Before traveling I thought that my life was pretty okay. I wasn’t really happy, but I also had nothing to complaint about. It was more like a nagging feeling that I could never address. When we arrived in Africa, a can of worms opened. My journey within began, without me being able to stop it or to slow it down. It was very overwhelming…
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Who do I think I am?
My name is Marijke Tops. I was born in 1979 on March 21th and raised in the Netherlands. I am a certified facilitator of The Work of Byron Katie since May 2021. Since 2024, I’m also certified in Systemic Familie Constellations. My specialties (all hands-on experiences) are working with:
• sexual abuse as a child
• depression
• postnatal depression
• fringe psychoticism
• anxiety (attacks)
• shame
• guilt
• expat life
What else have I done?
On my spiritual journey I have studied Ki-Aikido, A Course in Miracles, clairvoyance, Reiki I and II, meditation and mindfulness. I have followed Eckhart Tolle, Mooji, Jeff Foster, yoga, affirmations, HypnoBirthing, biodanza, ecstatic dance, journaling, angels and all kind of therapies.
Civil status
My husband Jeroen came in my life in 2006. We lived abroad between 2010 and 2021 in Cameroon (Yaoundé and Maroua), Benin (Tanguiéta), Vietnam (Hội An) and Indonesia (Bogor). We got a lovely son Elvin in 2016. Currently (since 2021) we are back in the Netherlands (Woudrichem).
How did I get here?
As a child I experienced sexual abuse. Not being able to share this secret, I became depressed on a young age. Living abroad turned out not to be as romantic as I imagined it to be. Adapting to new cultures and languages, missing friends, family, feeling unsafe and having not much to do, resulted in traumas to arise. In the 11 years abroad we were evacuated several times. I had malaria 3 times. Finally I was diagnosed with fringe psychoticism. All this together resulted in an enormous drive and passion to find peace and joy within. Read all about my journey here.
Employment history
Before living abroad I worked in different full time jobs as hostess, secretary, graphic designer and filmmaker.
What a liberation to realize that the “voice in my head” is not who I am. Who am I then? The one who sees that.
Eckhart Tolle
