Ian Sicks
Counsellor & Psychologist
Mindfulness-based therapy for internationals in the Netherlands. I help adults and couples step out of anxious cycles and back toward what matters, drawing on ACT, CBT, and existential therapy. US-licensed (LMHC).
I specialise in:
About me
I'm originally from New York City, now based in Rotterdam. I've spent years working with people experiencing anxiety, panic, relationship stress, and the existential questions that tend to surface as we age and come in contact with the realities of loss and impermanence.
My training is in counseling, with thousands of hours of supervised clinical work. I help people who feel stuck in their own heads find a steadier, more present way to live.
I came to this work through my own interest in mindfulness, Buddhist philosophy, and existential thought. These traditions have deeply shaped how I work with my clients and live my own life.
I'm a gay man, and I bring that lived experience into therapy, especially with queer clients working through identity, dating, and relationships.
Outside of work, I'm a musician, a runner, and a meditator. I love language learning, pop music, movies, theatre, traveling, trains/trams/bikes etc.
I speak:
Location:
Media Gallery
Approach
My approach is mindfulness-based, drawing mainly from Mindfulness Based Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Existential Therapy. In practice, that means:
Mindfulness is the heart of the work we will do together. We will build your capacity to observe difficult thoughts and feelings without taking them all so personally.
We will clarify your values and move toward them, even when discomfort shows up. The goal is to stop making decisions based on fear and doubt and start living a life aligned with what you care about.
Not everything is a symptom to fix. Some things are about the bigger questions that come as we face the realities of sickness, age, and death in a scary and uncertain world. I encourage my clients to bring their most existential selves to our sessions and find that some of the best work starts from there.
Experience
Aristotle Psychological and Neurofeedback Services
Therapist in training
2021
Citron Hennessey Therapy
Staff therapist
2021-2024
Inner Compass Therapy NYC
Contract therapist
2024-present
Education
I'm a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) from the United States, with years of clinical training/experience and I’m a member of the NBTP (Nederlandse Beroepsvereniging voor Toegepaste Psychologie), the Dutch Professional Association for Applied Psychology.
My training is up to the rigorous standards required to practice as a therapist in New York State and my credentials have been reviewed and recognized by the Dutch Professional Association for Applied Psychology. These credentials include a masters degree in Mental Health Counseling from Hunter College and cumulatively 3,700 hours of pre-licensure supervised work. I maintain this license in good standing and pursue continuing education as the licensing body requires. My US license number is 014882.
In addition to this license, I have completed:
-Intensive trainings in REBT/CBT therapies from the Albert Ellis Institute in New York City between 2021 and 2023
-A 300 Hour Mindfulness Facilitator training at MNDFL Meditation Center in New York City in 2019
-Expert-led supervision in REBT, Existential therapy, ACT, and Person Centered Couples therapy
Outside of my institutional training and supervision as a therapist and mindfulness facilitator, I have extensive experience in meditation practice, including months of intensive silent retreat and study.
Services
Intro Call
Individual Session
Individual Session
Insurances
