Tiffany Gritzalis
Nice that I can now do a SWOT analysis, but who am I really?
In these times - when we are increasingly literally detached from God - we must reinvent what we live for, what values we strive for, what is important to us and who we ourselves are. What you thought of life "before" is up to you; at least the division of roles was clear. You married, the husband worked, the wife raised the children, at eight o'clock you watched the news and on Sundays you were in church. Now we have many more choices to make - but how do you make those choices? On what ideals or values do you base them? Do you take a gap year or do you continue your studies anyway? Do you start having children now or wait a little longer? Are you chasing the next step in your career or should you use this time to travel?
The 21st century is characterized, among other things, by these questions in personal and professional formation. Whereas you used to develop your formation with the help of your parents, community and church, many people now desire this formation in education. But our regular education system is not yet set up for this at all. Not surprisingly, after your studies you may think, "Nice that I can now make a SWOT analysis, but who am I really? That lack, that is Bildung. A lack that I myself have had since early adolescence and for a long time I wondered what it is and why no one seemed to care. Questions I had that no one could answer. This is why guiding others through their Bildung process is so important to me. In the words of Ayesha Siddiqi, ''Be the person you needed when you were younger''.
To me, coaching feels like someone is doing a puzzle in the dark and I can shine a light at them
I advise, design and deliver training, coaching programs and peer supervision. At The Bildung Academy I am program coordinator of The Bildung Semi-Annual Program and of Bildung Coaching & Training. The Bildung Semi-Annual Program is surely my baby, which, although twice a year is indeed quite a delivery, I wouldn't want to do without. It is everything you had wanted to learn during your school/study, but didn't have. It's the special moments of inspiration from new knowledge, but especially from work form and group dynamics that contribute to the magic of this program.
In addition, the individual coaching calls I have are indispensable to me. It is fantastic to see what you can achieve with someone in just one hour. To me, coaching feels like someone is doing a puzzle in the dark and I can shine a light. It is very satisfying to be able to get so close to people and to see that they feel better after our conversations.
Master's degree in Lifespan Psychology and freelance psychologist
Plagued by depression, my time in high school was not a success. After unsuccessfully completing havo, I decided to study MBO Mechanical Engineering. After getting my welding diploma, I realized I didn't want to do this for the rest of my life. Still without a diploma, I had no choice but to get my vmbo at adult education. Meanwhile, all my friends were already studying. Since I always had jobs in sales, I then decided to start an HBO course in Commercial Economics. Here I turned out to have no interest in the economic side, but because of everything I read about the psychology behind marketing, my motivation to learn grew. Still, it took some time before I made the switch to HBO Applied Psychology. Not because it had never occurred to me before, but because I had unconsciously tucked that idea away on a shelf labeled "I can't do that anyway. Meanwhile, I took training courses on personal leadership and growth mindset and noticed that sales people responded well to my coaching techniques. Thinking ''Fuck it, we'll see,'' I started the Applied Psychology course. A few years later, I graduated with an 8.1 and was asked if my thesis could be used as an example for other students. This gave me enough confidence to start a Master's in Life Psychology and to launch my self-employed career as a freelance psychologist. Both I still do with great motivation and satisfaction, because although the love of my life is just sitting on my couch at home with me, it will always have to share the shared first place with psychology.
