Get to know me a little better
Passionate About Mental Health
'Hi, my name is Bas den Blaauwen. I’m a husband, father of two, and we live in an old house in Sweden that we’re constantly renovating — together with a flock of chickens and an old cat.
Life is busy, sometimes chaotic, but fulfilling. It hasn’t always been that way.
When I was younger, stress ruled my life. By 24, I was already burned out, pushing myself to work harder, chasing expectations, and even trying ADHD medication to keep up. My head was foggy, I was constantly on high alert, and joy was hard to find.
That’s when I turned to self-development and discovered tools that really worked: practical ways to calm the nervous system, change thought patterns, and find more balance. I studied methods like NLP, neuroplasticity, and polyvagal theory, and started applying them first to myself, then to others. Step by step, I found not just relief but also a calling: helping people create lasting change.
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After moving to Sweden, I discovered how powerful it is to coach in nature. Hiking through forests, making fire, swimming in lakes — the outdoors creates space for reflection and transformation. What started with one client visiting from the Netherlands quickly grew into a new way of working.
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Today, I combine scientific knowledge with hands-on experience, humor, and an open, down-to-earth approach. My goal is simple: to help you find more peace of mind and the energy to live the life you want.​'
Expectations
'I was 24 when I already had my second “adult” job. I dropped out of school when I was about 17 and never looked back. The pressure of the school system was apparently too much for me. I had worked a few good years as a sports trainer, but I needed to make more money, so I started as a store manager.
Of course, there were expectations. I felt like I could only meet them by working really hard and making no mistakes. At some point, it seemed like I hit a glass ceiling. Whatever I tried, I could not get better at my job without making all kinds of small mistakes. I even started ADHD medication to climb higher up the ladder — until there was no more climbing to do. Proud? Not really. I still felt the need to push myself beyond my limits. My head was always foggy, I was constantly on high alert, had mood swings, and took very poor care of myself.
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Self development and research
At some point, I started doing courses in self-development, which gave me great tools. Not only did my tension go down, I also changed the way I felt and thought. I learned to make changes on a subconscious level, which means you don’t have to work hard for change. I also learned how to directly target the autonomic nervous system — where automated behavior is stored and comes from. Like all those thought loops you get stuck in, or repeating the same actions even when you know they don’t work for you. As you can imagine, I had quite some work to do on myself in order to relax a little or feel okay.
I learned a lot and did extensive research about the nervous system. I started implementing it in my coaching practice. It worked like a charm.
System work, NLP, Polyvagal theory, Neuroplasticity, and more — I absorbed it like a sponge. If you know how the system works and apply it in simple exercises that need almost no maintenance, you can change thought patterns, stress levels, and even ADHD-related behaviors.
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The request that started this
After about a year we've moved to Sweden. I got a request from someone in the Netherlands. She asked very directly (because that’s what Dutch people do 😉):
“I want to come to Sweden for a week, and I want you to coach me.”
That was Anne (from the review on the home page). After coaching her she was really happy, and so was I. We had just discovered how powerful and refreshing it is to coach — or be coached — in the Swedish outdoors.
She wrote a review, and because of that experience, more people wanted to come. And now here we are.
So, thanks Anne!'​​​
My Coaching Style
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Not one method
'I don’t like sticking to just one method while coaching. I think it is important that we use what works for you, instead of what some method says you should do. It works better and faster to use whatever tool is needed to get you into a relaxed state again.
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Using this mindset, I can help people with various challenges: weight problems, quitting smoking, depression, ADHD, sleeping problems, tension, burnout, bore-out, and much more. We coach in the present and only address the past when necessary — no digging up old stuff without purpose. We only address the future to create purpose and direction.'
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No plan?!
'You read that right! It seems like wherever you go for mental health, there needs to be a plan. I don’t make a big plan in advance. I keep an overview. Coaching is fluid — we can dial it up or down as we go. In my experience, your needs can change during the process. There’s no need to stick to a plan if it no longer fits. I prefer to adapt to you. I use my experience to maintain a good balance, a clear connecting thread for you, and a solid understanding of where you are in your process.
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I have a non-judging, open personality, a good sense of humor, and I make use of storytelling, mental/physical exercises, and a wide range of coaching techniques to help you experience a peaceful mind.
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In addition: I like to give everyone who comes here for coaching a bit of a Swedish experience. So besides hiking, we will probably make fire and swim in nature for instance.
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I work with adults aged 21 and older, of all genders, and in good health.' I speak Dutch, English and light-Swedish.​​​
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Working Together
'My wife Jeanny got involved at some point. Jeanny is a sports physiotherapist, an expert in nutrition, and a yoga teacher by profession. She knows exactly what the human body is capable of. This is especially helpful when clients experience physical limitations or when old injuries affect them. A lot of limitations come from tension and stress, which can be solved with mental work. But still, the body needs to move in the right ways , and can do more than we tend to think.. Together we help as many people as possible feel comfortable in their head, body, and life again. ​​
Other Projects You Might Know Me From and creditials
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I don't really like to tell about what i have achieved or done. Coaching should be about you. But I got a lot of advice to tell you my credentials, projects and achievements on this website'. In the end it is more important how you feel, so i'll keep it short:
Projects
I had another project called Hersenbrekers. There, we did job coaching for the government, created online training programs, produced a well-known podcast, and gave training sessions at companies.
The company was run by Raoul Eggen and me. After moving to Sweden, we downsized Hersenbrekers, but the podcast is still available. (We look so young there!)
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After moving to beautiful Sweden, I decided to start another coaching center — but this time to help raise the quality of coaching. All sorts of people find their way to us. I started ADHD Masters in early 2023, and 11 months later we already had 10 coaches, coaching with ADHD Masters. Our podcast Wat nou ADHD!? is currently number one on Apple Podcasts in the Netherlands.
We are official neurodiversity trainers for managers at large companies and train coaches with expertise in neurodiversity.
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Achievements:​
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Executive Writer for Brainz Magazine
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Owner of ADHD Masters, supporting over 10 coaches
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Two successful Dutch podcasts: De Hersenbrekers Podcast and Wat nou ADHD!?
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Rated 9.5 out of 10 on Studytube as Neurodiversity trainer
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Founded ADHD Masters
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Awarded in the Brainz 500 list of most influential entrepreneurs in 2023​
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Licences:
I am a licenced Life/ADHD/NLP coach, international NLP trainer and a member of CORE NLP.
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This all sounds great, but honestly — I’d rather just coach someone and help make that person (you) happy than do all of the above again.
So, enough about me. We’ll get to know each other better during an enjoyable and beautiful hike.
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