Hi, I’m Sidra

Mental Health in the Netherlands - English therapy - Sidra Lea Gifford

Online Counseling & Coaching

I offer counseling and coaching for English speakers in Europe, all from the comfort of your home via Telehealth.

My expertise is in:

  • 2e / Twice Exceptional 
  • Gifted / Giftedness
  • ADHD / Attention Deficit Hyperactivity “Disorder”
  • Autistic / Autism / Aspergers
  • Neurodivergence
  • CBT / Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
  • Mindfulness
  • HSP / Highly Sensitive Persons
  • SPS / Sensory Processing Sensitivity
  • AuDHD Adults
Read more about online counseling / specialties

Online counseling in Europe

As a counselor and coach, I use my education and life experience to help you to navigate your thoughts and emotions and to obtain a sense of clarity and peace. I specialize in applying mindfulness to help move you to a place of acceptance and a life consistent with your values. In addition, I help people understand patterns that have gotten in the way of developing and maintaining healthy relationships, and take the necessary steps to turn their perfect vision of a relationship into reality. I am an active counselor with a naturally directive, coaching style – I will ask questions, challenge assumptions, offer different perspectives, and, when you’re ready, help you to leave your comfort zone and make meaningful changes in your life.

Specialities:

  • Aging including perimenopause & end-of-life concerns
  • Anxiety
  • Attachment / Relational Trauma
  • Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
  • Cancer – Oncology Mental Health
  • Consensual / Ethical Nonmonogamy especially Relationship Anarchy and Solo Polyamory
  • Culture shock / Expat stressors
  • Dating & forming relationships in the Tinder™ era
  • Disordered Eating & Body Image
  • Emotional Dysregulation
  • Historical / Intergenerational Trauma
  • Interracial / Intercultural relationships
  • Minority stress and the effects of stigma & discrimination especially size, race / ethnicity, introversion, and GSRD (Gender, Sexual, and Relationship Diversity)
  • Neurodivergence especially Gifted or 2e (Twice Exceptional) ADHD and HSP (Highly Sensitive Persons or those with Sensory Processing Sensitivity)
  • Parenting & Divorce
  • Perfectionism and other OCPD (“Obsessive Compulsive”) behaviors
  • Shame & Self-Esteem
  • Stress Management

Mental Health IS Health

The mind and body are connected. In short: your body does not work efficiently without mental wellbeing. Your ability to navigate uncomfortable thoughts and emotions impacts how you manage stress, how you sleep, how you eat, how you feel, how you relate to others, how you make choices and decisions, and ultimately, how you behave. Mental health is one of the routes to physical health. Want to know more? I offer online counseling & coaching to English speakers in Europe.

Mental Health in the Netherlands - Therapy - Mind Body connection
Mental Health consultant in the Netherlands - Emotional Awareness - Joyful meaningful life - Therapy English expats

How counseling & coaching can help:

  • Increase emotional awareness
  • Increase compassion for self and others
  • Develop your “wise mind”
  • Identify your values and live a purposeful, values-driven life
  • Improve your ability to choose effective responses and behaviors
  • Increase resilience and master adaptation to change
  • Improve communication and increase connection with others
  • Recognize and accept what is, and find peace of mind in any circumstance
  • Live a more authentic, joyful, and meaningful life

Therapy vs. Coaching

Generally, counseling (like psychotherapy) is intended to support people as they heal from an emotional experience such as trauma or better manage a condition such as anxiety. Meanwhile, coaching is intended to help people move from a place of adequate functioning to a place of superior functioning by helping them achieve personal goals such as improving intimacy in relationships, identifying values and priorities, advocating for better work-life balance, etc. While some therapists (like myself) do counseling and coaching as well, not all coaches do therapy. Which one is right for you? That depends on where you are in your process and what you are hoping to get out of it. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to social-emotional wellbeing, and I am happy to help get you started for free in a brief consult call. Read more about counseling & coaching

What is Telehealth / online counseling?

Telehealth is when we engage in counseling or coaching from the comfort of your home or office using your desktop, laptop, tablet, or mobile device. Telehealth allows us to connect anywhere with secure and convenient appointments. It also reduces impact on the environment and reduces my overhead (the cost of renting office space and supplies, gas and vehicle maintenance, business insurance, etc.), thereby costing YOU less. Read more about Telehealth

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Per Iamexpat.nl:  Public vs private therapy There are two types of therapy in the Netherlands: public and private therapy. Public therapy is free (or heavily subsidised) in the Netherlands - as long as you have Dutch health insurance and you go with a contracted provider. If the provider is not included in your insurer's list of contracted-care providers, then you may have to pay a small amount or pay the bill first yourself before sending it to the insurance company. Also, the waiting times for public therapy are much longer than for private therapy. Conversely, it is easier to get an appointment with a therapist from a private clinic as the waiting times are usually much shorter. However, many private psychologists in the Netherlands do not have contracts with Dutch health insurers and you may be expected to pay for your treatment out-of-pocket. E-health If you have mild to moderate mental health symptoms, you can also use an e-health service for online counseling. This option offers flexibility as it can be done from the comfort of your own home. It is also a good option if you are on a waiting list and do not wish to go a long period of time without therapy.
Sage Mental Health (SMH) does not work with insurance providers, which means that you are responsible for the cost of services yourself. In most instances, you will receive an invoice on the day of services. If you fail to attend a scheduled service without providing at least 24 hours notice, we reserve the right to invoice the standard fee.
Yes. Sidra, the proprietor of SMH, has a masters degree in Mental Health which has been recognized by Dutch authorities as equivalent to a masters degree in Clinical Psychology, as indicated by her membership in the Dutch Institute for Psychologists (NIP). In addition, Sidra has a masters degree in Social Work and subsequent clinical training and testing which led to licensure to practice psychotherapy in California.
Yes. There are several conditions that require specialized training or are simply outside of our scope of practice, including but not limited to: active suicidality, eating disorders, addictions, bipolar disorders, psychosis, personality disorders, OCD, severe aggression/violent behaviors. It is recommended that you contact your GP for more information on getting treatment with these conditions.
Per Iamexpat.nl:  Emergency mental health services If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, such as suicidal thoughts or tendencies, acute depression, delusions or panic attacks, then you should contact a GP immediately. They can help you or your loved one by contacting the 24/7 crisis intervention team. 113 Suicide Prevention You can anonymously contact 113 Suicide Prevention by calling 113 (normal calling costs) or 0800 0113 (free of charge). You can also use the "Chat" button on their website. They have a strong international orientation and many of their trained volunteers can help you in English, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Support lines If you need emotional support or just need someone to talk to, there are several helplines and resources that you can use anonymously in the Netherlands: Emotional support helpline (Stichting Korrelatie): 116 123 The Listening Line (De Luisterlijn): 088 076 7000 MIND Korrelatie: 900 1450 or WhatsApp: 061 386 3803 Social services: 070 205 2222 Domestic abuse hotline (Veilig Thuis): 0800 2000 If you find yourself in a life-threatening situation, contact the standard emergency hotline 112 for urgent assistance.
Coaching can be for a month or two, for example to improve communication or social skills. The length of therapy or counseling is determined in consultation with the therapist, depending on the severity and persistence of your complaints, as well as your goals and financial considerations. You also have the right to cease treatment at any given time and for any reason. However, please note that pre-paid coaching packages are non-refundable.
This is usually determined during the phone consult depending on your goals, needs, financial considerations, and availability.

Sage Mental Health works with English-speaking adults across Europe, including:

France: Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Strasbourg, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Grenoble, Lille, Rennes, Nantes, Nice, Angers, Saclay

Germany: Munich, Berlin, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Frankfurt, Cologne, Stuttgart, Dresden, Leipzig, Göttingen, Freiburg, Darmstadt, Jülich, Garching

Netherlands: Amsterdam, Leiden, Utrecht, Delft, Rotterdam, Groningen, Nijmegen, Maastricht, Wageningen, Tilburg, Eindhoven

Belgium: Leuven, Brussels, Ghent, Liège, Antwerp

Switzerland: Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Lausanne, Bern

Sweden: Stockholm, Uppsala, Gothenburg, Lund, Linköping, Umeå

Denmark: Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense, Roskilde

Norway: Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Tromsø

Finland: Helsinki, Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Espoo

Estonia: Tallinn, Tartu

Czech Republic: Prague, Brno

Poland: Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław, Poznań, Gdańsk

Austria: Vienna, Graz, Innsbruck, Salzburg

Italy: Milan, Rome, Bologna, Florence, Turin, Padua, Pisa, Trieste

Spain: Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Valencia, Bilbao, Granada, Santiago de Compostela

Portugal: Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra, Braga

amongst others

Major research institutions and universities served:

CERN (Geneva) · EMBL (Heidelberg) · ESA · Max Planck Institutes · Fraunhofer Institutes · ETH Zurich · EPFL Lausanne · Karolinska Institute · KU Leuven · Erasmus University · University of Amsterdam · Leiden University · Delft University of Technology · University of Copenhagen · Uppsala University · University of Helsinki · Charles University Prague · University of Warsaw · University of Vienna · University of Bologna · Autonomous University of Madrid · University of Lisbon · University of Tartu · and many more.