Margit Kooijman

About the author | 143 Margit Kooijman completed her secondary education in 2000 at the Montessori Lyceum Herman Jordan in Zeist. After travelling the world for a while, she studied physiotherapy at the Hogeschool van Utrecht and graduated in 2005. Subsequently, she started her master’s degree in Human Movement Sciences at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and graduated in 2007 with a specialization in sports psychology. Directly after that, she started her working career as a junior researcher at NIVEL (Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research) in Utrecht and was involved in research on physiotherapy health services use. Working here for some time, she longed to combine her research work with performing clinical care. Looking for a position, she was hired as a lecturer at the postbachelor eduction Master Specialized Physiotherapy at Avans+ Breda. Here she taught applied statistics and research skills and helped students conduct research in their own private practices. While working as a researcher and lecturer, she also started a position as a physiotherapist at OCA Amsterdam Zuid/Revanu in Amsterdam; a rehabilitation clinic in which interdisciplinary (primary and secondary) care was delivered. Her work at NIVEL enriched with her experiences as a clinican has resulted in this PhD thesis. This thesis was completed long after leaving NIVEL in 2014; following major life events she combined writing the last parts of this thesis while starting a rigorous education in integrated psychotherapy. Since 2018, she works in her own practice ‘Traversum’ (www.traversum.nl) . Seen her experience, she especially welcomes clients suffering from chronic pain who wish to understand its origin. In her approach, the wisdom of the body is utilized to help each person find his or her own possibilities to explore its meaning and increase well-being. Recently, with her practice she joined the holistic health center ‘de Vrijstad’ in Culemborg, a place where physical and psychological care, both regular and complementary is provided (www.igcdevrijstad.nl) . Their goal is to support and strengthen the development and individualty of each person. Trust in the strength and resilience of every person is central to their care provision. From a broad perspective, they focus on health and vitality. Margit lives with Robin and their baby-daughter Filippa in the ecological-area of Culemborg. For now, most of her time she spents being a mother. In due time, next to working as an integrated psychotherapist, her longing is to join a research group in bodymind medicine to contribute to more understanding and advanced treatment for those who live with pain.