of the best-known smartshops in Amsterdam and a pioneer in the field. There I gained my first practical experience in providing education about psychedelics and responsible use, and I was introduced to the subject of consciousness-altering substances and harm reduction.
A visit to the LSD Symposium in Basel (2006) became an important turning point for me. What struck me most was the amount of scientific knowledge and international development in the field of psychedelics, alongside the absence of Dutch researchers and voices in that conversation. This contrast became the direct motivation for me to initiate the founding of the OPEN Foundation (2007), where I remained actively involved as co-founder and board member for fifteen years.
Today, OPEN has grown into a leading Dutch organization in the field of psychedelic research, knowledge exchange, and field development, and is a respected part of the international psychedelic field, among others as organizer of the Interdisciplinary Conference on Psychedelic Research (ICPR) and as developer of the ADEPT training for psychedelic therapists.
From my work with OPEN, my network and expertise within the international psychedelic field continued to grow. This provided access to conferences and opportunities within psychedelic harm reduction (since 2012), including Kosmicare (Boom Festival) and Zendo (Burning Man). In this context, I gained extensive hands-on experience in supporting people during acute psychedelic crises and in holding space for intensely altered states of consciousness in real time.
In the Netherlands, I also co-initiated and coordinated a PsyCare team at PsyFi Festival (2017), where we were responsible for setting up a safe crisis support structure and training and guiding volunteers.
In 2018, I completed part of the MAPS training in MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD. This week-long training in the Netherlands was co-facilitated and hosted by the OPEN Foundation at the time. During this training, I gained in-depth insight into clinical psychedelic therapy, and in particular into the complexity of therapeutic integration processes.
In parallel, I worked for ten years in mental healthcare as a care worker and coach. There I gained broad experience with psychological vulnerability, recovery processes, and the importance of stable, compassionate presence in complex mental health situations.
In 2022, after 15 years of involvement with the OPEN Foundation, I stepped down from my active role within the organization to make space for the further development of my independent practice. I remain closely connected to the OPEN Foundation and the broader international psychedelic field.
Ethics, Self-Development & Professional Attitude
In my work as a psychedelic guide and consultant, ongoing self-development and reflection are an essential part of professional practice. Working with altered states of consciousness requires not only knowledge and experience, but also a continuous willingness to explore one’s own reactions, patterns, and sensitivities.
Within professional guidelines such as the Code of Conduct of the Guild of Guides, this is also explicitly recognised as part of ethical practice: good guidance requires self-awareness, self-reflection, and the ongoing cultivation of inner stability.
In my own life, I engage with this in various ways, including meditation, writing, being in nature, psychedelic experiences, and other forms of inner and reflective work.
My role as a parent is also an important mirror in this process. Motherhood is a daily practice in presence, inner balance, patience, and surrender — qualities that directly inform my work with deeply altered states of consciousness.
Why “Door of Perception”?
Friends have called me Door (a nickname derived from my first name) since I was young. Over time, this evolved into “Door of Perception” — a playful reference to Aldous Huxley’s The Doors of Perception. A nickname that fits well with my work around consciousness and perception.
Beyond my work
Beyond working as a psychedelic guide, consultant, and mentor, I am also a mother of three children, a partner, a writer, an explorer of consciousness, a medical anthropologist, a meditation practitioner, a music lover, a nature enthusiast, an arthouse film fan, a sci-fi lover, and a global citizen.
