To the outside world, it looked like I had it all together.
It looked like I was this confident woman with a marvellous life.
With everything she could wish for.
But on the inside it was a whole different story.
On the inside, I was full of doubt and worry.
Inside I felt sort of crazy. I never felt fully content. I had a strong sense of something missing.
Yet, I didn’t know what. Or what I wanted instead.
I was angry at myself and felt guilty for being ungrateful. Because I had it all! What was I complaining about?
Over the years I toiled on, going through the motions. I existed, but I didn’t live.
I believed that it was this way for everyone.
I started to give in and give up. Resigning myself to a life I wasn’t meant to live.
Then I got a wake up call.
Which made me realize I didn’t know who I was.
That I didn’t like myself all that much.
That things I thought were normal in my marriage, were actually kind of dysfunctional.
That something was going on and that I was not as crazy as my husband wanted me to believe.
That I was being manipulated masterfully.
I understood I no longer wanted this joyless life, with all the drama.
With all the walking on eggshells
So I rebelled.
I realised that this was not how I wanted to live my life!
I rebelled against this farce of a life.
I was terrified of having to leave everything behind which I had tried so hard to keep together for so many years. Terrified of losing everybody and everything.
I had changed.
I also knew that one day I would leave.
I only didn’t know how and when.
I also knew that one day I would leave.
The day came that I could no longer deal with this mess.
I packed my bags and left.
I got out and started over.
Starting over didn’t prove as easy as I’d thought it was.
I rode the roller coaster of denial, anger, sadness, depression.
I faced challenging obstacles I didn’t even think could happen.
I grieved the loss of time, of myself.
I was scared sh*tless and yet totally fearless.
I want to share my experience and help others through similar rides.
I want to show them that it’s Ok to fall, fail and start over.
That it’s possible, no matter how old you are, no matter what.
When I started to accept what had happened, when I started to accept that it was OK to be me, everything started to flow.
I realised it was important to share my experience and help others through similar rides.
I want to show you that it’s possible to get out, to deal with and to heal from bad relationships.
I want you to know that you can heal and move on.
I want you to know that you can thrive.
No matter how old you are, no matter how scared you are. No matter what!
“There is a tremendous difference between existing and thriving.”
I’m Christel. I had it all and yet I felt lost.
And I became a rebel. I decided to choose me. I chose to change my life.
I wanted a more authentic life. One where I owned my story. One where I stood up for my true values. One where I wasn't an afterthought.
I realised that choosing myself was not selfish. On the contrary, it was the most unselfish thing I ever did. Because, once I decided it was time for myself, I made choices and changes. In all areas of my life.
I can help you choose you.
I can help you spot, get the hell out, deal with the aftermath and heal from a toxic relationship.
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“Christel, you are a beautiful woman. You inspire, motivate and you gave me an a-ha moment with a star. And that star shone bright in my world for the rest of the day. It seems that nothing is the same any longer. I want to thank you for this lovely gift you gave me today.”
Madelon KunstOlhos d’Água, Portugal -
“Christel is a wise woman who listens with her whole heart. She intuitively identified my stressful approach to exercise and the impact it was having on my overall health and wellbeing. I praise Christel for teaching me the importance of hormonal balance for women. Thank you Christel – you opened a whole new doorway to my awareness and understanding of women’s wellbeing.”
Özlem BelSidney, Australia -
“Wandering through my past fears and analysing my dreams, I discovered a new me. I gained power to confront myself, the world and my relationships with a different conscience. Knowing that we can change so much within ourselves with some simple tools, is very powerful. It can be hard to go within, but it’s certainly worth it. Christel’s guidance made it possible to reach the answers within me.”
Lavi PalmaFaro, Portugal -
“Coaching with Christel is fun, therapeutic and enlightening. My sessions with her have helped me navigate a period of change in my life and become more self aware and at peace with who I am. This made me feel more comfortable in my skin and in my relationships in work and outside. She is sensitve, honest, authentic, non judgemental and helps you tease out the person within. Her approach not only helps you to examine yourself as a person but also find ways to cope with life situations in a real and practical manner.”
Nichola StephensLondon, Uk -
“I met Christel when I was going through a hard time in every aspects of my life. Christel coached me through a big life transition and I couldn’t have managed these changes without her help. I can say that I am in a totally different place right now and I wouldn’t be where I am now without her help. She has been incredibly supportive, compassionate, non-judgemental and always with creative ideas. I am calmer and more at peace with myself. Christel has been a wonderful influence in my life.”
Leman AydemirLondon, Uk &
World Traveller -
“The way that Christel works with the tarot and destiny cards is natural, engaging and highly intuitive. She connects with my energy and clearly explains the monthly and yearly influences that the cards reveal. And every single time, without fail, it has been spot on. Having a sense of what’s on the cards from Christel is like having a beautiful guiding light explaining what you feel and face at that point in time so that you can make the best decisions for you.”
Alison O’LearyWales, UK -
“I absolutely love how simple Christel made this experience for me. Having it in writing with space to journal about the cards is a genius idea! The voice recordings made it more personal and was another way to take it all in. So I have the pictures, the write up and the recordings which are perfectly consistent. She turned it around super quickly! Lastly, my favourite part is where she wrote messages specific to me and related to each card. If you’d like to see a glimpse into the energy available to you in the coming year, I highly recommend Christel, she is truly talented at the Tarot! And a multi-talented coach!”
Wendy HolthausSan Francisco, USA -
“I’ve been using Christel’s Destiny Card reports for the last four years and each time they totally relate to what’s happening in my life. When it’s my birthday, I look forward to having a peek into what’s ahead for me. I use these reports to guide me through the year and to prepare for any challenges or issues that may come my way. The little book you get is really extensive. I also love the space to write down my notes, reminders and to journal about how these cards influenced me. It’s also very helpful when Christel goes over your cards with you as this gives you more clarity and better understanding of the cards.”
Donna de KramerQuarteira, Portugal
Some (un)important things about me
I love animals. All creatures great and small — well, besides enormous, hairy spiders that is. I have a thing about elephants, but they don’t fit in my living room. So I make do with 6 dogs and 1 cat.
I adore my morning coffee. But not after 2 pm.
I have two grown-up sons who refuse to leave Hotel Christel, so I must have done something good —or not. And last but not least, a supportive husband who helped me start over my career and loves me to bits. which btw is reciprocal.
I love blue skies, sunshine and the beach. That’s why I live in the Algarve. Yet sometimes I need myself some city energy. NYC is on the top of my list, but a visit to my home city, Antwerp also does the trick.
I have no thyroid which messed up my hormones real bad. But now I got that under control. Somewhat.