Treatment
Personal care
At Handa Psychology Practice Groningen we are dedicated to providing psychological care with a focus on understanding the individual rather than solely relying on diagnoses. We believe in exploring the unique story of each person and how their past experiences shape their present challenges. Our approach emphasizes healing from old wounds and making choices that empower individuals in the here and now.
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Led by psychologist Louise Hof, our practice specializes in helping clients uncover the root of their emotional pain. Louise utilizes mindfulness and trauma-informed therapy to address underlying issues without labeling or pathologizing. In addition, she employs pragmatic, solution-oriented methods, including cognitive behavioral therapy, to work through more immediate concerns.
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At Handa Psychology, we recognize the complexity of human experience and strive to support you on your journey toward healing and self-discovery.
Treatment methods
At Handa Psychology Practice, we provide a diverse range of therapeutic approaches tailored to meet your unique needs. By integrating various treatment methods, we ensure that our therapy addresses all dimensions of your well-being: cognitive, emotional, and physical. This holistic approach promotes comprehensive healing and fosters deeper understanding and growth.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present and engaged in the moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting your thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations. It involves paying attention to the here and now without judgment, fostering a deeper awareness of oneself and one's surroundings. Therapeutically, mindfulness has been shown to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, improve emotional regulation, and enhance overall well-being. By promoting relaxation and encouraging self-compassion, mindfulness helps individuals develop greater resilience and coping strategies, leading to more profound emotional healing and personal growth. Psychologist Louise has been trained as a mindfulness trainer by the Center for Mindfulness.
Focusing
Focusing, developed by psychologist Eugene Gendlin, is a therapeutic technique that emphasizes bodily awareness and emotional processing to facilitate personal insight and healing. It encourages individuals to connect with their inner experiences—often referred to as "felt senses"—and to explore these sensations with curiosity and compassion. The process involves a series of steps where clients learn to quiet their minds, tune into their bodies, and articulate the underlying feelings and thoughts associated with their experiences. By acknowledging and working with these felt senses, individuals can gain clarity, resolve internal conflicts, and enhance their overall emotional well-being. Psychologist Louise was trained in focusing as a treatment method by FocusCentrum Aaffien de Vries.
Internal Family Systems
Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy is a psychotherapeutic approach that views the mind as made up of different "parts," each with its own feelings, thoughts, and roles. According to IFS, these parts often develop in response to life experiences and can include protective parts (which attempt to manage pain or anxiety) and vulnerable parts (which represent our wounded selves). The primary goal of IFS therapy is to foster harmony and collaboration among these parts by helping individuals understand their inner dynamics. Clients learn to recognize and engage with their various parts with compassion, leading to increased self-awareness and emotional healing. The ultimate aim is to access the "Self," a core aspect of an individual characterized by qualities such as calmness, curiosity, and compassion, which can guide the person toward greater integration and well-being. IFS can be effective in treating trauma, anxiety, depression, and relationship issues, promoting a holistic understanding of mental and emotional health. Psychologist Louise was trained as an IFS informed therapist by IFS-training Nederland.
EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychotherapy approach designed to help individuals process and heal from traumatic events and distressing memories. Developed by Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s, EMDR integrates elements of cognitive-behavioral therapy with bilateral stimulation, typically through guided eye movements. During an EMDR session, clients recall a traumatic event while simultaneously following the therapist's hand movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation. This dual focus is believed to help reprocess the memory, reducing its emotional charge and allowing the individual to integrate the experience more adaptively. EMDR is based on the idea that unprocessed memories of trauma can lead to various psychological symptoms, and the technique aims to unlock these memories, making them less distressing. EMDR has been extensively researched and is widely recognized as an effective treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as other conditions such as anxiety and depression. It provides a structured framework for clients to confront and release their painful memories, ultimately leading to healing and recovery. Psychologist Louise was trained in EMDR by Inter-psy.
CBT
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a widely-used, evidence-based therapeutic approach that focuses on the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. In CBT, clients work collaboratively with therapists to identify and challenge distorted or unhelpful thoughts and beliefs, aiming to replace them with more balanced and realistic perspectives. This process often involves practical strategies, such as keeping thought records, engaging in behavioral experiments, and practicing new coping skills. By empowering individuals to understand and modify their thought patterns and behaviors, CBT promotes healthier emotional responses and encourages more adaptive coping strategies.
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