When someone dies, it can feel as though life comes to a standstill. This will also happen when you lose your baby during pregnancy or shortly after birth. Yet this kind of loss is also unique. You are grieving a baby with whom you have not yet had the chance to create shared memories. You have to say goodbye to a baby you may never have felt move, but who was already deeply present in your life. That loss is just as real and just as heartbreaking.
The same applies if you made the difficult decision to end the pregnancy because of serious medical complications. In those circumstances, grief is often accompanied by many other emotions and thoughts.
This group program provides a safe and supportive space to explore these experiences. The treatment is based on Living Fully (“Voluit Leven”), an approach that combines Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with mindfulness. It has been supplemented with psychoeducation and exercises specifically designed for women who have lost their baby during pregnancy or shortly after birth.
Format
The program consists of eight weekly group sessions. During each session, one chapter of the book Living Fully (Voluit Leven) is discussed and applied through practical exercises. A follow-up session is held six weeks after the programme has ended. Before the first group meeting, each participant has an individual introductory session with one of the psychologists.
Facilitators
Saskia Overing-Bots and Britta Burgert, both licensed Healthcare Psychologists (GZ-psychologists), lead the programme. Over the years, they have gained extensive experience in supporting women who have experienced the loss of a baby during pregnancy or shortly after birth.
Practical Information
Start date: Autumn 2026
Duration: 8 weekly sessions
Follow-up session: One session six weeks after the programme ends
Group size: 6–8 participants
Location: Amsterdam
Fees and Reimbursement
If you have a DSM-5 diagnosis and a referral letter from your general practitioner (GP), the treatment is covered by Dutch basic health insurance. Depending on your health insurance policy (restitution or in-kind), reimbursement may vary because the therapist does not have contracts with all health insurers.
What You Need
Participants are required to purchase the book Voluit Leven (Living Fully) by E. Bohlmeier and M. Hulsberg (Boom Publishers) before the start of the programme.
You can register by filling out the form below:
