Coach or therapist?

Both offer support, but they are not the same. Here we help you choose.

Choosing support

Coach

A coach

Someone who helps you with reflection, goal-setting and personal growth. No formal qualification required, but experience, empathy and genuine commitment.

Good for

  • • Stress, work pressure, overwhelm
  • • Life phases, doubts, decision-making
  • • Personal growth and self-reflection
  • • A listening ear

Not intended for

  • ✕ Clinical diagnoses
  • ✕ Acute crisis (call 113)
  • ✕ Severe mental health issues
Therapist

A therapist

A qualified therapist with recognised training, member of a professional association. You talk about what is on your mind and work towards more understanding and change. No clinical diagnoses (for those we refer to the GGZ).

Good for

  • • Making space for grief or difficult experiences
  • • Long-running stress, unease or low mood
  • • Patterns that cannot easily be changed
  • • More time and depth than coaching

Good to know

  • ✓ Member of professional association
  • ✓ No diagnoses: for clinical care you go to your huisarts or the GGZ
Music therapist

A music therapist

A qualified music therapist (vaktherapeut) with recognised training such as HBO Vaktherapie, member of a professional association. You work with music, sound and play instead of only words. No clinical diagnoses (for those we refer to the GGZ).

Good for

  • • When words alone are not enough
  • • Feeling, processing and expressing through music
  • • Feelings that are hard to put into words
  • • No musical experience needed

Good to know

  • ✓ Exempt from VAT (art. 11.1.g Dutch VAT Act)
  • ✓ Sometimes covered by supplementary insurance
  • ✓ Member of professional association

6 short questions

What suits you?

Answer 6 short questions, we'll point you in the right direction.

Question 1 of 6

What are you looking for most right now?

How to choose?

A simple rule of thumb

Start with a coach if you need reflection, structure, or just want to talk without high barriers. Coaches are low-threshold, quickly available, and help you move forward.

Choose a therapist or music therapist when you have been struggling with something for a longer time, or when you are working on grief, eating-related struggles or patterns that cannot easily be changed. Also suitable if you are interested in specific approaches like music therapy. For a diagnosis or clinical care we will refer you to the GGZ.

Still not sure? Ask DEi, our assistant, right now. Or leave your question and Demi will reply within 1 working day.

Or ask Demi your question

We only use your details to reply. This is not crisis support: call 113 or 112 in a crisis.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Yes, anytime. Many people start with a coach for reflection and switch to a therapist or music therapist later, when something deeper-seated surfaces. We refer you on where needed, including to regular care.

You do. The quiz above and the rule-of-thumb help orient you, but the choice is yours. During a conversation you often get a sense of whether this is enough. Coaches, therapists and music therapists are also trained to flag when someone else would suit you better.

Absolutely. Some people have a regular therapist and use a coach for in-between reflection or stressful weeks. The two complement each other; there's no exclusivity.

No problem. You pay per minute or per session, so you're never locked in. You can switch to another coach, a therapist or a music therapist anytime. No subscription, no cancellation period.

View full FAQ

Ready to choose?

Browse the profiles that fit you. No waiting list, no referral.

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