When Loss Becomes a Teacher -The Life Work of Leoniek van der Maarel

EXCLUSIVE ARTICLE  | LEONIEK VAN DER MAAREL

Leoniek van der Maarel is one of Europe’s leading grief and bereavement psychology voices. Based in the Netherlands, she has dedicated more than 25 years to breaking the silence around loss and helping individuals, families, and professionals navigate its impact. Through her Grief Training Centre (Academie voor Verlies), she trains therapists, coaches, and practitioners who often feel unprepared when confronted with grief in their work, giving them the confidence and tools to support clients with empathy and depth.

Her influence extends into pioneering methodologies. She co-founded the SCHIPaanpak, a widely used approach that reframes divorce not as conflict but as grief—a perspective that has transformed how separating couples navigate breakups. She has authored several books, including Kinderen in Spagaat, a widely read guide for parents and professionals on the effects of separation on children.

Known for blending innovation with compassion, van der Maarel integrates tools such as Lutografie, an online grief processing program, and Deepfake Therapy, which leverages AI technology to help people process unspoken words and unresolved questions. She also incorporates insights from positive psychology to help people find resilience and meaning.

“Everything I do is about breaking the taboo around grief,” she says, “and turning it into a path of connection and growth.” Whether through her keynotes, writings, or groundbreaking therapeutic methods, Leoniek van der Maarel is reshaping the way society understands and responds to loss.