About PsyGlobal

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Who we are

Connecting without borders

PsyGlobal matches non-native (and often displaced) Mental Health Professionals to Dutch Mental Health Organisations. These professionals find a paid job that matches their education and background, while, at the same time, PsyGlobal ensures that (often displaced) clients, who do not know the Dutch language nor are familiar with Dutch culture, have access to curative mental health care in their native language.

What we achieve

  • We match people with mental health problems, living in a country other than their homeland, with psychologists that speak their language and have the same cultural background;
  • We help international Mental Health Professionals to find a sustainable job that meets their educational background and experience;
  • We help decline the waiting lists for treatment of foreign clients in The Netherlands 

How we do this

  • We recruit and select non-Dutch-speaking Mental Health Professionals that are currently not working in their field of expertise
  • We offer up-to-date information to help MHPs find their way into translating and validating diplomas and references
  • We match professionals with Mental Health Organizations that offer them a paid employment opportunity
  • We inform non-Dutch speaking clients in need about the process for obtaining psychological help in the Netherlands and the possibility of receiving this help from a Mental Health Professional that speaks the same language and has the same cultural background
  • We inform General Practitioners, municipalities, host families and other relevant parties about locations where our Mental Health Professionals work

Our Team

Esther Haaijema

Founder & 1st contact for psychologists

I am a psychotherapist and I have been providing treatment to clients for over a decade, mainly focusing on clients with personality disorders. I love working directly with clients but also found that change is needed to prevent that too many people will have to wait unnecessarily long for mental help. Therefor, I founded PsyGlobal, which connects my background in humanitarian aid (NOHA) with my professional career as a psychotherapist. My main focus with PsyGlobal is to make sure our services are of high standard quality. I do this by taking into consideration peoples' needs and combining this with empirical findings and research about mental health care.
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Baer Jonkers

Founder & 1st contact for mental healthcare institutions

With a background in clinical psychology and financial and project management in the mental health care industry for over a decade, I was very happy to meet Esther at the right moment in time. The last 5 years I have been putting all my efforts in optimizing mental healthcare for refugees living in The Netherlands. I truly believe that being active, feeling respected and having purpose and prospect to a better future adds a lot to your mental health. PsyGlobal offers this to so many professional people who currently live in a different country than their home country. By offering them a job and helping others that are in need: in their own language, taking into account the cultural differences that are so important in mental health and understanding each other.
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Lars van den Brandhof

Accountmanager

I am a passionate healthcare advisor. Through BMC I was given the great opportunity to work as an interim accountmanager for Psyglobal. I am very results-oriented because I often have a clear goal in mind. I then try to achieve this goal with great enthusiasm. I find contact and connection with people very important and I like to help others move forward. In this way I hope to be of value to every client that needs help. The (mental health) care landscape is becoming increasingly complex and the pressure is increasing from all angles. I am therefore very motivated to work with Psyglobal to find a suitable solution for mental health care organisations, in order to help people who need help. Furthermore, I am always in for a cup of coffee so don't hesitate to contact me!
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Yana Zirka

National Liaison Ukraine

I am Yana Zirka and I am an Ukrainian and English speaking psychologist with over 10 years of study and practice experience. Currently I work in my practice with displaced people from Ukraine, whom I provide counseling and therapy. I have experience as a kindergarten's and school's psychologist at the beginning of my professional path, and then, as a private practice therapist for five last years. Next to my work as a psychologist, I am now working as the Ukrainian liaison at PsyGlobal. I believe that everyone has enough power and knowledge to live his/her life, but some sometimes some help is needed and I am happy to provide it. I hope that my contribution to PsyGlobal will help to achieve this goal.
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Shada Shirazi

National Liaison Middle East

I am a Healthcare Psychologist and work with evidence-based treatment interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy, schema therapy and EMDR. I mainly work with clients that suffer from PTSD, eating disorders or personality problems. In addition to my work as a practitioner, I am the Middle East liaison at PsyGlobal. In this position I match clients with a cultural linguistic background from the Middle East with therapists from the same region. The reason I joined PsyGlobal is to increase knowledge exchanges between countries such as Iran and Afghanistan and the Netherlands. At the same time, I want to contribute to shortening the waiting lists for these help seekers in the Dutch mental health care. I am also head trainer at and co-founder of De Advieswinkel Academie and a member of the Supervisory Board.
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Seray Soyman

National Liaison Turkey (Türkiye)

As a mental healthcare professional with a background in psychology and sexology, I take pride in being part of the motivated team of experts at PsyGlobal, where I serve as the National Liaison for Turkey (Türkiye). As a psychologist, I utilise interventions that are evidence-based including cognitive behavioural therapy and sex and relationship therapy. I work with individuals who speak English and Turkish and tailor their treatment according to their specific needs and goals. Apart from my practice, I have spent the last five years as a Trainer / Facilitator, organising training programmes that cover a range of mental and sexual health topics. My goal at PsyGlobal is to ensure that mental healthcare professionals worldwide have access to sustainable jobs that align with their education and experience while contributing to reducing waiting lists for treatment in the Netherlands.
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Olga Kurek

Operations Manager

I'm thrilled to join PsyGlobal as Operations Manager. With a solid commitment to efficiency and a deep passion for success in performance-driven settings, I bring a unique blend of strategic insight and hands-on expertise to our team. My profound interest in the mental health sector adds value to my role. As Operations Manager, I oversee PsyGlobal's daily operations, refine processes, and ensure seamless execution. I focus on continuous improvement, where even small changes yield significant results. Whether it's streamlining workflows or fostering collaboration, I'm passionate about enhancing our operations. Beyond work, I'm a natural problem solver, a team player, and a strong advocate for personal and professional growth. It's an honor to be part of PsyGlobal, and I eagerly anticipate contributing to our shared success.
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Kateryna Kovalenko

Project Coordinator

I joined the PsyGlobal team as a Project Coordinator. I have a knack for turning ideas into organized and structured actions. I'm not just a task manager but a problem solver and effective communicator who anticipates challenges and finds appropriate solutions. As a proud Ukrainian, I am thrilled to be able to work towards enhancing the mental health of my compatriots in the Netherlands. My personal motivation and choice of professional development path are deeply rooted in my passion for psychology. I am happy to be part of a great and friendly team and to use my knowledge and experience in project and process management to achieve our common goals. As a Project Coordinator at PsyGlobal, I'm not just passionate about delivering projects on time and within the budget, but I'm passionate about making a meaningful impact!
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Myra Haakman

Psychological Lead

After my studies I had the privilege of conducting training sessions on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Mozambique and Kenya. It was during these experiences that my love for cross-cultural collaboration and cultural sensitivity started. My dedication deepened when I encountered the challenges faced by non-native clients seeking mental health care in the Netherlands. In 2019 I co-founded the foundation Wereldpsychologists. We have the goal to provide psychosocial support to refugees in crisis situations. I'm very happy to be now part of the team of Psyglobal as the psychological lead and to connect not only Dutch professionals to clients but also professionals with the same demographic background to non-native clients. This way I can contribute to improving the access of culturally sensitive mental health care in the Netherlands and across the globe.
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Anna Korenromp

Communication Specialist

In my work as communication specialist, I am always looking to make maximum impact; putting my experience and creativity into action in projects that do good for the planet and its people. PsyGlobal is a great example of a project that 'does good' and I am super excited to be part of this great initiative. My goal is to get as much Mental Health Organisations as possible to open their doors for our great Ukrainian and other non-Dutch psychologists and their potential clients. I am looking forward to reaching this goal through a sharp communication strategy, both online and offline. You will be seeing a lot of PsyGlobal in the near future, stay tuned!
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Our Partners

Empatia
Empatia
Empatia is a project aimed at improving the mental health of Ukrainians displaced by the war. Our team consists of experts in mental health, cross-cultural communication and program development.
PsyFlix
PsyFlix
PsyFlix offers a broad range of educational video's concerning psychotherapy and diagnostic skills. PsyFlix has, in collaboration with PsyGlobal, Wereldpsychologen and vrienden van Pryluky, developed a training for Ukranian psychologists who join our platform.
Wereld Psychologen
Wereld Psychologen
Wereldpsychologen is a foundation that offers free mental health care from a distance through (video) calling. They have a huge network in the Netherlands and a lot of experience in working with refugees.
LOOP
LOOP
For people working with displaced persons from Ukraine, the Displaced Persons Ukraine PSH Office (LOOP) is the supra-regional information, referral and advice center. It gathers relevant information, knowledge and networks in the field of psychosocial help (PSH) and makes them accessible to stakeholders. LOOP also helps promote PSH by working on awareness of it. Professionals and involved parties can go to LOOP with questions and to find the right PSH provision. LOOP is a partnership of ARQ, the GGDs, GGD GHOR Nederland, De Nederlandse GGZ, the NIPV, Nivel, OPORA Foundation, PsyGlobal, the RIVM, the Dutch Red Cross and Refugee Council Netherlands.
OPORA
OPORA
OPORA Foundation (formerly known as Displaced People Unit) is a collective of high-skilled professionals who are business/social consultants, academics and tech experts. Our mission is to offer evidence-based policy, grounded research and operational/managing solutions for displaced people in cooperation with relevant actors. Being a diverse team of Ukrainian expats, and Dutch and international professionals, we have become the bridge between displaced communities and the Dutch governmental/non-governmental institutions.

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