Who is behind Holistic Swan Massage?

Olav Swaan

holistic massage therapist, psychologist and mindfulness trainer

I am Olav Swaan and I am a massage therapist. I have succesfully completed the four-year training program for massage therapy at the Academy of Massage and Movement in Amsterdam. Experienced therapists and teachers have brought me into contact with the power and beauty of holistic bodywork. There is so much to feel and to discover in the world of the body and the mind! It was an exciting journey, which has not always been easy – and sometimes, there are still hardships – but as a person, I feel I have grown tremendously and I know one thing for sure: massages and bodywork have become inseparable from my life. It is my goal to help people experience the healing power of holistic massages.

When it comes to holistic massage (therapy), the body is used as an ‘entrance’ in order to be able to reach mental, emotional and spiritual levels apart from the physical. The essential contact that is created by touching the core. And this is amazing to me. For one person the core is a moment of pure relaxation in a stressful period. For another it is mainly about the feeling of being fully accepted, being allowed to exist. And another person wants to come into contact with his or her actual needs. I enjoy contributing to other people’s development processes and I find this to be a very rewarding job.

I also work as an psychologist (NIP) in an organisation that gives (preventive and curative) psychological support to employees. I hold a Master’s degree in Psychology, to be exact; lifespan-psychology. Lifespan psychology is based on the idea that human development takes place in interaction with its environment. So, man is not preprogrammed or static, but dynamic. He learns to fall (setback) and get up (successes). All his life. This is based on positive psychology, which focuses not so much on the pathological side of man, but rather on the positive aspects such as increasing resilience and emotional, psychological and social well-being.

Also I am a certified mindfulness-trainer (category 1 VMBN), trained at Radboud Centrum voor Mindfulness. Mindfulness is a way to observe what is happening in our body and our mind, rather than pushing thoughts and emotions away or trying to distract ourselves. The art of being present in the here and now, to be able to live more intensely and with greater awareness.

I am currently in training to be a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner ™. This method resolves symptoms of stress, shock, and trauma that accumulate in our bodies. See this page for more info.

We all have our own stories, our own patterns and needs. I like to approach everyone with an open attitude and will be happy to take you on an open minded journey, with my full attention to your world of the body and mind.

Whether you want a good conversation, a mindfulness-training or a massage, please feel welcome!