Vassia Sarantopoulou, Counselor - Psychologist, Msc

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Vassia Sarantopoulou is a NIP Psycholoog -
​member of the Netherlands Institute of Psychologists (NIP)
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Getting to know someone depends on a variety of factors, but mainly it is in need of one thing: TIME. 
Time that has to be shared and offered equally from both sides. 
I offer you my time. To build further. To get to know each other. To discuss your worries. To confront fears. To change patterns. To overcome loneliness. To grow. 
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Arrange an appointment today for a counseling or therapy session here. 
Read more about what counseling and therapy can offer you, as well as the different types of it, here. 

My studies & trainings

  • ​​My studies are in the Psychology field. I completed a Master course in Counseling and Career Guidance and a 2nd Master course in Psychology. 
  • I have been trained as an EFT (Emotionally Focused) therapist and a Schema therapist.
  • I have attended numerous workshops, namely in "Transactional Analusis". Acceptance and Commitment Therapy", "Introduction in Playtherapy", "Team Management", "Training on DSM-IV", etc. 
  • I have been following courses and conferences in Grief Counseling. ​
  • During my studying courses, I completed some long-term tasks on Behavior Therapy and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. ​ ​

My approach

  • ​My main approach is Schema Therapy in combination with CBT - Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Mindfulness. Moreover, depending on the needs of the client, I use tools and techniques from DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy), EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy) and Transactional Analysis. 
  • The focus of my approach is to bring the balance in my clients between their mind and their emotions; between their thinking and their feeling.

My journey as a Counselor-Therapist

  • ​I have been working as a councelor/therapist since 2005, organizing groups but also working with clients in personal sessions. 
  • The main and most common issues I have tried to deal together with my clients have been: anxiety, depression, time management, family issues (divorce, adolescence, parenting, conflicts, infertility), panic attacks, self-development. 
  • I have organised seminars and workshops about psychology for counselors and psychologists, but also for individuals. 
  • I have been organising and facilitating Divorce Support Groups in Leiden and in the Hague for men and women that have gone through a divorce and they need emotional support since 2016. 
  • Since 2005, I have also been working as a career counselor, assisting people with building their career profile and pursuing their dream job. ​

My accomplishments as a trainer/ speaker/ coach

  • ​I have been coaching women executives in building a Strong Self, Bringing others Along and Leaving a Legacy. 
  • I have been a lecturer in seminars and workshops concerning Career Counselling, Stress Management, Parenting School, Self-Awareness. 
  • I have been invited as a speaker to various conferences and presentations, talking about leadership, empowerment and relationships.
  • There's an ongoing research on Loneliness and its effect in the Netherlands, which I conduct along with my team. 
  • I keep expanding my horizons by participating in workshops, conferences, seminars, since what I do needs constant further education and self-development.

Who am I?

​"I am a highly responsible person with a strong sense of fairness."​
  • "I love theories, concepts, patterns. People come to me when they want someone to explain why things are playing out the way they are."
  • "I ask "why?" a lot. I guess it can get annoying sometimes, but I can't help it. I'm the kind of person who hates assumptions. I need to get to the bottom of why things are the way they are."
  • "I love bringing order to things. My strength is the structure I bring to others. The foundation, the grid, the framework within which to create." ​​

What keeps me going?

​"It is always inspiring to see people going through such a hard time in their life, but still sum up their strength not only to help themselves out of this phase, but also to support others."​
  • "I would like my clients to see me as their trusted counselor, the person who is here to listen with kindness, empathy and all her attention to what they are going through, and help them out of the storm."
  • "My calming and peaceful approach is something that my clients find relieving. They don’t have to prove anything, they don’t have to stress about anything when they are with me. There is no right and wrong and we both try to take away this burden of “being normal”. And that is by itself something quite motivating."