Praktijk de Liefde is now also in Rotterdam

Praktijk de Liefde in Rotterdam, we have started a new branch there! Relationship and family therapist Wim Pronk talks about his motivations, the city and how love flows in this blog.

“Praktijk de Liefde in Rotterdam! A vibrant city where I hear the most diverse stories from women and men. Sometimes those stories have the musical colors of joy, sometimes anger, fear and sadness. Everyone has been personally affected and pushed off their path at one time or another. Indeed, this port city was itself hit hard in its loving heart during the war.

For Praktijk de Liefde, I went looking for a classic building with a stylish entrance: Westersingel 44. And it had to meet some loving conditions: in the heart of downtown and with a vibrant, open character. In addition, I think it is important for my clients to be in a pleasant place where they feel safe. Where they can think freely, be allowed to feel vulnerable and share information without shame.

Learning to understand relationship

In therapy, you may turn your attention inward to understand and learn to accommodate conflicts. We look at the whole context and dynamics that arise in the relationship or family.

In Rotterdam, too, momentum and connection used to be damaged. During the 1940 bombing, a hole was cut in love. You can see this beautifully in Zadkine’s sculpture on The 1940 Square.

Eventually, the city resurrected and regained its pride. Thus, all kinds of bridges were literally built. The red artery from the Willems Bridge toward the Market Hall and the Erasmus Bridge connecting us to the new Luxor. Meanwhile, the Meuse flows patiently past Hotel New York to all parts and cultures of the world.

Praktijk de Liefde Rotterdam is permeated by the city and clients can feel welcome. Within the tumult of the day and city life, the practice offers you a respite to sort things out with your partner or alone.

Connecting with both women and men

In my work, I connect well and respectfully with both women and men. I used to take the course “Gender Specific Counseling and Psychiatry” because I always felt the need to understand the roles, strengths and physical vulnerabilities of women and men.

I myself am a true Rotterdammer, at heart. From the women’s line, my grandmother used to stand on the Schiekade. As in Amsterdam, there were canals in Rotterdam at the time. My grandmother looked out on the water; her parents were in the shipping business. On that Schiekade, in the Sint Franciscus Gasthuis two years after the war, my mother was born. Eventually, I too stepped out into the world 20 years later. Through my grandmother and mother, I have the skills to be connecting in love, the honesty to put my finger on the sore spots and the “just act normal, you’ll be crazy enough.” This allows me to discuss vulnerable feelings and physical discomfort in a light-hearted way.

From the male lineage, I know the stories of the war, grandparents who could not allow a marriage, the trauma of the death of a brother, the effect of unemployment and the problems of drinking. But also insecurity that can keep people trapped and persistent patterns passed down through generations. My father had great humor, loved a party and could cook well. The pride, creativity, perseverance, wanting to solve problems and entrepreneurship were passed on to me from this line.

Relationship therapist in Rotterdam: meeting Wim?

For now, everything has been said, about Rotterdam and its connection to it. The rest of the story is no longer about me. Because now there is full space for your personal story. With every opportunity for your concerns and wishes, whatever your culture or background.”

Would you like to schedule an appointment to meet with our relationship therapist in Rotterdam, Wim Pronk? Then contact us here.

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