Hello, I'm Anita –
your Expat Coach in Brussels

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My own journey as an expat

In my early twenties, I came to Brussels—thanks to a job offer at the German delegation to NATO. It was an exciting time full of adventure and new experiences. But it was also challenging: homesickness, language barriers, and cultural differences were part of my daily life.

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Still—or maybe because of that—I fell in love with Brussels.
This place became my home without losing my Bavarian roots. Love played a role too: I met my Portuguese husband here (we are now divorced) and raised our two children in Brussels.

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Today, I have been living in Belgium for over 40 years—as a working wife and mother, as a happily (most of the time, anyway) single woman, and as a self-employed expat coach.

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I know what it feels like to build a new daily life far from home. And how valuable it is to have support along the way!

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My journey from coaching client to Expat Coach

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I first came to coaching as a client. The positive impact was so powerful that I decided to follow this path myself—driven by the desire to help others shape their lives with courage, awareness, and self-determination.

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For the past 15 years, I worked as an accredited coach at the European Commission, supporting people from all over Europe on topics such as:

• Career transition and development

• Leadership and team collaboration

• Strengthening self-confidence

• Conflict resolution in the workplace

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In total, I spent over 25 years in the Commission’s HR field, with a focus on:

• Learning & development

• Personal and professional growth

• Organisational development

• Recruitment & wellbeing

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I particularly enjoy working with groups: I facilitate co-development sessions, lead team-building workshops, and support group processes with a systemic perspective.

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​​Since 2024: Independent practice as an expat coach in Brussels

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With all this experience – as an expat, coach, mother, colleague, and woman – I opened my own coaching practice in 2024 to share my knowledge, intuition, and passion for personal growth with you.

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Today, I support expats in Belgium who are looking to find their footing in their new life, understand themselves better, or explore a professional or personal new beginning.

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👉 Book your free initial consultation now – in person in Brussels or online.
Let’s find out together how I can best support you.

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My Approach – The Three Pillars of My Coaching Practice

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What matters most to me is appreciation, awareness, and meeting on equal footing —because true change requires trust and connection.

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My work as a coach is based on three well-founded and complementary principles:

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1. Solution-Focused Coaching

(based on the work of Steve de Shazer & Insoo Kim Berg – Brief Family Therapy)

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In solution-focused coaching, the focus isn’t on the problem, but on what’s already working—and on what’s possible.

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Together, we create a vision of your future self:

• What is your “future you” doing differently?

• How has the problem been resolved?

• What feels new, lighter, or freer?

• What resources are available to you?

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This approach is empowering, encouraging, and clearly action-oriented.

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2. Working with Inner Images – Systemic Constellations

(based on SySt® – Insa Sparrer & Prof. Dr. Matthias Varga von Kibéd, SySt-Institute Munich)

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We think in images—not just in words.

Systemic constellations make these inner images visible and tangible.

​In a constellation, we map out your current situation in physical space—using floor markers, figures, or representatives. Starting from the current “inner image,” we co-create a new, more helpful one.

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What makes it unique: You feel the shift—in your whole body, not just in your mind. It’s a sensory, embodied form of learning—not a purely intellectual process.

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Constellations can be done one-on-one or in group settings.

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I regularly offer group constellations. Upcoming dates can be found under Events.

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3. Neuroscience-Based Coaching

(based on the work of Prof. Dr. Dr. Roth, Dr. Ryba, and others)

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Our brain is plastic—it changes throughout our entire life.

Modern neuroscience impressively demonstrates how thinking, feeling, and behavior are interconnected—and what it takes to make lasting change possible.

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These insights help us understand why we act the way we do—and why insight alone is often not enough to change our behavior.

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This creates space for greater self-compassion and clarity.

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Lasting change happens primarily through activating the unconscious.
Metaphors, inner images, and emotional experiences are especially effective in accessing unconscious patterns and opening up new possibilities.

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That’s why in my coaching sessions, I also work with bodily experience, inner imagery, symbols, and metaphors—to not only think change, but to truly feel and anchor it with all our senses.

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Training and Accreditations

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• Accredited systemic coach and mental coach through Ascoach, Cologne, certified by the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC)

• Accredited internal coach at the European Commission, Brussels

• Certified practitioner of the neurocognitive and behavioral approach by the Institute of NeuroCognitivism, Brussels

• Accredited in systemic constellations (Systemische Strukturaufstellungen) through METAFORUM, Germany

• Certified in solution-focused conversation management using SySt miniatures by the SySt Institute for Systemic Education, Training and Research, Munich

• Certified in career counseling by the European Commission

• Certified as Co-development facilitator (A. Payette & C. Champagne) by the European Commission

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What does this mean for you?

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With this solid training, my many years of international experience, and my own expat journey, I offer coaching that is not only professionally grounded but also personally relatable.

I don’t follow a one-size-fits-all approach—I work with genuine interest in your path, your challenges, and your unique experience of life abroad.

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Your next step toward more clarity in expat life

As an expat coach in Brussels and Belgium, it’s close to my heart to support people living abroad—during times of transition, new beginnings, or simply when more clarity is needed.

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Would you like to find out if my coaching could be a good fit for you?

👉 Then go ahead and book your free, no-obligation initial consultation.

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