About me

Inner observer

I enjoy self-inquiry, asking myself profound questions, such as "Who or what am I?". I love feeling inspired. By life itself. By listening, especially to the silence behind the sounds and the silence within myself. By seeing, particularly that which is not apparently visible. By genuinely feeling, regardless of whether the feeling is perceived as joyful or painful. By playing and immersing myself within the game of life, without forgetting that it’s a game. And in the meanwhile, being awed by the wonderful everything.

Life

Life for me is being what I truly am. This, I feel, is only possible by being present. That entails letting my emotions be, noticing the thoughts that arise, seeing the emotions and the thoughts for what they are (just emotions and thoughts), and consciously choosing my focus. This not only when sitting in meditation, but in every possible moment I can. Life to me also involves learning from experiences whatever there potentially is for me to learn from. Further, it is about following my inner knowing, inner joy, and inner calling.

Joy

I’m enjoying my human experience. I appreciate my own body and I like taking well care of it by giving it mostly organic, plant-based food, intermittent fasting, sufficient sun light, fresh air, nature walks, and a calm mind. I love allowing my body to move, feel, express, and surrender itself through dance. Such a joy! Furthermore, I feel grateful to be able to play the roles I play in life, in particular my role as a mother of two who give me ample opportunity to love, care, enjoy, and to practice what I preach.

Embodied Movement

Movement, for me, is a homecoming. Through dance and embodied movement, I return to my body, to presence, to now. It is a way of expressing myself without words: raw, real, free. A way of honouring whatever is alive in me, whether joyful or painful, playful or still.

I love how movement invites me into authenticity. It teaches me to surrender, to let go of control, and to trust the wisdom of my body. It opens a space where emotions can be felt and released, where creativity flows, and where thinking makes space for pure being. In those moments, I often feel deeply connected, to myself, to others, and to something greater than all of us.

Facilitating embodied movement workshops feels like a natural extension of my path. I feel called to offer spaces where others can reconnect with their inner world, explore self-expression, discover forgotten joy, and remember what it means to be fully alive. It’s not about learning steps or performing; it’s about presence, play, freedom, and love.

To deepen and professionalize this work, I followed the year-long Embodied Movement Circle training with Janneke Bexkens (jannekebexkens.com). I also completed a year training in Sound, Breath, and Voice with Geert Kumpen (soundandsilence.be). Both trajectories have nourished me deeply and supported me in bringing my embodied offerings to life.

Psychologist

As a (self-employed) mindfulness- and trauma psychologist/ therapist (EMDR, MBCT, ACT, CBT, and Inner Child Therapy). I love inspiring others to dive deep to work at the core of things, to unfold their potential, by asking useful questions, by assisting in developing their own creativity, and by inspiring them to think ‘out of the box’. I work holistically and intuitively.

I studied psychology at Leiden University, majoring in social psychology. After working as a policy officer on Curacao for several years, I took a research master's degree in cognitive neuroscience at the University of Amsterdam. I then worked at Maastricht University as a scientific researcher, coordinator and teacher.

For several years I’ve worked at Maastricht University as a scientific researcher, coordinator and lecturer. Although I derived good satisfaction from these academic positions, I felt the need to contribute to the well-being of others in a more personal, direct way. Through a special confluence of circumstances, after a short but intensive training, I founded my own practice as an independent psychotrauma therapist. Since then I have been working with adolescents (14+) and adults.

With love,

Henna Toppenberg, Ph.D.

May 2025

For more info about my work experience and educational background visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henna-toppenberg-881a1493/

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