.nl in the spotlight: yaraterpstra.nl

Can you tell us a bit about your practice?

"I experienced bereavement at a young age myself. Later, I studied psychology and then worked as an applied psychologist, mainly with young people. In that period, I became aware that the mainstream care system doesn't pay much attention to clients' personal stories -- things such as how they cope with the difficult experiences in their lives. That motivated me to build up expertise in the field of grief and loss counselling."

What led you to set up a private practice?

"My employer had to cut the workforce because of the pandemic. So I started thinking about what I wanted to do next and talked to a lot to people who know me. Many of them encouraged me to set up my own practice. Despite the difficult circumstances, I've enjoyed the experience. The difficult aspect of it is not being able to make visits -- to call in on a family doctor, for example. That sort of thing is a very important part of the care package. I hope that, when the restrictions are eased, I can start doing visits again. Because that isn't possible at the moment, having an online presence with your own website is more important than ever."

What is grief and loss counselling?

"I help young adult clients deal with all forms of grief and loss. In that age group, that can mean grief associated with bereavement or illness, or with other things, such as being unable to complete a study programme or prolonged separation from parents. One of my clients had been adopted by an unsuitable family. Emotionally challenging setbacks are an inevitable part of life. How you deal with them has a major influence on the rest of your life."

Is there more demand for your expertise in these difficult times?

"A lot of young people are struggling with the lockdown and with the coronavirus itself. It's very hard when someone you love is seriously ill and maybe even dies. Loneliness has also been widespread amongst the young during the pandemic. New clients are mainly referred to me through my network, because I haven't yet had time to build a reputation in private practice. But there is definitely demand for my expertise in the community."

What role does your website play in building up the practice?

"With personal contact currently so limited, naturally I'm focusing a lot of attention on the internet. However, I'm not very experienced in that field. I'm learning as I go. I share a lot on social media and I'm currently just getting to grips with SEA. It's very different from the kind of work I'm used to as a practising psychologist, but I'm fascinated by how online promotion works and by the interfaces with psychology."

How did you build your website?

"The website and domain name are hosted by Yourhosting in Zwolle. I decided to use my own name as the domain name, so as to build up a professional profile. I created the site using WordPress. I had designed a site once before, so it was a bit easier second time around. I spent about two weeks on it. If I need to change something and I don't know how, I look for a tutorial on YouTube."

Where do you hope to be with your practice in five years' time?

"Hopefully by then I'll have a flourishing practice, having developed my expertise in services and concepts linked to grief and loss processing, such as contact groups for talking to other people in similar situations."