About

“Psychological crisis is often a call to personal growth”

“The human personality never stops growing and evolving. Sometimes we are forced – by our deeper selves or by Nature itself – to undergo painful life changes that leave us feeling lost and alone. But it is at these times that a new and unexpected path can be discovered, that eventually leads us to a richer and healthier life.” 

Nancy vd Berg-Cook

Nancy van den Berg-Cook, PhD, PsyD

FLOW Counseling

I am a Clinical Psychologist and Jungian Psychoanalyst in private practice in Amsterdam and Zeist. I am an Instructor in the Clinical Psychology PhD program at Pacifica Graduate Institute and have recently been presenting a lecture series for candidates training as Jungian Analysts that demonstrates that the Archetypal patterns in human psychology described by CG Jung can also seen in biochemical and cell physiology systems. In addition I give lectures and workshops on themes in Jungian psychology for both public and professionals.

Psychology is my second career. At an important turning point in my life I decided to leave my career in biomedical research and become a Jungian Psychoanalyst. That was in 1989. At that time, I had already worked in many capacities: teenage fashion model, waitress, store clerk, laboratory technician, Research Assistant, university Teaching Assistant, Postdoctoral Fellow, staff Research Scientist and Laboratory Manager, hospital lab Administration Manager, and college Instructor. The process of re-education was a long one as I needed to continue to work nearly full time. After more than 20 years of study and clinical training, I eventually earned my certification as Jungian Analyst, which is an intensive post-graduate diploma, then continued on for a doctor of clinical psychology degree.

I was passionate about depth psychology and the study was extremely rewarding, so it was not difficult to leave my research career behind. But I did worry that the expertise I had built up wouldn’t be used. That would have been sad, especially since I am deeply fascinated with physiology and biochemistry, how the human body works down to the molecular level. It is such a fascinating and amazingly complex system. Fortunately, as my psychology training evolved, it turns out that this knowledge, and all of my other work experiences, are very useful for counseling and they inform my work with clients every day. And as I have learned over the last 30 plus years, the human psyche is also fascinating and extremely complex. The two systems, Mind-Body, complement each other, both arising from Nature, and both making up our individual nature. Respecting and working with both systems is essential to remain healthy, and to continue to evolve so that our life energy and enthusiasm can FLOW. So we can acualize and enjoy our unique potential.