Stop carrying your heartbreak alone

Just out of a relationship and no idea where to go with all this pain? You don't have to carry it alone. And you don't have to burden your friends either, who may find it all a bit too much. I'll be your listening ear and give you the tools you need to work through this grief. If you need it, we'll talk within 24 hours. Guaranteed.

Danny, who offers first aid for heartbreak based on lived experience

A conversation within 24 hours

15 years of experience

Sometimes it feels like your heart is tearing in two

Heartbreak is real. You feel it in your chest, in your stomach, in your sleep. One moment you're fine, the next it hits you in the supermarket, in the car or in the middle of the night.

Everyone says it fades with time. That's probably true. But right now it hurts, and right now you need someone who listens. Without judgement, and without spending a year on a waiting list first. Think of a conversation as first aid for heartbreak.

I'm Danny

I know better than anyone what it's like to go through a deep low. I spent fifteen years in therapy myself, and now I pass that experience on. I'm not a psychologist. I'm someone with lived experience: I know the way because I've walked it myself.

I'm sensitive and I pick up well on what someone needs. In a conversation I don't follow a fixed protocol, I follow you. I listen, I let my heart guide me, and I give you the tools that helped me and others through the hardest times.

Besides one-to-one conversations, I've also given talks to groups about what I've learned. I put all of that experience to work for you.

If you need it, you can talk to me within 24 hours. Guaranteed.

Does this sound familiar?

Heartbreak can take over everything. You don't have to wait until it's "bad enough" to look for help or have a conversation.

  • You pick up your phone to send a message, and then you suddenly remember.
  • You lie awake at night replaying every conversation.
  • You look at old photos, knowing it only makes the pain worse.
  • The house is quiet, and that silence is the worst part.
  • You barely eat and there's a heavy feeling in your chest that won't go away.
  • At work you keep it together, at home you fall apart.
  • Your friends listen, but you feel like you're burdening them.
  • You keep asking yourself what you could have done differently.

I know what that hell feels like

Heartbreak isn't the same for everyone. Some people get over it within a few weeks. For others it goes so deep that it feels like the ground is disappearing beneath their feet. I belong to that second group.

I experience these things very intensely myself. I know the panic in your chest, the emptiness when you wake up in the morning and the longing that almost hurts physically. And the shame, because you feel you "should be over it by now".

That's why I know how to be with you. Intense feelings don't scare me and I won't make them smaller than they are. From my own past I know what helps when it runs this deep. And through my work with lived experience, I've learned how to pass that on to you.

With me, you don't have to explain why it hurts so much. I already get it.

Feelings that come with it

Everything you feel is allowed. Even when it's contradictory.

  • Panic
  • Emptiness
  • Longing
  • Anger
  • Guilt
  • Jealousy
  • Disbelief
  • Shame
  • Powerlessness
  • Fear of being alone
  • Loneliness
  • Hope that keeps coming back

Sometimes a listening ear is enough

You don't need to have a solution straight away. Sometimes it helps just to let it all out. And it's often easiest to talk to someone who isn't part of your life.

You don't burden anyone close to you

Your friends and family don't have to carry it. You don't have to wonder whether you've told them the same story too many times.

You can say anything

I don't know your ex and we have no friends in common. That makes it easier to share the things you don't dare say to people close to you.

Nobody takes sides

No "they weren't worth it anyway" or well-meant advice. I only look at you and at what you need.

You don't have to keep it together

Not for your children, your colleagues or your parents. With me you can simply say how bad it is.

What you tell me stays between us

It won't come back to your circle of friends or your workplace. You have a safe place that is completely yours.

A fresh perspective

Because I'm not in the middle of it, I sometimes see things that you and the people around you no longer see. Without pushing anything on you.

What I can offer you

Over fifteen years I've come to know many different kinds of therapy, experienced them myself and put them to use. So I know from experience what works best in which situation. First aid for heartbreak is different for everyone. That's why there's no standard programme, just what you need at that moment.

Getting through the first days

Just been left or just broken up? Then we first make sure you get through the first days. Letting it all out, some calm in your head and something to hold on to for the time ahead.

Getting a grip on overthinking

Thoughts that keep going round in circles, sleepless nights, the feeling that you're going mad. I give you tools to create some space in your head again.

Letting go and closing the chapter

How do you say goodbye to someone who meant so much? How do you deal with contact, memories or an ex who is still in your life? We find a way through that together.

Moving forward again

Finding your self-confidence again, making healthy choices and picking up your own life. Step by step, at your own pace.

Heartbreak doesn't discriminate

For women

I'm a man, and yet many women quickly feel at ease with me. I sense what you're going through, even when you don't have the words for it yet. You don't have to keep it together.

For men

Talking about heartbreak isn't weakness. Men feel a lot of heartache too, they just often carry it in silence. With me you don't have to act tough. You can just say how it is.

How a session works

  1. Pick a moment

    Choose a time in my calendar yourself. If it's urgent, we'll talk within 24 hours.

  2. Free introduction

    Fifteen minutes by video. You tell me what's going on, and we see if it clicks.

  3. Sessions at your pace

    Online or in person in Capelle aan den IJssel. We work on what you need at that moment.

  4. For as long as it helps

    Book per session or with a session card. You can stop at any time.

No waiting for months

No waiting list, but help right away. Working together on healthy choices straight away, with someone who really listens to you.

12+ months

Typical waiting time for psychological care in the Netherlands

Within 24 hours

Your first conversation with me, if you need it. Guaranteed.

Prices per session

No programme, no contract. You only pay for the sessions you want.

Introduction

Free

15 minutes, by video

See if it clicks, without any obligation.

Book introduction

Session card

On request

Multiple sessions of 60 minutes

Better value if you come more often. We agree together on what suits you.

Ask about the options

Frequently asked questions

How soon can I talk to you?

If you need it, you can talk to me within 24 hours. I guarantee it. With heartbreak, the first days and weeks are often the hardest, and that is not the moment to wait months for someone who will listen. There is always a slot in my calendar within 24 hours.

Do you also offer sessions in English?

Yes. You can talk to me in English or in Dutch, whichever feels most comfortable. Just let me know when you book.

Isn't it strange to talk by video?

It may take a moment to get used to. But most people quickly notice how good it feels to talk from home, in a place where they feel safe. On your own sofa, with a cup of tea and a blanket, just as you are.

No travelling, no waiting room and no driving home with tears in your eyes afterwards. And you schedule a conversation at a time that suits you.

Think of it as a trusted person joining you at home. Prefer to meet in person? That is possible too, in Capelle aan den IJssel.

Why not just talk to friends or family?

Friends and family often want to listen, and that is valuable. But sometimes it gets too much for them, they quickly have an opinion about your ex, or you notice you keep bringing up the same thing. Then you soon start to feel like a burden, just when you need support.

With me you don't have to spare anyone. You don't have to carry it alone and you're not a burden. I'm your listening ear, I'm not part of your circle and I don't judge. And I give you the tools you need to truly work through this grief, so you can enjoy time with your friends again.

As a woman, can I talk to a man about my heartbreak?

Yes. Many women quickly feel at ease with me. I'm sensitive, I listen without judgement and I pick up well on what you need, even when you don't quite know how to put it into words yet.

Sometimes it actually helps to talk to someone outside your own circle. Not sure? Book the free fifteen-minute introduction first and feel for yourself whether it clicks. There's no commitment.

I'm a man. Isn't it weird to talk about this?

Not at all. Heartbreak isn't weakness. Many men carry it alone for a long time, precisely because they think they should sort it out themselves or keep it together for the people around them.

I know from my own experience how heavy that can be. With me you don't have to act tough or explain anything. You can just say how it is, and together we'll look at how you get a grip again.

What if I don't know what to say, or just want to cry?

That's okay. You don't need to prepare anything and there's no right or wrong way to start. We simply begin wherever you are at that moment.

If there are tears, there's room for them. Sometimes the first conversation is mostly about letting it all out, and that is often a big step already.

My relationship ended a while ago. Can I still come?

Of course. Heartbreak doesn't follow a schedule. Sometimes the pain only comes later, when the first rush is over and everyone around you has moved on.

Whether it was a week, a month or a year ago: if it still hurts, it's worth talking about.

I ended it myself. Am I allowed to grieve too?

Yes. Even if you made the choice, saying goodbye can hurt a lot. You lose someone who was important to you, and often a part of the future you had pictured too.

Guilt, doubt and loneliness often come with it. Those feelings are allowed, and it helps to share them with someone who doesn't judge.

Does my health insurance cover the sessions?

Usually not, because this is not treatment by a registered healthcare professional. On the other hand, you don't need a referral from your GP, there is no waiting list and you decide how many sessions you want.

How does a video session work in practice?

After booking you'll receive a link by email. At the agreed time you click on it and you'll see me on screen. You don't need to install anything.

All you need is a laptop, tablet or phone and a place where you can talk quietly without being disturbed. Headphones can be nice if you don't want others in the house to overhear.

Will what I tell you stay between us?

Yes. What you tell me stays between us. I don't share anything with others and only keep what is needed for the appointment, such as your name and email address.

How many sessions will I need?

That differs per person. Some people need just one or two conversations to breathe a little easier again. Others come for a few months, because they want to work step by step on what happened and on how they want to move on.

You set the pace. After each session you decide for yourself if and when you want to book the next one.

You don't have to carry your heartbreak alone

Choose a moment that suits you. The introduction is free and without obligation.