Kristin Lowe is a former international school teacher who now works as a consulting organizational psychologist, facilitator and strengths-based coach. Kristin supports communities and organizations globally who want to thrive through applying the science of positive psychology to leadership, teamwork, personal development, and family life. She is passionate about helping people cultivate what is best within themselves, then leverage these strengths to achieve what matters most to them.

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Kristin holds degrees in education and organizational psychology, and she is certified in international counseling, positive psychology coaching, and the use of several psychometric assessment instruments which help people understand and make the most of their unique strengths and personality traits. Kristin is married to a long-time international school leader, and together they have raised three terrific daughters in Japan, Hong Kong, Beijing, and the Netherlands.

Kalpee runs Living Well Unlocked. She is a science-based communicator and runs health and nutrition workshops for the community and workplace.

With her background as a family doctor and medical educator in the UK for 19 years and with post graduate qualifications in nutritional medicine whilst living in the NL, she is well equipped at looking behind the never-ending headlines at the under-lying claims and getting to what’s really relevant on a range of topics from sleep to the menopause, from dementia to running practical eating well courses.

Her goal is to empower people with the knowledge and understanding so they are better able to make the right choices about their health and lifestyles in an approachable, accessible manner. 

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Berit Lewis is co-founder of Thriving Life. She is a certified MBSR Mindfulness Teacher, trained in ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy – a mindfulness-based therapy method) and a category 1 member of VMBN (Vereniging Mindfulness Based Trainers Nederland en Vlaanderen). She has extensive experience in teaching the world-wide known Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course to corporations and individuals. She has also developed a successful mindfulness -based course for teenagers. Berit holds a BA (Honours) in Psychology and a MA of Communications. Before co-founding Thriving Life, she worked as a Communications- and PR specialist in Denmark and Australia – including 10 years as a Communications Specialist at the Danish Defence. Berit is Danish, married to a Welshman and lives in the Netherlands with two teenage children.

Sarah is an American and has lived in the Hague with her family for the past 5 years. She has a doctorate in clinical psychology from the U.S. with specialized training in neuropsychology and forensic assessment. She has been a ‘trailing spouse’ over the past 12 years which has necessitated career plan adjustments on more than a few occasions!  She made a conscious decision that she wanted to connect her interest in physical health and wellness with her work as a psychologist.  When treatment of trauma became a topic in the forefront of clinical psychology, she sought out training that integrated aspects of body and mind for treatment of anxiety and mood symptoms. In one of these trainings she was introduced to ‘pranayama’ or yogic breathwork.  Although skeptical at first, she began to incorporate some pranayama breathing techniques into her work with clients suffering from acute anxiety, which was immensely helpful. At that point she became very interested in yoga and then completed a 200 hour yoga teacher training course and a one year ago began a yoga therapy training program in Amsterdam, which has provided her with more knowledge about the body systems and how they interconnect and a greater array of tools that she has introduced to clients to help them manage stress, and improve their overall health and quality of life. 

Soar with Us -

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Based in Wassenaar since 2011 you will more than likely see me in the Pauw or on the beach with my dog, Finne.  I love the outdoors, meeting and making friends and travel.

We knew each other through the Wassenaar expat community we had become a part of when our husband’s work took us to the Netherlands.  We saw each other sometimes to workout, to walk or run the dogs or when we dropped and picked up our daughters who were in the same grade.

‘Soar with Us’ was a surprise.  We never saw it coming.

Our joint story started when we all said “Yes’ to the opportunity to do a Self Defense Instructor Qualification in the UK.  We can tell you our own individual stories of how we each got to this point when we meet face to face- but for some amazing co-incidence we were all ready, courageous enough and perhaps just a little mad enough to fly to the UK for an intensive course – about which we knew very little.

With some trepidation and a little giddiness, two Brits, an American and a Norwegian knocked politely on the door of the training facility only to be greeted by the biggest and most intimidating person we had ever seen.  In that moment we all thought the same ‘Oh S**T – what have we signed up for?’

As it turned out the big burly bloke was actually a gentle giant who has since become a friend and business partner.  We all passed our Self Defense Instructor Qualification with flying colours and most importantly we learned a whole lot about each other and ourselves.

We saw in each other wonderous strengths, talents and determination.  We learned together, we laughed together, we cried together and each morning strategized on where we would eat together! (The highlight of our day that kept us all going)

The intensity of the training stripped away any of our own artifice, we were being ourselves, we realised we loved discovering for ourselves that we could do something pretty challenging and we thrived from the fact we were doing it together.  We were proud of each other and ourselves.  We had made a bold decision – made a bold move and were having a ball!

We saw possibilities in each other and somehow therefore in ourselves as well.  We shared our fears and prised out of each other our hopes and dreams.  

So, the dinner conversations and quiet time ruminations led us to ponder – ‘How can we replicate this? How can we spread this positivity? How can we contribute to a thriving community?’. What was the recipe to flourish?

We had a vision:

Be yourself, move forward, rise together

Be – Move – Rise

And thus ‘Soar With Us’ was formed – with our mission:

We welcome you to discover your strengths and realise possibility in a supportive and thriving community, through a variety of trainings, courses and events – led by women for women.

We specialize in personal safety & self defense, fitness, health & wellbeing and adventure.  

It was a bizarre chain of events – both natural and supernatural – that brought us together and we are continuously amazed at how the path unfolds before us.  

Looking back, the seeds of our venture were sewn long ago in our joint values.  By chance we were all in Wassenaar at the same moment and a time will come that we each leave Wassenaar – indeed one of us has already relocated to Dubai.  We see this as a personal loss but also an opportunity to take this idea global.  To be part of a global network of thriving women. 

We would genuinely love to meet you, to hear your stories and rise together.

Soar With Us

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I relocated from Australia to the Netherlands in 2015. I enjoy boxing, baking and dark chocolate.

Soar With Us

I love trail running, painting, skiing, being outside and my Rhodesian Ridgeback, Mocha. I moved to the Netherlands in 2013 from Denver, Colorado.

First Aid

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Hi, my name is Linda Bosma-Malley.

I am British married to a Dutchman with 3 grown up teenage children. I originally trained as a Nurse in the UK specializing in Pediatrics and now I am a registered and certified First aid Instructor qualified to teach and assess a full range of First aid courses. I have been teaching first aid for 12 years in and around the Hague at schools, daycare centers, sports clubs, guiding groups and more recently to social community groups, children and teenagers leaving home for the first time. 
I am passionate that everyone should know some first aid. I will give you the skills and confidence to learn and remember what to do when it really counts.

Since 2000, Mrs Cynthia Mulder has been the owner, director and qualified language teacher of the language school Dutch for Expats®.

She has a broad experience in teaching adults in The Netherlands, along with the 14 years as an expat and working as a language instructor of both Dutch and French in 4 different countries. She started teaching Dutch at ASH in 2016.

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Cynthia is a native Dutch speaker and lives in Wassenaar. 

Visit the website www.dutchforexpats.com for more information about Cynthia and her team.

Geoffrey Mannering is a graduate of the C.I.O.S. school for sport instructors. He has been a PGA Head Professional since 1989 with 22 years of experience in teaching. Besides private lessons he also teaches youth, competition players and competition teams.