Andrew Kaufman
Psychosocial Counsellor
I help internationals, professionals, and parents in and around The Hague work through anxiety, burnout, relationship strain, and the harder parts of building a life far from home.
I specialise in:
About me
Hi, I'm Andrew Kaufman, founder of The Schmidts Institute, a private practice for mental health counseling based in The Hague (Den Haag).
I'm a U.S.-licensed social worker with more than 16 years of experience helping people work through anxiety, burnout, relationship difficulties, grief, parenting struggles, and major life transitions. I've worked in hospitals, schools, nonprofits, and international organizations, supporting people through trauma, crisis, and some of the most significant moments of their lives.
Those years taught me one thing above all. Everyone's story is different, but no one should have to carry it alone. When you reach out to The Schmidts Institute, you're not getting passed to an associate or a rotating roster of clinicians. You're working directly with me, every session.
I speak:
Location:
Media Gallery
Approach
I believe meaningful change starts with genuine connection. That means showing up as a real person, not just someone taking notes across the room.
As an expat myself, I know what it's like to build a life somewhere new and figure out how to take care of your mental health while you're at it. I don't have all the answers, but I understand how much it matters to feel heard, understood, and comfortable enough to just be yourself.
Counseling shouldn't feel like being analyzed. It's two people having a real conversation about your life and what might make it a little better. My style is warm, conversational, and collaborative. I'll challenge you when it's useful, sit with you when things are hard, and when the moment's right, I'll probably make you laugh.
Some sessions will leave you deep in thought. Others might end with you wondering how you ended up laughing about something you swore you'd never be able to talk about. That's kind of the point. A place to be honest about what's hard without everything having to feel heavy.
You don't need to have it figured out before you walk in. That's what I'm here for.
Experience
THE SCHMIDTS INSTITUTE, The Hague, The Netherlands (2026)
Founder & Counselor
NAMI CHICAGO (NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS), Chicago, USA (2019-2025)
Director of Recovery Services (2022-2025); Recovery Coordinator (2020-2022); Recovery Manager (2019-2020)
UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL MECHANISM FOR CRIMINAL TRIBUNALS, The Hague, The Netherlands (2018-2019)
External Relations Outreach Worker
ADVOCATE ILLINOIS MASONIC MEDICAL CENTER, Chicago, USA (2014-2017)
Medical Social Worker, Inpatient Psychiatric Unit
GLORIA ENGLISH SCHOOL, Taoyuan, Taiwan (2011-2014)
English-As-Second Language (ESL) Teacher
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO HOSPITALS, Chicago, USA (2010-2011)
Medical Social Worker, Oncology Unit
Education
University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work / Masters
AUG 2007 - MAY 2009, Texas, USA.
Clinical social work focus, with a final project in South Africa, specializing in trauma response and treatment for HIV patients.
University of Arizona / Bachelor of Arts in Psychology & Business Administration
AUG 2002 - DEC 2006, Arizona, USA
Clinical psychology focus, specializing in clinical counseling and economics.
Services
Intro Call
Individual Session
Individual Session
Insurances
