Nurturescience – the new paradigm by Nils Bergman!27 October 2025Last week, I had the moving honour and great pleasure of spending a few days on the road with Dr. […]
Book review ‘Gewoon speciaal’ (Simply Special) by Bart Heeling2 April 2025Recently, I read the book Gewoon speciaal – kijken vanuit kindperspectief (‘Simply Special – […]
The lived experience, Episode 14 – This week: Sanne16 January 2025Birth Imprints ‘What’s next?’ For months now, she had been struggling with stress over a neighbour […]
Growth and healing through Compassionate Inquiry9 September 2024In all its simplicity, it was a luxurious, rich summer for me. Between February 2023 and February […]
Book review ‘Attuned’ by Thomas Hübl13 June 2024What do we know about our ancestors? What do we really know about even our parents? Do we know what […]
The lived experience, Episode 13 – This week: Vera14 May 2024Breadcrumbs… Vera had had intense days with a training that had asked a lot of her. The […]
To blossom and bloom16 March 2024The day before yesterday it was March 14, my mother’s birthday. She died in 2006, aged 70, after a […]
The lived experience, Episode 12 – This week: Gita12 February 2024Within five minutes of taking her seat on the couch with me the tears are already streaming down […]
The lived experience, Episode 11 – This week: Elize8 December 2023This week we’re picking up the thread of blogging again after a long time! We have been able […]
The lived experience, Episode 10 – This week: Esther, Part 3 (final)12 October 2023Last week we read about Esther’s painful experiences. In this last part we see cautious, brave […]
The lived experience, Episode 10 – This week: Esther, Part 29 October 2023In the previous blog we met Esther, who told us how lonely and excluded she often felt and how she […]
The lived experience, Episode 10 – This week: Esther, Part 127 September 2023Esther came to me in a roundabout way because there were breastfeeding problems: overproduction, […]
Secure, sacred silence – blog by Petra Bouma10 August 2023We already knew each other, Denise and I. Four years ago I had also visited her for a lactation […]
Book review ‘I swear allegiance – Being yourself in a uniform world’ by Michiel van der Pols, Part 25 August 2023Earlier this week I discussed the introductory chapters of ‘I swear allegiance – Being […]
Book review ‘I swear allegiance – Being yourself in a uniform world’ by Michiel van der Pols, Part 131 July 2023Through a post on LinkedIN I became aware of the work of Michiel van der Pols, who, as a former […]
Trauma-sensitive lactation care – I am ready for it!26 July 2023It was the summer of 1994 and after a beautiful home birth our third daughter was born. She’s […]
Book review ‘Vadervuur’ by Jeroen de Jong, Part 221 July 2023Earlier this week we shared Part 1 of this book review; today you read Part 2. As mentioned, […]
Book review ‘Vadervuur’ by Jeroen de Jong, Part 117 July 2023Once you get into circles of attachment parenting and responsive, sensitive parenting, there are […]
Trauma, triggers, and protecting your boundaries, Part 3 (final)12 July 2023Last week I shared the memories that surfaced in the CI-session and today I share the insight I […]
Trauma, triggers, and protecting your boundaries, Part 27 July 2023Last week I shared an incident with a drunk woman and how I reacted to her. This week I will tell […]
Trauma, triggers, and protecting your boundaries, Part 130 June 2023The delicious dessert was finished; the party was coming to an end when she came over and said to […]
Book review of ‘I already work (I just don’t get paid for it)’ by Lynn Berger, Part 25 June 2023As announced in Part 1, I will elaborate in this blog on my objections to an approach that argues […]
Book review of ‘I already work (I just don’t get paid for it)’ by Lynn Berger, Part 122 May 2023A pleasantly long train journey in the ‘Silence’-compartment, followed by a Sunday evening with tea […]
Freedom and security to just ‘be’ – your true Self8 May 2023More or less out of the blue he texted me: “Hi Marianne, how are you?” I was surprised, pleasantly […]
Facts versus Feelings – guest blog by Janis Isaman; Part 23 May 2023Last week, we read the first half of the blog by Janis Isaman, Marianne’s Compassionate Inquiry […]
Facts versus Feelings – guest blog by Janis Isaman; Part 124 April 2023For the regular readers of our blog, it will not come as a surprise that we are big fans of the […]
Training youth healthcare: which interest is central?14 April 2023Recently I had an exchange with a lactation consultant colleague about a training she will shortly […]
Professionals and ACE-awareness, Episode 8 – This week: Kerstin Uvnäs Moberg6 April 2023A little less than two weeks ago, we had a wonderful lactation consultant training day in Utrecht […]
Book review ‘From madness to Wisdom’ by Iris van Zomeren22 March 2023Through her beautiful email to ACE Aware NL I came into contact with the author of the book ‘From […]
‘Raising Resilience’ – the ACE Aware NL podcast8 March 2023Today is International Women’s Day! This year’s international theme is ‘Embrace […]
Book review ‘Man’s Search For Meaning’ by Viktor E. Frankl, Part 2 (final)3 March 2023Last week, we made a start with a review of Viktor Frankl’s ‘Man’s Search For Meaning’ and […]
Book review ‘Man’s Search For Meaning’ by Viktor E. Frankl23 February 2023A little booklet it is, in its 2004 paperback version, but a crucial message it contains and so a […]
The lived experience, Episode 9 – This week: Hester, Part 3 (final)18 February 2023Last week Hester told about her period of illness. Today she takes a closer look at a number of […]
The lived experience, Episode 9 – This week: Hester, Part 210 February 2023Last week we heard about the beginning of Hester’s life. Today she talks about her illness. […]
The lived experience, Episode 9 – This week: Hester, Part 12 February 2023We meet at a gathering about the influence of suppressed emotions on physical health. She has had a […]
Aspects of (in)secure attachment – a team training20 January 2023The training had been in the pipeline for so long and yet it just did not come about. Busyness on […]
The lived experience, Episode 8 – This week: Joy12 January 2023In the spring of 2022 I came into contact with a small-scale care institution in Assen, where very […]
The lived experience, Episode 7 – This week: Jipe, working with Compassionate Inquiry6 January 2023Today we share with you the story of someone who has been dealing with issues related to childhood […]
Webinar and question session regarding ‘The Myth of Normal’ with Gabor Maté24 December 2022A week ago, we gathered with a few people to listen to a webinar with Gabor Maté as the main guest, […]
Book review ‘Ikigai’ by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles16 December 2022We recently read the book ‘Ikigai – The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy […]
Compassionate Inquiry – an exercise4 December 2022Last week we concluded the book review of ‘The Myth of Normal’ with Part 5. In it we […]
Book review of ‘The Myth of Normal’, Part 5 (final)21 November 2022Last week, we posted Part 4 in this blog series and this week we finish the sequence by sharing our […]
Book review of ‘The Myth of Normal’, Part 414 November 2022Last week, we shared the blog about Part III of ‘The Myth of Normal’; this week, we turn to Part […]
Book review of ‘The Myth of Normal’, Part 36 November 2022Last week, we discussed Part II of ‘The Myth of Normal’; this week, we will look at Part III, […]
Book review ‘The Myth of Normal’, Part 228 October 2022The Myth of Normal, Part 2 Last week, we discussed Part I of ‘The Myth of Normal’, the new book by […]
Book review ‘The Myth of Normal – Trauma, Illness & Healing in a Toxic Culture’ door Gabor Maté en Daniel Maté, Part 122 October 2022And then it arrived, early October: the long-expected new book by Gabor Maté and his co-author, son […]
Collective Trauma Summit 2022 – a treasure trove!11 October 2022Last week, it was the week of the Collective Trauma Summit again, an online conference with a huge […]
Powerful inspiration, beautiful cooperation, and courageous steps4 October 2022Thursday 29 September was an intensive day with beautiful, inspiring conversations and encounters! […]
Zomergasten (Summerguests): the body and the experiences that are not forgotten6 September 2022In the last week of August, in the run-up to the impending broadcast of ‘Zomergasten’ (‘Summer […]
The lived experience, Episode 6 – This week: Anja and Peter (Part 3, final)6 September 2022The lost connection with ourselves (trauma) can be very difficult to find back. Who am I really? […]
The lived experience, Episode 6 – This week: Anja and Peter (Part 2)28 July 2022Last week we ende with they laying of the game by Anja and Peter. Both their layings make things […]
The lived experience, Episode 6 – This week: Anja and Peter (Part 1)21 July 2022She approaches me because she is concerned about their seven-year-old son. Things are not going too […]
The lived experience, Episode 5 – This week: Sterre8 July 2022Working holistically It was a Thursday afternoon and I was in a store when she called. She wondered […]
An invitation to write!22 June 2022Recently we shared with you our review of José Al’s book, ‘The soiled nest. Transgenerational […]
Learning from one another: a lesson about secure and insecure attachment (Part 2)12 June 2022Recently our was about the guest lecture I gave at a school in a course where the students […]
Learning from one another: a lesson about secure and insecure attachment27 May 2022Whether I wanted to give a guest lesson at her school about secure and insecure attachment. She […]
Book review of ‘The soiled nest. Transgenerational trauma’ by José Al17 May 2022“When silence and ‘enduring’ have become a survival mechanism and the psyche and […]
From sharp edges to more softness26 April 2022In the autumn of 2019, Victor Bodiut and Marianne Vanderveen made a plan for the start of ACE Aware […]
The lived experience, Episode 4 – This week: Mirjam, Part 3 (final)15 April 2022Last week, we read quite a number of Mirjam’s sad experiences. This week we take a more analytical […]
The lived experience, Episode 4 – This week: Mirjam, Part 27 April 2022Last week we started the series about Mirjam, who candidly speaks about her childhood experiences. […]
The lived experience, Episode 4 – This week: Mirjam, Part 131 March 2022It’s sunny when I arrive for our conversation on a late summer Monday afternoon. Just as I […]
The power of a good labour and birth23 March 2022Recently, in three separate lactation consultations, mothers told stories of their experience that […]
How parents of today can take care of their little ones; Part 216 March 2022Last week, we shared a first part about communication towards new parents, following an article by […]
How parents of today can take care of their little ones; Part 15 March 2022No mistakes, but a shared quest Recently we received a message via someone’s Facebook page […]
Professionals and ACE-awareness, Episode 7 – This week: Chris Vleesman18 February 2022We left with a group of about fifteen people from the location where we had enjoyed coffee and tea […]
The lived experience, Episode 3 – This week: Isis, Part 37 February 2022Last week we ended with a sad conclusion from Isis that she has lost herself over the years. After […]
The lived experience, Episode 3 – This week: Isis, Part 231 January 2022The practice room is well heated; the candles are burning and there are fresh flowers. From the […]
The lived experience, Episode 3 – This week: Isis, Part 122 January 2022My client and I had gotten in touch through an unusual route. I had spoken about my work with […]
Professionals and ACE-awareness, Episode 6 – This week: Jessica Boerema, Part 222 December 2021Last week we heard how Jessica Boerema switched from medical pedagogical care provider to […]
Professionals and ACE-awareness, Episode 6 – This week: Jessica Boerema, Part 117 December 2021It is a sunny summer morning when I arrive on my folding bike at my interviewee for today, Jessica […]
Professionals and ACE-awareness, Episode 5 – This week: Kelli van Gerven, Part 19 December 2021It’s a sunny Wednesday as I walk underneath the tall trees to the main entrance of the health […]
Professionals and ACE-awareness, Episode 5 – This week: Kelli van Gerven, Part 29 December 2021Last week we started a conversation with youth health doctor Kelli. This week, even more aspects of […]
The Lived Experience, Episode 2 – This week: Simone, Part 224 November 2021Last week, we started with Simone’s memories of her childhood, made clear in part with the […]
The Lived Experience, Episode 2 – This week: Simone, Part 118 November 2021It is beautiful late summer weather when I arrive at my interviewee for today, Simone (pseudonym). […]
Concepts, Part 18 November 2021Conversations, co-creations, and conceptualisations Last week we wanted to turn a number of […]
Professionals and ACE-awareness; Episode 4 – This week: Beatrijs Smulders; Part 229 October 2021Last week we finished with the importance of building a physical, non-verbal foundation for […]
Professionals and ACE-awareness; Episode 4 – This week: Beatrijs Smulders; Part 120 October 2021The sun is shining when I arrive at Amsterdam Central. I open my folding bike and ride across the […]
The ACE Aware NL-presentation for GOLD Early Years14 October 2021Last week, I had the privilege and pleasure to be one of the speakers at the GOLD Learning Early […]
A dialogue about connective parenting; Part 26 October 2021Last week we shared Part 1 of a dialogue that ACE Aware NL had with Anky De Frangh of […]
A dialogue about connective parenting; Part 11 October 2021ACE Aware NL recently got into a conversation with Anky De Frangh, child psychologist and […]
GOLDen opportunities for learning about the early years22 September 2021Conferences… Ever since I was an experienced volunteer breastfeeding counsellor (somewhere around […]
The wisdom of ‘minor’ trauma15 September 2021When daily life’s ‘bad habits’ light the way to healing your pain from early […]
A new season!8 September 2021It’s September already! Summer is (almost) behind us, although it looks like we still have […]
A father-daughter-talk about connection28 July 2021A father and daughter in a conversation with each other about parenting stuff and about the parent […]
Film review of ‘The Wisdom of Trauma’22 July 2021One month has passed approximately after we, at ACE Aware NL, watched ‘The Wisdom of […]
Book review of ‘What Happened to You?’ by Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey15 July 2021More than a question turned into more than just a book! That all-important phrase… ‘What happened […]
The Lived Experience, Episode 1 – This week: Elizabeth, Part 5 (final)7 July 2021Last week, we ended with the importance of unconditional love; this week we continue on this path […]
The Lived Experience, Episode 1 – This week: Elizabeth, Part 41 July 2021Last week, we spoke about the impact of being your authentic self on the relationship with […]
The Lived Experience, Episode 1 – This week: Elizabeth, Part 323 June 2021The fine, and sometimes edgy, balance between attachment and authenticity Last week, we spoke about […]
The Lived Experience, Episode 1 – This week: Elizabeth, Part 217 June 2021When shame and disconnection hinder true belonging Last week, we made a start by exploring […]
The Lived Experience, Episode 1 – This week: Elizabeth, Part 19 June 2021This week, we start with a series on the lived experience of ACEs. We share with you a number of […]
Positive Childhood Experiences: Building resilience and mitigating toxic stress through safety and connection4 June 2021Last time, we mentioned Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) in our blog post about […]
Misconceptions about trauma-informed education21 May 2021In October 2020, we started a series on becoming a trauma-informed educator with a list of tips. […]
ACEs: what we all deserve to know about them13 May 2021In 1994, two physicians called Vincent Felitti and Robert Anda, set out to study the relationship […]
The influence of ACEs on biologically normal sleep7 May 2021Every now and then, you may come across a news site or a parenting blog publishing a piece with an […]
The importance of our use of language28 April 2021This week, we would like to talk about an important topic, namely the way we use language when we […]
Professionals and ACE-awareness; Episode 3 – This time: Carla Brok; Part 4 (final)21 April 2021Last week, together with social psychiatric nurse Carla Brok, we looked at the importance of paying […]
Professionals and ACE-awareness; Episode 3 – This time: Carla Brok; Part 314 April 2021Last week we discussed with social psychiatric nurse Carla Brok the role of the care provider in […]
Professionals and ACE-awareness; Episode 3 – This time: Carla Brok; Part 27 April 2021Last week we got a first glimpse into the work of Social Psychiatric Nurse Carla Brok. Today we […]
Professionals and ACE-awareness; Episode 3 – This time: Carla Brok; Part 11 April 2021Through the beautiful landscape of the Achterhoek, past a number of small villages, I drive to […]
‘From security to resilience’ – the making of the Vakblad Vroeg article, Part 124 March 2021Last Friday, two of our team members found the paper version of Vakblad Vroeg on their door mat, […]
‘From security to resilience’ – the making of the Vakblad Vroeg-article, Part 224 March 2021Last week, we discussed how even subtle differences in wordings can introduce an unwelcome power […]
Book Review of ‘The Body Keeps the Score’ by Bessel van der Kolk, Part 210 March 2021Last week, we dealt with Parts 1, 2, and 3 of the book ‘The Body Keeps the Score’. In these parts […]
Book Review of ‘The Body Keeps the Score’ by Bessel van der Kolk7 March 2021In this blog, we will review a book by Bessel van der Kolk, a (Dutch-born) psychiatrist, researcher […]
Salutogenesis and ACEs, Part 224 February 2021Last week, we dove into the concept of ‘salutogenesis’, coined by medical sociologist Aaron […]
Salutogenesis and ACEs, Part 118 February 2021A few weeks ago, in the last part of our conversation with Henriëtte Markink, one of the topics we […]
From Childhood to Life Happiness – our questionnaire, Part 212 February 2021In last week’s blog, we made a reminder note and started to look at the first insights from our […]
From Childhood to Life Happiness – our questionnaire5 February 2021For this week’s blog, we would like to have a first ‘dive’ into the initial responses to our ACE […]
Professionals and ACE-awareness; Episode 2 – This time: Henriëtte Markink, Part 3 (final)28 January 2021Last week, we spoke in detail about the diverse aspects that Henriëtte sees as the essence of her […]
Professionals and ACE-awareness; Episode 2 – This time: Henriëtte Markink, Part 221 January 2021Last week, we discussed Henriëtte Markink’s start of her work with people with trauma. Today, we […]
Professionals and ACE-awareness; Episode 2 – This time: Henriëtte Markink, Part 115 January 2021When I open the front door, Henriëtte Markink, nurse practitioner, stands before me with a bright […]
Our Society and Adult Supremacy, Part 52 January 2021Last week, we discussed how the child’s interest is often not given the same weight as the adult […]
Our Society and Adult Supremacy, Part 6 (final)2 January 2021Last week, we discussed how it can be very difficult for parents to meet the needs of their […]
Melting ‘The Little Iceberg’ – a children’s story about healing through connection25 December 2020Today, we share with you a children’s story, written in a beautiful book, which turns out to be […]
Our Society and Adult Supremacy, Part 424 December 2020Last week, we discussed that under stress, children develop coping strategies that are attuned to […]
Our Society and Adult Supremacy, Part 317 December 2020Last week, we discussed that health and wellbeing are influenced by the biosocial inheritance, the […]
Our Society and Adult Supremacy, Part 29 December 2020Last week, we discussed several basic aspects of human coexistence and children’s need to feel […]
Our Society and Adult Supremacy, Part 12 December 2020Last week in our blog, we mentioned the concept of ‘Adult Supremacy’ (AS), the dominance of (the […]
From Childhood to Life Happiness!19 November 2020Have you ever wondered why you remember some childhood memories vividly, and others not? Do you […]
Trauma-Informed Classrooms: Why They Are Important and How You Can Become a Trauma-Informed Educator, Part 312 November 2020From the trauma-informed educator, to the trauma-informed education setting to creating […]
Trauma-Informed Classrooms: Why They Are Important and How You Can Become a Trauma-Informed Educator, Part 26 November 2020Last week we focused on the importance of a trauma-informed education that takes into account the […]
Trauma-Informed Classrooms: Why They Are Important and How You Can Become a Trauma-Informed Educator, Part 129 October 2020Very vividly do I remember the first time I walked in a classroom in a Dutch school and taught my […]
A Full Plate: When ACEs Lead to Problematic Self-Reliance22 October 2020They sat at the dinner table; his wife had cooked something really nice and was filling the plates. […]
Book review of ‘Sabre Tooth Tigers & Teddy Bears’14 October 2020In her latest book, ‘Sabre Tooth Tigers & Teddy Bears: The connected baby guide to attachment’, […]
Unspoken thoughts23 July 2020We bumped in to one another on the street near our home and had a chat. He was doing his usual […]- New insights4 June 2020For years and years, I had been captivated by literature on secure attachment, by the workings of […]
