Matisse van Damme, facilitator 

I have a passion for people and feel most alive when I can stand in and build relationship with others. Since finishing high school I have taken the question “what does it mean to be myself?” as a leading investigation. “How can I be true to myself and how does that manifest itself?” were questions I was holding. Upon my search for answers I set out on many journey’s, trainings and experiences, of which one of the more important one’s is the encounter with shamanism and mostly native American ceremony. In these ceremonies, nature has been at the forefront of my experience, and a steppingstone into myself. After finishing my studies at the Youth Initiative Program and the continuation of that experience in the form of self-directed studies, I came to realise that I was not only holding these questions for myself, but that I wanted to support others in these questions as well. I began to look for ways to develop those capacities. In this search I joined the Sacred Door Trail where we explored what being in the outdoors can mean for personal transformation and growth. This experience inspired me to continue and to acquire the skills to shape experiences, like being in the outdoors, that lead to personal transformation and day-to-day life change. For this, I started studying experiential psychotherapy in the form of Dramatherapy at Zuyd University. After three years of studying I am looking forward to letting these dreams come together and feel humbled to make this journey together with you.