ABOUT ME:

My name is Mylène Costa Heemstra. I’m a integrative psychologist (integratieve psycholoog) working in The Hague (Den Haag), The Netherlands. I also provide therapy sessions online through video-calls for individuals in The Netherlands and abroad.

The effectiveness of online therapy is apparent in many research studies and I fully support this. I’ve worked with clients online throughout NL while also Canada, Vietnam, Switzerland, Nepal, Turkey, America, Egypt, and more! However, it is crucial that you have a safe (and private) space in which to do the online sessions.

While I was born in The Netherlands, I was raised within an international community. This lead to minor challenges that made me feel as somewhat of an expat within my own country. I am multicultural with genes that integrate French, Dutch, and Italian. I find that describing myself as ‘international’ is much more relatable… and it somehow always has been. This has inspired me to become a psychologist for English speaking individuals in The Netherlands, whether they were born here or not. For my Master’s thesis, I researched the unique challenges that international people go through solely due to experiencing acculturative stressors (stressors related to culture change), increasing my motivation to work with expats.

MY WORK:

I mainly work with bi-culture, third-culture & expat individuals however not exclusively.

I work with individuals from the age of 16+.

I tailor every treatment plan to the individual, everyone is unique.

I like to use an integrative approach when it comes to working with clients. I like to use a humanistic approach and to incorporate methods from CBT, Schema Therapy, Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), Existential Therapy, Compassion-focused Therapy, and mindfulness. While I like to integrate a range of therapies, I would say that Schema Therapy is my main lens, with the rest being an addition!

I strongly believe that no one should have to suffer alone. We all deserve support, no matter the challenges!

I hope clients find compassion, peace, meaning, joy, and balance in their lives through therapy.

EDUCATION:

I obtained my Master’s of Science (MSc) in Clinical Psychology at Utrecht University in 2018.

During my Master’s, I trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, working with loss (grief, prolonged grief, etc.,) and psychotrauma (trauma focused CBT, NET, and more), & anxiety and related ‘disorders (OCD, Phobias, Generalized Anxiety, etc.,)’.

I did a double clinical internship at a company in The Hague & Leiden. I originally interned as a university clinical intern psychologist at Antiloneliness and after, as a graduated psychologist offering free online therapy to individuals around the world (under the supervision of Antiloneliness). After this, I worked in collaboration with this company for a few years before continuing as a private practice. I currently work alongside a wonderful team of private psychologists.

I have monthly supervision and I’m also part of a bi-weekly intervision group with other psychologists. I strongly believe in continuous education and regularly read books on interventions, stay up to date with current research, attend workshops and follow trainings.

Additional trainings,

• Fine-Tuning Imagery Rescripting, Schema Therapy Opleidingen

• Introduction to Group Counseling & Strategies for Challenging Issues in Therapy, AL Courses

• Schema Therapy training program, 40 hours, ISST Approved, Schema Therapy Opleidingen

• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), in training - to be completed - September 2025.