A person who has never made a mistake,
has never tried anything new.
(Albert Einstein)

WHO

Veerle Devriendt

I graduated with a Masters in Psychology from the Vrije Universiteit in Brussels.

Since then I have gathered a lot of experience in the field of job assistance. As a psychological assistant at the Vorming en Cultuur association, I was in charge of helping underprivileged people and the long-term unemployed.

Thereafter I worked for a while with the Brussels Jobwerkbank, where I was able to have a better focus of these problems and help people to master all the tricks of job interviews.

Between 1994 and 1999, I worked with the Belgian Railways Company, where I learned a lot about psychological evaluations, coaching of workers, trauma accompaniment, agressivity and stress management.

After all these enriching experiences, I decided in 1998 to work as a self-employed consultant in an accessory occupation. For my activities as such, please go to References.

Later, I worked as an employed consultant with Hudson in the field of HRM : training, coaching, selection & assessment.

As a prevention advisor for psychosocial aspects with Arista and Idewe, I worked for many organisations in the field of welfare.

Until recently, I have been working at the Council of the European Union in Brussels, where as a psychologist, I have been coaching employees having the most diverse problems, and developing projects about harassment, alcohol addiction and conflict mediation.

For more details about my activities, please go to my Curriculum Vitae.

How can I assist you as an individual and/or your organisation?

First and above all, I can draw on my rich experience as a psychologist. During my career I have been treating the most varied assignments concerning Training, Coaching, Conflict mediation, Selection & Assessment and Psychosocial load at work.

Thanks to this, I am multi-experienced and able to provide made-to-measure solutions. I work in an interactive manner with respect for the client’s demand and rhythm.

Furthermore, I stand for a no-nonsense approach. My positive attitude and my great sense of empathy and understanding give me the skills necessary to help each client to progress a step further at each session. Values like respect of every person’s singularity, discretion and authenticity are at the heart of my work.

I wish to encourage organisations to be aware at a very early stage of the welfare of their employees and encourage individuals to take care of their own welfare. My preoccupation in this emanates from a genuine interest in people and organisations.

My approach goes as follows : preparation – execution – evaluation and follow up.

I am also very flexible as regards working hours and location are concerned. My practice is in the heart of Brussels but an assignment on location is definitely not a problem.

SERVICES

As a consultant I specialise in the following fields:

Training

Trauma management

Coaching

Psychosocial load at work

Selection-assessment

REFERENCES

What they think about us..

Inge Council of the European Union

When I first met Veerle in 2004, she was the newly appointed company psychologist to the Council of the European Union and it was actually the President of my trade-union who highly recommended her to me and advised me to go talk to her. As a “person of confidence” – meaning that whatever I told her about my boss’s treatment would not reach my boss’s ears -, Veerle listened to me with interest and empathy. Her questions were pertinent in order to help me to get to the bottom of things and see more clearly where the root of the problem was. Once this became clear she would probe further and push me to think on what I was going to do about it. There simply was no way out but to try and find solutions and move into action after that.

Thus, Veerle, relentless as she was, steadfast in reminding me of my initial intentions, but never failing to give a sympathetic support, helped me through a very difficult time in my life.

When the situation at work finally exploded, she intervened on my behalf and upon my request and proved herself to be a competent negotiator, explaining my side of the story to my hierarchy. She was thus able to diffuse the situation and with her help a solution was found to everybody’s satisfaction.

During the more than 6 years I have consulted her, I learned more about myself, learned to accept and even love myself for what I am, including accepting my bad habits. Although I am now no longer a patient of her, I still keep in touch and will always get a friendly incentive reply in return.

In my opinion, Veerle is more than just a sympathetic ear and more than a personal coach.

What stops you from making that first step towards a better life ?

Eva 60+

I was followed by Mrs. Devriendt twice: the first time during a strong post-traumatic reaction following a serious accident and the second time some time later for a burn-out that I had ignored for too long.
It was Mrs. Devriendt who made me understand what a post-traumatic reaction is, that one has the right to be depressed even if one has come out of it without too much damage, and she made me understand the seriousness of a burn-out, and that one is in a very bad way if one tells oneself that it's only a big temporary fatigue. She also made me understand that being responsible is very good, but that there are limits... and these limits are yours to respect; because no one else will look after them for you.

How did she do it? By a close follow-up, very professional and very personal, with a lot of respect and kindness, while being strict and demanding an active participation and sincerity from me. You can't cheat with her, she sees everything and lets you know it nicely. I felt perfectly safe with Mrs. Devriendt and I would not hesitate to contact her again if I find myself in a difficult situation.

Genova Council of the European Union

It is with great pleasure that I will talk about the work Veerle Devriendt has done with me. I knew her in what was certainly the most difficult period of my life, when I was in an absolute dead end and very dark both personally and professionally. I was incredibly lucky to meet her at that moment, and I have the ultimate conviction that without her help and support I would never have recovered to this day.

Veerle was without a doubt the professional support I needed so much. Throughout a difficult and painful year for me, she took care of me and did a serious, solid, efficient and remarkable coaching job. She was patient, attentive, always listening and very available, she answered my cries of distress, my anxieties and incessant questions without hesitation. For all her undeniable professional qualities, but also for the wonderful and rare person she is, endowed with great empathy, humanity, kindness and heart, I can never thank her enough, and I highly recommend her as a psychologist and coach.

Alain Charot Prevention Advisor

As an employee at the time (Psychosocial Aspects Prevention Advisor) of the occupational health service Idewe, Mrs Devriendt carried out a risk analysis for Touring concerning, among other things, OSGW. For our blue collar workers this was done via a questionnaire, for our white collar workers via discussion groups (+/- 700 employees in total). She did this expertly and with commitment. She succeeded in bringing our people around the table in a constructive manner, which resulted in a wealth of useful information.

Lisbeth Renard (Elia) , Diane Degreef (Laborelec) , Chris Baeyens (RSZ) Members of the intervision group of social consultants from different organizations

We know Veerle as a facilitator of our peer review group. Creating space and letting each group member come into his/her own without losing the common focus is her strength.The strength of Veerle is that she has given our Intervision group a new impetus. I have the feeling that our Intervision group is steered back and that Veerle succeeds in involving each group member in the process, keeps agreements and gives respect and trust. Veerle also monitors the agreements made, does not judge or advise too quickly. She listens, observes and does not interpret.Veerle facilitates the group event so that each group member feels heard and seen and still keep their noses in the same direction. She encourages us to be critical and give feedback on her way of coaching. Every meeting is thoroughly prepared by her and working agreements are followed up on. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

Prevent Academy / Lucina Training

Veerle Devriendt works as a teacher in the specialization training for prevention advisor in psychosocial aspects. Her experience in dealing with psychosocial problems at work such as burnout is highly appreciated by Lucina as well as the course participants.

Lutgart Bernauw Director, CRESEPT

Veerle Devriendt has been a teacher and trainer at Cresept for many years regarding psychosocial stress at work - in all its facets. We can always count on her. We especially appreciate her great ability to adapt and empathize, based on solid knowledge and extensive experience in this field.

Peter Vanslembrouck Prevention advisor psychologist, Mediwet

We engaged Veerle Devriendt to carry our training 'dealing with boundaries' for caregivers. Overall, working with Veerle was comfortable. The participants (50 sessions with each time about 20 caregivers) were more than satisfied with the content and interaction of the package. We ourselves could fall back on a flexible force, which did not hesitate to think along with us.

Anonymous

Working with Veerle is tackling, is being understood but also diagnosed, is being confirmed in what is good but also being pointed at the areas where something is lacking, with that sharp nose of hers, relentlessly digging further, searching and researching...
Working with her means turning your backpack inside out and critically examining it, weighing it up and filling it with the right priorities. Is gaining insight into the weight of that rucksack, the quality of your walking shoes and the path you need to take. Is being encouraged but also warned.
Working with Veerle is light and airy but at the same time deadly serious and not without obligation, she leaves you with concrete agreements or paths to solutions, with step-by-step plans, with useful tips and advice, a solid approach. The tree is shaken but as a result it stands firmer and better rooted.
Thank you, Veerle! All the best to you too and good luck!

Bart

Dear Veerle ,

First of all I want to thank you wholeheartedly for all the advice , assistance , psychological and moral assistance. You were always fucking there! And how?

How deep a person can get and float around completely adrift when you simultaneously undergo a relational break as a result of traumatic events, a major surgery to undergo and process and also lose your job has become very clear to me. So much in such a short time and of such magnitude, was just a bit too much for me. I couldn't find my way anymore.......
You haven't solved my problems by yourself, but I couldn't have brought a better pilot on board. Our conversations were always a relief and little by little the fog lifted and I was able to change the course of my ship so that eventually I did not suffer irreparable damage. You have with full devotion and patience used your professional skills to regain my self-confidence and strength , always with the same dedication. With you I met myself . At no time did I feel that I was exposing my deepest feelings to a complete stranger , who moreover did not understand a thing. The decisive interactive approach to questioning, coupled with the necessary objectivity and adapted to the individual and the situation has allowed me to step out of the isolation of my problems and achieve concrete action. You have listened very well to me and moreover you have helped me enormously.

Luc Vandezande Head of Centralized Claims Management Defendo Legal Aid and Coordinator of Victim Support KBC Insurance

KBC Insurance started over 20 years ago with its current method of supporting victims of accidents that have had a major impact on their lives. This was in fact a go-around, since before then a great deal of attention was also paid to helping victims cope with their grief.
Our approach is aimed at speeding up the process of processing after accidents (in the broadest sense of the word) for the victims (and the perpetrators) so that they can approach the event less emotionally. The starting point here is that when the coping process is going well, the discussions with the victims about the settlement of the claim (the compensation) can take place in a more open atmosphere than when the coping process is not yet on the right track. The experiences we have gathered over the years with this approach prove this to be true. This additional service is offered to victims (our own clients and counterparties) who meet certain minimum criteria. The thread running through these criteria is always the fact that the incident must have a strong impact on the victim's world, whether private, professional, social or societal.
It is within the framework of this approach that we have been calling on the services of Veerle DEVRIENDT for several years now. She is regularly confronted with the consequences of major road accidents, for example, where assistance is required for the victims and their relatives. Her task is to provide initial care and support, but also to detect whether further therapy is appropriate and then to show them the way in the range of services on offer. It also gives her the opportunity to get to know the world of the claims process, both from the point of view of the insurers and of the other parties involved in the process (lawyers, doctors, etc.), which is certainly beneficial to her. The cooperation with Veerle is good and professional, to the great appreciation of the guided victims, and of our internal staff claim managers.

Ronny Van Hemeldonck General Manager, Sisters of Vorselaar

We had a vacancy in our organization for a director in one of our institutions. After a recruitment through different channels, we finally retained three candidates. To support us in the final choice, we called in the help of Ms. Devriendt.
She screened our three candidates very professionally during lengthy individual interviews. The conclusions that were discussed afterwards with Ms. Devriendt enabled us to make a well-considered choice, supported by the findings of Ms. Devriendt.
We thank her for her positive contribution to our selection process and can only recommend her.

Jan Buysse General manager of waste intercommunal

Veerle Devriendt came to our organization as a mediator in a blocked labor conflict between two employees.
In close consultation with the management, the problem was demystified and mapped out through individual conversations with the employees.
Agreements for businesslike work arrangements were made.